The video below is the beginning of this year’s collaboration between myself and Atzi Muramatsu (composer and cellist).

We recently talked about the themes of the latest series of paintings (Nocturnes) and Atzi produced a series of works on cello. The mysterious and minimal intro music is a perfect introduction, but I’m particularly moved by the piece that accompanies Nocturn 4, it’s suitably dark in mood, yet there’s an airborn feeling to it, with a sense of searching, or being compelled to explore what we’re not familiar with.

‘Nocturn 4’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas

The tense piece towards the end, and strange primal, dramatic sounds at the end are in contrast to the more lyrical piece that accompanies Nocturn 4, and I felt this was perfect sound accompaniment to Nocturns 3 and 5 which have a sense of more movement, tension and drama.

‘Blue 3’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas

Nocturn 3 features the suggestion of a ship, or ship’s ferry lights, so I’ve played around with slightly distorted and unsettling effects in the video, which are echoed nicely with the atmospheric creaking sounds Atzi makes with the cello (I think of them as creaky anyway, it might just be me associating with images of boats in trouble at sea!).

Inspiring stuff from Atzi as always. We’re working on a new project to accompany the exhibition in July and I’ll update on that soon.