Coincidence + Dissonance + Serendipity
Amy Kang
Coincidence + Dissonance + Serendipity is a solo presentation of NYC based artist and cellist Amy Kang. The interdisciplinary works exhibited in the show trace the parallels between sight and sound, exploring in visual form musical notions of harmony and counterpoint. Kang’s distinct practice is informed by her background as a classically trained cellist and seeks to render visually the linear order inherent within music. In her “Bach Project” series, Kang transcribes musical scores into a system of color notation; by assigning a color to each pitch in order that her brushstrokes represent different notes, she creates a temporal artwork that transmutes contrapuntal motifs and harmonies into a sequence of colors. The palette is further selected based on the musical harmony – consonance or dissonance – so that the “color chord” reflects the tension or harmony in the music. The concept of order is investigated further in her “Dice Games” series in which Kang allows the roll of a die to determine the placement of a square of color within a grid; this process, much like similar stochastic experiments in music, embraces chance to create a works that are formally unstructured yet visually coherent. The resulting mosaic-like paintings reveal a sense of rhythm and order by way of a seemingly random, disordered process.
About the Artist
Amy Kang is a painter and cellist based in New York City. She received a B.A. in English Literature at Columbia University in 2011, and studied art at the L’Ècole Marchutz in Aix-en-Provence. It was at Marchutz that Amy learned about color and light, as she painted Mont St Victoire among the lavender fields, marveling at how Cezanne had gazed upon the same gilded horizon long ago. Her high school art teacher David Brewster, however, truly taught her how to see, and for that she will forever be grateful. Music plays an integral part in Amy’s work and process as a visual artist, having studied and performed as a cellist. In her “Bach Project” series Amy transcribes musical scores into a notation system based on color and musical harmony. In 2020, Amy performed selections from the Bach Cello Suites alongside her music paintings for a collaborative event with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and K-Auction in Seoul. In 2021 Amy gave a solo exhibition at the Arts Club of Washington D.C., followed by another solo show at Studio Kki Gallery in South Korea. In October 2022 she had her third solo exhibition at Gallery Jung in Seoul. As a professional cellist Amy actively explores a broad spectrum of musical genres. She performs as a classical chamber musician as well as with contemporary jazz and Latin American ensembles. She has performed with multi-Grammy winner Paquito d’Rivera and continues to perform at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, and at Lotte Concert Hall and Seoul Arts Center in South Korea, as well as other notable international stages. She studied the cello with Fred Sherry.
