TRACEY ROBERTS
Tracey Roberts is a visual artist as well as an accomplished singer-songwriter, musician and performing artist. She is also a music-colour synesthete (involuntarily seeing colours and shapes when listening to music.)
Through her own diverse journey as a musician and performer, and with over 20 years of experience in the music arena, Tracey Roberts’ images are imbued with an acute understanding of music, the music business and all that stems from the relationship between musicians and their instruments of choice. Many of her exhibitions include a musical performance, which is, of course, intrinsically part of her work.
Her artwork is exhibited several times per year - please click here for upcoming exhibitions and open studio events.
The full catalogue of art is available to see and purchase via her website (please scroll down). -
She regularly participates in the annual Dandenong Ranges Open Studios event held on the last weekend in May each year and periodically she opens her studio to the public for a day. Her studio by also open by appointment - please call to make an arrangement. Tel: +61 (03) 9756 7307.
Artwork Series
Resonance: continuing to echo, resounding, tending to prolong sounds , especially by vibration… Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (4th Edition)
...to see complete catalogue of prints from this series, click here (please be patient as the images may take some time to download)
Her first series of artwork, entitled Resonance, is a rich, vibrant and sensuous collection of artistic interpretations of the various effects created by different genres of music as well as particular musical instruments.
Immersion: state of being deeply engaged or involved: absorption … Dictionary.com
Her current body of work is entitled Immersion which delves into more abstract interpretations of music and what it is to be a musician.
...to see complete catalogue of prints from this series, click here (please be patient as the images may take some time to download)
Synesthesia from the Ancient Greek "syn", (together) and "aisthēsis" (sensation) — a neurologically based phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. For example, seeing colours whilst listening to music. People who report such experiences are known as synesthetes.
...for more general information see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synaesthesia
and specifically about Tracey Roberts' synesthesia, see her article synesthesia and meTo listen to a podcast of an interview with author, Donna Williams interviewing Tracey Roberts about her synesthesia, please click here.
Artist statement
Tracey Roberts is a performing and visual artist, and an established singer-songwriter musician, who enjoys a rare and wonderful neurological condition called synesthesia, where one sense involuntarily invokes another. Roberts’ art work is an exploration into the intriguing world of those gifted with music-colour synesthesia. Her limited edition prints are original, hand-drawn illustrations which have been digitally coloured and embellished to create rich, visual interpretations of music and musical instruments and the emotions evoked by certain musical genres.
To share her experience of synesthesia, which for Roberts means seeing colours and shapes when she hears music, the artist often presents a special musical performance as part of her art exhibitions where she “sings her pictures”. The audience gets a glimpse into the brain of a music-colour synesthete via music, songs and explanations about the artwork surrounding the artist in her performing space. It’s colourful, intriguing, very musical and lots of fun.“As a performing artist and music-colour synesthete, I have always been fascinated by the intoxicating and diverse effects of emotion and imagery connected to music. My journey into visual expression has evolved into a space combining figurative and abstract elements which depict the hues, textures and shapes I see when I listen to music. I’m also immensely enjoying the process of exploring the intriguing concept of “seeing what you hear” and “hearing what you see.”
Tracey Roberts 2011
"Tracey's gift of capturing the essence of each musician as they sit at their instrument is extraordinary! I felt that I was right there in the concert experience of each instrument as they strutted their stuff. Her work is expressive, creative and stunningly artistic. Only a musician such as Tracey could understand the 'feel' of each musician captured in her artwork."
Cath Connelly, harpist www.cathy.com.au
