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Synesthesia and music medicine, in watercolours
A visualisation of the original piano composition by Natalie Trayling.
The composition is amazingly, improvised: as is the film. Or, as close as possible to improvisation working frame by frame.
A work with over 4000 watercolours, and 18 months of production, first developed in 2020.
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Studying colour theory this work references Synesthesia 'seeing the shapes of music', 8th century Egyptian painted circular notation: alternate ways to visualise music compilation 'Notations 21' by Sauer, and objects of meditation. Australian painter Roy de Maistre and his 'colour-music', his charting of colour relativity: And his contemporary Howard Kemp-Prossor and his theory of 'colour-medicine' in 1918, when he set to painting interiors for curing shell-shocked soldiers 'the ceiling firmament blue, walls sunlight yellow, woodwork Spring Green and floor and furniture primrose yellow...all the air is thrilling with the Spring'
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Immersed in music and soothed by colour: the last few years being calmed is our main mode of operation. ​
This film also pays homage to the abstract and highly synchronised films of Oskar Fischinger, especially his work 'An Optical Poem', 1938
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This song is recorded live on the streets of Melbourne; the composer only plays live and improvised, in public spaces. An unconventional career for a highly trained classical pianist: she has become adored online for her emotive performances. The severe lockdowns of Melbourne 2020-2021 on the city prevented her work from being heard, and so here we present this collaboration for the world to listen to her brilliance.
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Both artists live and work in Melbourne, Australia. To hear more work by Natalie Trayling, visit her Channel.
Supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants.
FILM & ARTS FESTIVALS
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Best Art/Experimental Short Golden Nugget International Film Festival 2022, London England
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Best Artist Short Film Kiez Berlin Film Festival 2022, Berlin Germany
Best Animation Diamond Eye 2022, Milan Italy
Best Animation Film & Best Music Video Golden Harvest Film Festival 2022, Tokyo Japan
Best Experimental film Druk International Film Festival 2022, Thimphu Bhutan
Best Experimental Short Film Cuckoo International Film Awards 2022, Thiruvannamalai India
Best Short Experimental Film Halicarnassus Film Festival 2022, Bodrum Türkiye
Best Experimental Film Tagore International Film Festival 2022, Birbhum India
Honourable Mention Experimental Music Video Rome Music Video Awards 2022, Rome Italy
Honourable Mention Best Experimental Film Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival 2022, Athens Greece
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Honourable Mention Court-Métrage - Experimental Bordeaux Shorts Biennale 2022, Bordeaux France
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Honourable Mention Los Angeles Animation Festival 2022 2022, LA USA
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Finalist Genesis International Film Festival 2022, Moscow Russia
Finalist Art Film Awards 2022, Skopje Macedonia
Finalist Golden Short Film Festival 2022, Abruzzo Italy
Finalist Texas Short Film Festival 2022, San Antonio USA
Official Selection Hommage 2022, Melbourne Australia
Official Selection Luleå International Film Festival 2022, Norrbotten Sweden
Official Selection Monstrale International Short Film Festival Festival 2022, Halle Germany
Official Selection Boden International Film Festival 2022 Boden Sweden
Official Selection Budapest Film Festival 2022, Budapest Hungary
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Official Selection Hsin-Yi Children's Animation Awards 2022, Taipei Taiwan
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Official Selection Insomnia International Animation Film Festival 2022, Yukhnov Russia
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Official Selection Festival VicFilm 2022, Victoria, Mexico
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Official Selection ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival 2022, Baku, Azerbaijan
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Official Selection Channels International Biennial of Video Art 2022, Melbourne, Australia
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Official Selection Supernova Digital Animation Festival 7th Dimension 2022, Denver, CO, USA
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Official Selection Tatra International Film Festival (TIFF) 2023, various cities, Slovakia
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Official Selection 16th Villa De Leyva International Film Festival 2022, Colombia
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Official Selection, Artist Q&A Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF) 2023, Australia
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