Music and art often work together. The same ideas that influence art also influence music. One of the big ideas in art and music in the early 20th century was abstraction. “Abstract” means an idea that doesn’t have a corresponding object in reality. Art and music were no longer seen as just depicting the world or performing a function in society, but the elements of each were explored just for themselves.
In art, the father of Abstract art was Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944). Kandinsky used abstract shapes and lines to create his art. He also wrote several books on the theory of art which laid out his ideas for others to follow. His artwork was considered controversial at first, but later he was recognized as a masterful artist.
Here are some examples of Kandinsky’s art:
These pictures come from the web site https://www.wassilykandinsky.net. You can learn more about Kandinsky and his art there.
Some computer designers took the ideas of Kandinsky’s art and added music to them to create a musical game. You can draw your own abstract artwork, then turn it into music. To play the game, click on the link below. Use your finger or mouse to draw lines and shapes (hint: shapes do special things, especially circles). Press the “Play” arrow to make your artwork become music. The color buttons to the left change the colors and sounds, while the “undo” button to the right erases the last things you drew. Have fun making your own abstract art and music!
The web site is located at https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Kandinsky/.
NOTE: I tried this out on Windows, Android, and Kindle, and it worked on all three. I do not have an iPad so I couldn’t test it, but it should also work on them. If there are problems, contact me via the contact page.
Mr. Steve's Music 