Melinda Steffy
Fugue in C Major (red), No. 1
Watercolor on paper, based on music by J.S. Bach
26" x 34"

Artist Statement

In my "Bach Project" series, I matched the 12 notes of the chromatic scale with 12 hues on a color wheel. Using the mathematical construct of the grid, I translated masterworks by composer J.S. Bach into vibrant color patterns. The music, usually time-based and heard in sequence, becomes spatial, able to be seen all at once. Unexpected patterns emerge, revealing the complexity inherent in the music.

Artist Bio

Melinda Steffy (she/her) centers her creative practice around information and translation - looking at various ways humans communicate and pass along information over time. She develops her own systems for converting music or spoken language into abstract geometric artworks, encoding the data in color and shape. Her artwork has been exhibited at Tiger Strikes Asteroid (Philadelphia & New York), Moore College of Art & Design, Woodmere Art Museum, InLiquid, Philadelphia City Hall, 20*20 House, Rowan University, Villanova University, Finlandia University, and the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, among many others. She was commissioned by Eastern Mennonite University to create 100 paintings based on a Mennonite hymn in honor of their Centennial, by Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church to create a series of works based on J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio, and by Manheim Township Middle School to create a large-scale artwork based on their school song. Melinda currently serves as Co-Executive Director of CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia and runs her own consulting practice, Concentric Strategy.

melindasteffy.com

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