5 // Shop / A study in Ornamental Composition
‘A study in Ornamental Composition’
Is inspired by the final track on Van Morrison’s 1972 album ‘Saint Dominic’s Preview’
Introduction / Inspiration / analysis
For me – Van Morrison’s seminal 10 minute track ‘Almost Independence Day’ seems to connect the awe-inspiring power of the sea with emotional intensity & longing.
Written in the early 70’s – the track represents the physical and abstract descriptions of a vast Pacific Ocean as seen from San Francisco bay.
With the rolling repetitive Moog synth ‘effectively used as a foghorn bass’ – the delicate snare drum triggers electrifying notions of firing synapses, daydreaming, memories – and the whole woven texture is reminiscent of home, family, things past and the excitement of those to come . . . 12-string and 6-string guitars dues and converse with the stuttering, yearning voice – a hypnotic transmission.
Rolling Stone critic Stephen Holden captures perfectly:
“. . . the body of the song is an incantatory montage of simple portentous phrases repeated over and over with varying emotional emphasis . . . the structure of the song is metamorphic, taking the form of a rising and subsiding wave.”
With reference to . . .
Growing up on the Kent coast with the vast flat Greeny-Grey north sea horizons, choppy waves & rolling ‘white horses’, this particular sea has always had an important influence on me. Home, happy, safe; but with the awesome frightening power that the sea brings; exciting ideas of ambition and optimism, the scale of adventure, journeys, future endeavours. Seasonal colour palette – tidal pulses and the angry crashing of stormy swellings.
Idea / concept / intention
The simple conceit of this work was to explore/express a visually elegant way to capture the sensory emotion of the track. The idea ‘nods’ to the musical heritage of the east coast of Britain and encapsulates – in at least a representational and abstract form – the themes of the music, the landscape & the exhibition.
Technical & structural approach
Using a simple typographic structure, the grid acts as a kind of stave and – although not wholly accurate – endeavours to capture the rhythm of the original composition. The horizontal axis forms a time line and plots the progression and interaction of each instrument. Each of these are represented by a different expressive typographic shape or ornament and describe the repetitive nature of the sound. Set individually by hand, these ornaments become a typographic translation and form a swell; a mood, a longing and a simple rhythmic composition that – despite being conceived on the west coast of America – is indicative of my English east coast.
KLS
. . .
Designed & hand-set
with Metal type Ornaments & Metal Type
& Printed in a Limited Edition of 12
in Various Green & Grey inks
with a blind de-bossed lyrics /
on 280gsm BFK Rives Grey /
& a blind de-bossed credit
760 x 380mm (30 x 15 inches)
Signed by the Artist
