While I was making tonight’s dinner I listened again to the “sound portraits” of myself and my wife, mentioned in the previous post. I do find the whole experience to have been very thought-provoking….in both cases.
Although she tends to have a rather negative view of herself in many respects, my wife’s “portrait” corresponded rather more closely to my own perception of her. There was a real strength there, and a kind of harmony or integration that I believe she doesn’t suspect, although it is recognisable to me. It will be interesting to persist in the attempt to discover exactly the content of the vocal line that figures in one part of it. I’m sure that this is not mere “vocalese”.
Listening again to my own portrait raised some uncomfortable possibilities. There was a sense of a restless, unfulfilled search about it. Unlike my wife’s “portrait” it did not end in tranquility. The vocal line was musical, but without conveying any coherent words. I suppose that I have to recognise that perhaps there is here something of a “mirror of the soul”.
Talking of souls: I registered today for a course (in April) on icon painting. This is an art form that has fascinated me for some time, and I look forward to finding out more about it, and indeed, to having the opportunity to try my hand at it. It seems a long way either from my more comfortable and familiar medium of pastels, and indeed from the mono printing I want to get back to next week, for more experimentation.