Project 5: Can the Circle Be Unbroken

Lyrics:
(The Carter Family / Clarence Ashley & Doc Watson)

I was standing by my window

On one cold and cloudy day

And I saw the hearse come rolling

For to carry my mother away

Can the circle be unbroken

Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye

There's a better home a-waiting

In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Oh, I told the undertaker

Undertaker, please drive slow

For this body you are hauling

How I hate to see her go

Can the circle be unbroken

Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye

There's a better home a-waiting

In the sky, Lord, in the sky

I followed close beside her

Tried to hold up and be brave

But I could not hide my sorrow

When they laid her in the grave

Can the circle be unbroken

Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye

There's a better home a-waiting

In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Went back home Lord, my home was lonesome
missed my mother she was gone
all my brothers, sisters cry in'
What a home so sad and lone

Can the circle be unbroken

Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye

There's a better home a-waiting

In the sky, Lord, in the sky

I found the Carter Family's version of the song very interesting because it has an upbeat tempo to convey a song about death (and potential rebirth or life in heaven). It almost makes me forget about the content of the song and encourages me to hum along with a happy tune. This reminded me of Adorno's writings about popular music -- popular music distracts listeners from the realities and responsibilities of their own lives and gives them a temporary (and false) sense of happiness or relaxation. It seems the core of the song is showing that despite the death, she will be going to a better place in the sky -- the hope outweighs the sadness.
However, Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson's version slows down the tempo, making the song more emotional. It sounds somewhat like a plea, asking the Lord if the circle will be unbroken and grasping at the idea that "There's a better home a-waiting/in the sky." The careful layering of deeper voices makes the song seem more haunting and dramatic -- sounds like people are personally affected by the death of the mother. In this version, it seems sadness is more prevalent than hope.

For this project, I responded more to Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson's version of the song. I wanted to explore a darker and more illustrative side -- something very Supernatural-esque. I added a woman in white to represent the spirit of the mother, since I've always been intrigued by that myth and it's countless versions.

Project 4: Oh Mary Don't You Weep

Song: 

For this week, I chose Swan Silvertones' version "Oh Mary Don't You Weep." I really like their sound because it surrounds me with a sort of "classic" atmosphere, and their words are clearly enunciated, which is what I actively look for in the music that I listen to.  I also enjoy the high notes that are scattered in the middle and the end of the song. I also did enjoy Max Romeo's Pama Reggae version, but unfortunately I could not understand exactly he was saying, and thus I could not quite understand the lyric changes. 

As for biblical references -- I did not grow up with any religious background, so reading more in depth about Mary, Martha and Lazarus is new to me. Although I cannot personally connect with these passages, I definitely do have respect for what they stand for and what music they inspire. Whether learning the songs at Sunday schools, at churches or from people on the road, it proves how powerful music can be -- people form a community and are united by words and songs and lyrics (as well as faith). Traveling all over the country, the lyrics of the songs may have changed here and there, but the truth of the songs still remain and resonate with their listeners. I am fascinated mostly by the reading from "The Souls of Black Folk" -- they are brought together by struggle, sorrow and song. There is a real gravity to their songs; even just reading the lyrics, I can feel the hardship, but can also see their hope that the Lord will guide the way. 

This particular quote caught my eye: "Our song, our toil, our cheer, and warning have been given to this nation in blood-brotherhood."

For this project, I decided to focus on how the music made me feel rather than what the song actually means lyrically. I wanted to explore the idea of a more abstract response, which is not something I am typically used to. This piece is an oil painting on a small canvas.

I focused more on the tones and notes, and I attempted to give them a physicality, which is one of the reasons I chose a thick canvas this time; I imagined bright thin lines for high, held out notes and darker, deeper and bolder strokes for lower vocals. I also wanted to create 3 layers -- a low contrast one for the background voices ("oh Mary don't you weep"), a bold layer the main vocals, and accents for the variety of vocal embellishments. I chose red as the base color because the voices in the song emit a sort of warmth and comfort. As for the black and gray, I wanted to try to create a bolder feel. I wanted to illustrate the high tones and embellishments of the song in a brighter color, which is why I chose a yellow. It was more successful in theory than in reality.

I'm not 100% convinced that I was successful in creating what I had in mind, perhaps it is the colors that I chose -- but it does not have the feeling that I imagined in my head. I could not find the right lines/shapes for each layer; it somehow turned out more violent than I pictured, but perhaps that is a result of my frustration with working in a new way. What started out as a calm piece suddenly turned into a more, almost scary, piece in the end. Rather than painting how I felt about the music, I began to paint my personal feelings toward the painting process; I think I was successful in showing this frustration -- anger, almost. Although a small piece, it is probably one of the most frustrating ones I've done, which reminded me a lot of how I felt last year, when I was struggling to find myself. I guess this piece (like the songs), although unintentionally, shows how even in the darkness, there will be at least a little light, some semblance of hope of finding a way out. Hopefully this class will help me find where I want to go artistically -- I hope that doing (sometimes experimental) pieces weekly will accelerate this process.

Project 3: My Desire

Lyrics:

It's my desire to do some good thing every day.
It's my desire to help the fallen by the way.
Oh, it's my desire to bring back those who've gone astray.
It's my desire, oh, to be like the Lord.

It's my desire to bring someone drunk to the fold.
It's my desire to shelter someone from the cold.
It's my desire to do thy will, Lord, as I am told.
It's my desire, oh, Lord, to be like my Lord.

Yes, It's my desire, to see His face when life is done.
It's my desire to meet the Father, yes and the Son.
It's my desire to hear Him say, "My Child, well done."
It's my desire, oh, Hallelujah, to be like the Lord.

I chose the song "My Desire" by Delois Barrett Campbell, and upon hearing it, I imagined the performer standing in front of a stained glass window. For this project, I decided to expand my color palette and to see if I could still create a unified piece by using virtually every color of the rainbow. Still using a 6x8" canvas board, I wanted to try to illustrate something that was much bigger than its physical size. 

I contemplated filling in the two large circles outlined in green with either more colors or perhaps a human portrait or figure (perhaps Paul Walker or my mother, people I look up to who have embodied the seemingly perfect "good" that I want to be). In the end, I decided against it because I felt that would go with the lyrics more -- no matter how many good deeds you perform, there's always a desire to do something greater. At whatever stage, there are still so many pieces of one's life that haven't been filled in yet. There's always something more that can be done, to make your or perhaps someone else's life more colorful. 

Project 2: You Are My Sunshine

Lyrics:

The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken,
And I hung my head and cried.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away.

I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me and love another
You'll regret it all someday.

You told me once, dear, you really loved me
And no one could come between
But now you've left me to love another
You have shattered all of my dreams.

For this project, I worked with oil color on canvas board (6x8"). I wanted to experiment more with color, so I only used French Ultramarine, Cadmium Red and Cadmium Yellow. With this piece, I wanted to convey emotion, both with the subject and the colors. It's called "You Were My Sunshine."
My jumping off point was the emotion I got from listening to the song -- a longing, a sadness. I took lyrics that hit me the hardest, and illustrated them through a single figure. Originally, I wanted to utilize a monochrome palette, using only shades of indigo to convey that sadness. However, I thought it would be more dynamic if I added the yellow to represent the sunshine. I wanted to show that the sunshine was fading, and it was only touching him on the slightest of spots. The sunshine does not reach where his heart or his face are, and I think that could show that his sunshine has gone away and shattered all his dreams.

Project 1: Down in the Valley

Lyrics:

Down in the valley, the valley so low
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow
Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow

Write me a letter, send it by mail
Send it in care of Birmingham jail...
Birmingham jail, love, Birmingham jail
Send it in care of Birmingham jail

If you don't love me, love whom you please
Throw your arms 'round me, give my heart ease....
Give my heart ease, love, give my heart ease
Throw your arms 'round me, give my heart ease.

Build me a castle, 40 foot high
So I can see you, as you go by
As you go by love, as you go by
So I can see you, as you go by

I chose to create a work that had both personal meaning and also possibly meaning to the viewer as well. The valley that most naturally came to mind was Castro Valley, where I was born; as a result, I decided to use the city's outline as the starting point of the piece. Having not grown up in Castro Valley, I did not have any particular idea as to which direction to take -- so I googled "Castro Valley 1994," the year I was born. Article after article highlighted a tragic story of a young girl. I thought candles would be suitable, to serve as a sort of vigil for the young girl.

Giving the symbol some more thought, I realized candles could also represent a birthday. Blown out candles ("Hear the wind blow") could hold even more meaning: the passage of time, death, or the loss of something that used to burn bright. This would give it the personal meaning that I wanted to convey through the piece -- "Down in the Valley" is the only song I remember how to play on the piano, an instrument that I abandoned just as I approached my teen years. Looking back, I regret not continuing with lessons, but somehow I always go back to it leisurely every now and then, sitting down to play for a couple minutes. Just as candles may not last forever, but the smoke lingers there, if not forever, then at least for a little while.