Art, Conceptualism and Politics in Holt's Music

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

The steady proximity of Simon Holt's music to visual art and sculpture invites us to consider both the phenomenon more generally (music inspired by the sister arts), and to establish more precise connections between the latter and Holt's pieces. The latter include the 'Icarus' trilogy, responding to Bruegel's 'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus' and Auden's 'Musée des Beaux Arts'; 'Tauromaquia,' to Goya's etchings; 'Nigredo', to Anselm Kiefer's canvas; 'Maïastra', to Brancusi's sculpture; 'feet of clay' to Bruce Nauman's photograph; 'Palace at 4 a.m.' to Giacometti's surrealist sculpture; and 'Troubled Light' and 'Ellsworth 2' to Ellsworth Kelly's 'Yellow Relief with Black' and 'Painting for a White Wall'. Recent music evinces Holt's increased focus on incompatible, violent clashes that sabotage the 'work' concept.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Music of Simon Holt
EditorsDavid Charlton
Place of PublicationWoodbridge
PublisherThe Boydell Press
Pages284-304
Number of pages21
ISBN (Print)9781783272235
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Holt, painting, sculpture, colour, Kelly, Giacometti, Brancusi, Goya, politics

Cite this