Matt Sorum art project revealed
Drummer puts stick to canvasSeemingly fed up of waiting for Velvet Revolver to find a new frontman, Matt Sorum is dipping his toe (and his sticks) in the world of art. Take a look inside to see just what the former Guns N Roses drummer has been working on.
Sorum has been busy working with SceneFour to create what is described as an "unprecedented, comprehensive study of rhythm light and 100 rhythmic performances captured on canvases."
Drummer Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) reflects on his fine art debut of 100 Canvases Of Epic Rhythm, which will debut worldwide on July 22nd, in the following interview: With this collection, you're creating artwork through your rhythms. Are the drumsticks your paint brushes? What can you tell us about the drummer becoming the artist? Matt Sorum: "I never considered myself an artist in that form until it was brought to my attention that it could be done. So I think there are similarities to painters. You know the sticks relate to brush strokes. The fact that we're able to capture that image and create art out of it and the similarities and achieve aspects that artists can achieve with a brush, I think makes solid sense to me. I think there's a similarity. Whatever motion each human has, in a different way, creates their vision. Great artists have a different feel from each other, nobody is similar, everyone has a different take on things and it comes through in the movement."
Though the art is abstract, there are definitely things that come through visually with each piece. Did you realize that the performances would turn out so highly visual when you started creating these? MS: "To see actual shapes and images is kind of a trip, as is the relation to arm movements and physical movements that create mental images in the art. You know it could be a sort of scientific study here. The fact that there's a face that looks like Jesus in one of the pieces and in another print I really strongly recognized a skull, if you start to get into a heavy process about it... who knows."
There are only 100 canvases in your collection. Can you talk about the limited nature of this collection and how those that will own the work, in essence will own a performance? MS: "I think it's something that they can feel, a different side of you that they've never felt before. If they're a fan of my career, they'll always have a sense of who I am watching me through my life and now they can look at something that is completely different from what they could expect from me. To me it's got an emotion inside of it. You've heard the music, you've seen the concert, you've watched the video but there's something a little deeper here that I looked at and went 'Wow,' this takes you more inside of the real feeling that comes from whatever it is I'm presenting as a musician. I like that, and I'm really proud of this. It's like I can consider myself a well rounded artist. It's like, 'I haven't done it all, but I'm getting there'."
You're the first to do this. MS: "I know there's going to be a lot of drummers that are going to go 'wow.' And I've presented it to a lot of my friends, but now they're all going to go, 'I want to do that.' And that's cool you know. I think everyone is going to have a different take on this thing. That's the beauty of it."
Why did you want each of the canvases so big? MS: "The kind of music that I play is large so I couldn't see it scrunched into a little canvas. I'm kind of known for being a flamboyant grandiose type of player so you know, so it's a little bit over the top, the showmanship. It should be big, you should be able to look at the wall and say, 'That's exciting'."
http://mattsorumart.com/The Art of Drums Project: Matt Sorum, Stephen Perkins, Rick Allen, Frankie Waddy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee-O6mVJeyUThe Art of Matt Sorum (Guns 'n' Roses, Velvet Revolver) 100 Canvases Epic Rhythm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w0-QOEShVo
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