Friday, June 29, 2012

Passages, Phrases, and Gestures

While listening to Dianne Dwyer Modestini discuss the process of restoring a painting made by Leonardo da Vinci on an eposide of The Story, I smiled to myself when I heard her use the term "passage" to refer to specific areas in the painting known as the Salvator Mundi. She also likened the process of restoration (which, in the case of this painting took years) to being an editor.

In music we often refer to motives as "gestures," and, when I work with advanced students, I can make analogies to punctuation. I love the idea of considering "passages" in paintings (which are actually things that do not move) and "passages" on music, which are things that do move, but paint the equivalent to disappearing line drawings in time and aural space.

3 comments:

Michael Leddy said...

But there’s an issue here of analog v. digital. A passage of notes or words can be excerpted or quoted.

Elaine Fine said...

. . . and a "passage" in a painting can be reproduced.

Sean said...

. . . and a passage can be something you travel through. :)