Blog

In Moab, we are a bit obsessed with noise. As a major tourist destination there is no small number of noisy cars, trucks and rigs that run by our windows each day.  We sometimes get a little cranky about all the ruckus in our back yards, but the fact is, those of us who live here, love it here.  It's our home and populated by the tribe of people and a community that we love.  And specifically for artists, the landscape ignites the imagination inspiring all genres of art: painting, ceramics, textiles, music, dance, and writing. 

How do creative people, then, continue to make art in spite of noise caused by day-to-day life intensified by three million visitors a year? Or can noise, in fact, be an impetus for creation?  According to Ravi Mehta, professor of business administration at the University of Illinois, a moderate level of noise not only enhances creative problem solving, but also leads to a greater adoption of innovative products in certain settings.  By moderate noise, he means 70 decibels. (As a point of reference, rustling leaves record at 20-30 decibels.) At 85 decibels, a level equivalent to traffic noise on a major road, creativity, as well as our ears, is harmed. A lawnmower is 90 decibels. A rock concert falls at 110-120 decibels. The noise at that level reduces our ability to process information. It turns out that a moderately increased level of distraction allows people to think outside the box, but beyond the moderate level, noise really starts interfering with the thought process and creativity is inhibited.  It's interesting to note that Mehta's study was done in a consumer environment setting and there is some evidence in the study that people will be more likely to purchase creative products while accompanied by a moderate noise level.  One wonders if this would hold true in a gallery setting? Would Gallery Moab sell more art if we kept noise level at approximately 70 decibels? The outcome on such an experiment might depend upon whether the “noise” is Debussy or the Red Hot Chili Peppers, hence the caveat that one person's music is another person's noise.

Recently, artists and museums have been introducing multi-media experiences for the art-viewing public and they often include music and other sounds.  The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, featured the famous Claude Monet painting “Water Lilies” in its exhibition “From Dawn to Dusk.” The event was a 10 minute light program emulating the rise and fall of daylight on the painting while listing to sound effects such as birds singing, water gurgling and frogs croaking.  It's definitely relaxing and engaging and allows the viewer to experience the scene much like the artist might have experienced it while painting. 

The Immersive Van Gogh experience that is currently sweeping the country is another example of a multi-media approach that amplifies the viewers' experience of art. Given the success of this event, it seems apparent that the multimedia art experience will remain “on trend” for the foreseeable future. 

But what of the artist herself? What happens to our creative process when there is background noise? What influence does music have on our art?  Pop artist Keith Haring always had a boom box playing rap music while he painted. He loved Run DMC.  His vibrant colors and animated, sometimes dancing characters, suggest that his music choice informed his art. Georgia O'Keefe went through a creative period when she believed that music could be translated into something for the eye.  Her piece “Music, Pink and Blue No 2” (1918) and “Green Music” (1919-1921) are examples of this trend in her work.  

Unititled by Keith Haring (courtesy robbreport.com)

Music Pink and Blue No. 2 (courtesy Whitney Museum)

Renowned Russian painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky was so fascinated by the relationship between music and art that he used musical terms to name many of his paintings.  It's said that he experienced synesthesia, a condition where people experience the activation of one sense as the result of experiencing another.  When he heard sounds, he saw color; when he saw color, he heard music. Part of this theory is that the type of music you are listening to will affect your subconscious mind and the painting will be different. Music with a fast tempo could cause you to paint faster, use quicker, shorter strokes or use more bold “happy” colors. Slow music would have the opposite effect, slowing down your process and changing color selection and completely changing the mood of the piece.

Therefore, it remains important to distinguish between music and noise. Music is shown to increase happiness and reduce anxiety. According to Ashley Stahl in a Forbes.com article, she states that music “boosts your mood and slows your heart rate. You get a flood of dopamine, which improves mental health.”  Additionally, she writes that listening to music can boost your immune system and make you smarter.  It's especially valuable for fighting off dementia.  Noise, on the other hand, causes cognitive impairment and oxidative stress along with perceived annoyance, cardiovascular disorders and sleep disturbance.  Stahl writes that noise pollution has become a risk factor for depression, emotional stress, anxiety and memory defects as well as causing reduced productivity.  It can't be good for art.

One of Gallery Moab's founding artists, Page Holland, has this to say about noise and the creative process: “I define noise as something negative. To me, art creation and noise are antithetical, unless the process itself is noisy, such as in woodworking, welding, etc. I just don't create well (or create at all) around noise.  I love painting the most when I hear trees rustling or water trickling, birds being busy, or all of it together, especially if a horse is munching or blowing nearby.  

Emerald Alley by Page Holland (oil, courtesy Page Holland)

Though I love plein air painting, where natural music is always part of the show, plein air painting requires so much concentration that I don't hear what's going on around me. I'm more focused on capturing the fleeting dance of light.

John Wayne Morning by Page Holland (oil, courtesy Page Holland)

Another of our Gallery Moab artists, Deborah McDermott, shared this with us: “While I'm working, I like to listen to the music played on different instruments, of different cultures and time periods. But I don't like it when it's too loud or repetitive. That's annoying. I prefer calm music that doesn't jangle my nerves.  When I'm really focused on something I will forget to turn on music altogether. Suddenly, I become hyper-aware of the quiet of my environment and the sounds made by my tools.  Rolling out ink with a rubber brayer on the glass slab is an auditory experience: Too much ink makes a squishy sound which isn't good.  My studio soundscape also includes the noise I spontaneously make: sighing, gasping, swearing, and outbursts like, "you gotta be kidding!" or the occasional "oh, yeah!" depending on how well it's going. I welcome the sound of the delivery truck bringing supplies, crunching on the gravel driveway, squealing to a halt. But if an unexpected someone knocks at my door when I'm in "the zone," I can be startled practically out of my seat."

Four colors rolled out on glass ready to ink, photo credit Deborah McDermott

“Like Lichen” by Deborah McDermott

Linoleum shaped pieces, photo credit Deborah McDermott

 Other Gallery Moab artists, like myself, listen to audio books.  From my perspective, listening to a book allows me to better focus on my drawing or painting.  I'm locked into the story so I can also stay locked into the art I'm working on. It keeps me at the easel or table instead of wandering off.  Often, if I'm out of books I can hear the vacuum cleaner calling me or the washing machine screaming to be filled and I lose focus on my art to do chores.  Noise is a different story.  If the neighborhood dogs are having a bark fest, I crank up music (definitely something I can sing along to) to drown them out.  Construction noise or road traffic also causes me to turn on some tunes, typically folk, pop or oldies I can sing along to.  Music also drowns out home appliances that want attention or sheets that are begging to be changed. While audio books and music can help maintain focus and limit aggravation, a completely quiet room sometimes is really my best friend for any creative process whether painting, writing or sewing.    -- JB

I will leave you with this little diddy from Monty Python actor John Cleese:  “Your creativity is like a tortoise. It pokes its head out nervously to ensure the environment is safe before it fully emerges. “