Giving art rock a new meaning

Trying to get an artist to talk about his or her creative process can be a daunting task.

Getting a shortstop to discuss the most effective way to turn a double play is a little easier. At least there is a technique involved concrete right and wrongs.

So" imagine trying to get artists to describe what makes them follow one impulse over another when they are perfectly capable of following the seemingly divergent paths of visual art and songwriting to equally beautiful results.

""I think the source of inspiration is pretty much the same"" said John Harrison,  member of Chapel Hill band North Elementary.

If I get stuck or stymied with the guitar or something"" I'd rather turn to art than just shut it down and watch TV or something.""

The fruits of that inspiration will be on display at Wootini gallery in Carr Mill Mall beginning Friday as the third installment of Minus Sound Research" an art exhibit that exclusively displays the visual art of local musicians opens.

The exhibit features works from Schooner's Reid Johnson as well as Nathan White of Nathan Oliver and Superchunk's Laura Ballance among others.

For MSR's co-founders Harrison and Maria Albani art has always been more than a simple side project. Each said that their artistic pursuits aren't antagonistic but actually" beget each other.

They are intimately related.

""If you're writing songs or playing guitar and you get stuck" it's easy to leave it for a few days and work on painting" Harrison said.

I think that when you come back to the other you can find a whole new source of inspiration.""

The relationship between visual art and music has shown itself to be strong from art school graduates The Talking Heads and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon" to Andy Warhol's iconic banana adorning the cover of The Velvet Underground and Nico the two mediums have oft walked hand in hand.

But despite all of that precedent" Albani and Harrison said they were still surprised to learn that so many of their musical peers kept themselves busy making art.

""It happens all the time. I'll be in someone's house" see a painting on the wall ask them who it's by and they look at me and say" ‘I did it.'""

The problem for these artists" though Albani said is that although many musicians in the area have art to display" they don't know how to approach a gallery about the prospect of a showing.

""I feel like there is a disconnect between the art and music scenes in the area"" she said.

I like the idea of combining them.""

Even Harrison" who has shown his art in coffee shops" admitted that he has approached booking art shows like he would booking shows for his band.

""I really wasn't sure what to do" he said.

And honestly" I'm still not sure that I've done anything I haven't done before booking shows.""

Therein lies another purpose of the MSR opening"" to expose the work of those who may not know how to get exposure for their projects.

""Our only formula is that they play music and that they are local" Albani said.

The goal is just to kind of get the work out there" because we know that if people see it they will really like it.""

Albani said she and Harrison actually received inquiries about participating in the opening"" something that she said had not happened in the two years previous.

""It was weird to get people asking about it"" she said.

And we've already gotten people hoping to do it next year. We also had people in mind who we sort of invited. So it worked out to about half and half.""

One of those asked to participate in the show was Catherine Edgerton" who in addition to playing in Durham's Midtown Dickens" has been making collages since she was 14.

""I've been doing art" well since forever" she said.

I had sort of collected a lot of my collages in books and things.""

Edgerton said the most difficult part of preparing for this show was coming to grips with the fact that her art — which she views as intensely personal — may go home in someone else's hands.

""I'm so attached to the art that I make"" she said.

But for this I really decided to challenge myself and teach myself how to let go.""

Equally personal" said Edgerton is her songwriting. A process she like Harrison and Albani" sees as being intimately connected to her  other artistic pursuits.

""For me" the relationship extends even to the sort of art that I do. With collages" you're taking little pieces and forming them into a bigger whole. That's the same way that I write songs.""

And for eager fans looking for any glimpse into a creative mind"" Harrison said art can be a great way to gain a greater understanding of the process.

""I think if you put on a song by an artist and stared at a painting by the same person as it played it would start to make sense. It comes from the same creative source"" so you can really capture the mood either way.""

Edgerton put it in simple terms"" saying both art and music are ways to satiate the same desire.

""It's kind of like comparing cravings for food" she said.

Sometimes you want cake and sometimes you might want popcorn. You're still hungry but just for different things.



Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu