In a certain sense singing could be considered multi-media because it combines the effects of music as sound and words as meaning. Music and the spoken word have been so closely connected through the ages that we usually consider the singing of words as simply music. Music also contains many other theatrical elements in that we often enjoy watching the animated movements of our favorite conductor or soloist. To some extent all live performance is a form of theatre because all performers are aware of the theatrical effects of their most subtle actions on stage. Theatre, opera, Noh drama, Balinese ritual, and the mass all combine the powers and effects of music, language, movement and the visual arts to create a very different experience for the audience/participants than what is usually experienced in everyday life. Contemporary performance art and installations have blurred the boundaries further between the different media. Often a performance artist will work from within the context of one medium of artistic expression and push past its traditional boundaries by adding elements from other media. Performance artist, Laurie Anderson, came out of a tradition of sculpture working in mixed-media, incorporating video monitors and electronic sound devices. Her work evolved becoming more and more musical and theatrical (using spoken text) until her performances became more like musical concerts. However, her work still retained the visual sophistication of her earlier work.
When we experience any work of art we experience it through a multiple of layers–layers from the Intentions (expectations) and past experiences of the audience, the layers from the many different (and often ambiguous) Intentions of the artists, the physical context and/or setting of the art work, the social/political context of the art, etc. This complexity increases exponentially as the effects of different media are integrated into the work by the artist. We examined the different ways of experiencing a visual art piece and a piece of music. When these differences are combined they create an interplay with one another. Often artists strive to attain the full attention of the audience. Yet we also live in a society in which we may play large symphonic, choral and operatic works in the background while we work at the office. Thus artists today often use stronger means to get the full attention of their audiences. This sometimes even involves the participation of the audience. In the past an audience reacted strongly because Beethoven chose to write a symphony based on smaller melodic fragments rather than what had been established as the traditional medic form. Decades later Stravinsky used stronger measures and got a similar reaction from his audience watching and hearing the ballet, The Rite of Spring. Antonine Artaud went much further in developing what he called a theatre of cruelty.î All of this and many other instances were an effort to meaningfully engage the audience which has been numbed by its own technology. An artist is also an audience member who enjoys the works of others which might challenge his/her perceptions. Consequently s/he works very hard to find ways to challenge others who come to experience his/her work.
Experience a work of art (if you can, one of multi-media) which is particularly challenging perceptually for you. If possible experience the work more than once. Learn as much as you can about the work and its context including the artist creating the work. Document your experiences and further thoughts about the work. Try to determine the Intentions of the artist creating the work through your own analysis. After you have done this talk to the artist and/or read what the artist may have written about the process of creating the work and the artists Intentions concerning the work. Compare what you have surmised with what the artist says about their own Intentionality and submit it to your mentor for grading.