In twelve hours or so, our Twelve by Twelve challenge quilts will start to appear online. I’ve made two pieces for the theme of “Twelve”. They are utterly different and it’s hard to choose but here is the runner up:
One of the things I enjoyed about my work as a commercial and regulatory lawyer was learning about different industries and areas of public policy. It was always interesting to make client site visits, although wearing cream trousers on the day of a tour of a railway workshop was probably not the most prudent choice. Similarly, I enjoy learning new things through my art quilts and this theme challenge was no exception.
Early on in the challenge, I realised that a basic colour wheels has 12 colours. Then I worked out that there are twelve notes in the music scale. Then I thought, what if I transpose some music that uses all twelve notes into colour?
Despite studying music and music theory to Grade V level, I don’t recall learning about atonality or twelve tone music but some musically inclined members of an online quilting list that I belong to soon put me on the right track.
According to ever-authorative Wikipedia (ahem): “The 12-tone technique is a means of ensuring that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are sounded as often as one another in a piece of music while preventing the emphasis of any through the use of tone rows, an ordering of the 12 pitches. All 12 notes are thus given more or less equal importance, and the music avoids being in a key. ” For the western ear, the results are not always melodious.
So Dodecaphony contains 12 tone rows, each of 12 notes. Rather than locating and transposing someone else’s music, I derived my tone rows using a random number generator. The “notes” are one inch squares of my own hand-dyed fabric over which I have couched some woollen yarn to create a mosaic effect.
I’ve put an audio version of the first two tone rows of Dodecaphony on the Twelve by Twelve blog – a little mood music to add to the suspense. I just hope I’ve chosen the “right” piece for the reveal or, if I haven’t, that I can swap them!
Al says
You never cease to amaze me – such talent, creativity and wit, all enclosed in a generous and caring package….. thank you for always motivating, assisting and inspiring others!
Linda Robertus says
What a beautiful quilt – would love to see a close-up photo. Can’t wait for the unveiling of the 12×12 quilts!
Kristin L says
It sounds a little like musical sudoku. 🙂
neroli says
it reminds me of a stained glass window and I love the idea behind it. I like how you play with code and meaning and artistic representation of mathematical ideas.
To me the yellow is predominant, not because there’s more of it but possible because of the brightness, which makes me wonder if even a numerical generator that gave equal representation was used for music if one note would stand out more to listeners because of it’s tone – perhaps the highest note.
Judy says
Brenda,
Love the quilt, think the colours bounce off each other like musical movement, think you are so clever with your colour sense.
Terri says
Lovely runner up and ooooo that mood music is just taunting me!!!
Jan says
Beautiful!! Such happy colors.
Jenny Loveder says
As always, Brenda, a wonderful piece of work! I just love the work achieved by your 12 x 12 group, so encouraging, inventive, colourful, thoughtful – the adjectives could go on …
Well done all of you!
Chiro says
It’s cool! I love it. I feel polyphonic sound from the colors.
I think “Dodecaphony” is good naming. It matches the number of sounds and number of rows and columns.
Helen T says
I like this piece. Such a great array of colours – pity it had to be runner up!