An abstract painting by Ruston artist Hooshang Khorasani is part of the National Liberty Museum’s “Amplified: Art, Music, Power” exhibit that is running from Jan. 6 to April 8.
The museum, located in Philadelphia, is dedicated to reminding people that liberty is the defining force that makes everything else that humans do possible. In addition to presenting a collection of art and artifacts, the facility’s purpose is to illustrate that liberty is a fragile concept and that its survival requires citizens to understand, respect and actively engage with one another.
Khorasani’s painting that was chosen for the exhibit is titled “Color Storm Rhapsody,” a 48-by-48-inch acrylic on canvas.
The participating artists’ work reflects on how music exists as a form of expression, as an experience and as the soundtrack of memories. Through the exhibit and activities surrounding it, museum officials hope to spark dialogues about freedoms of expression and assembly, plus the challenges of censorship and related areas.
“Concerning music and its intertwining with my artwork,” Khorasani said, “as long as I can remember, I was always listening to classical music while painting in my studio. I did this while a student at an arts-centered high school, and I do it now as an adult with decades of work behind me.”
Khorasani cited Beethoven as being one of his favorite composers. “Much of my abstract work is related to the power that is expressed in his creations,” he explained. “I feel that my work is related to his work – and sometimes that of other musical masterminds – in the freedom and strength that it brings to my mind in the creation of the artwork and then, in turn, to those who view it.”
He feels that the energy from the music comes through in his brushwork. “It’s somehow transferred and translated to the movement of the colors, the harmony of the images and throughout the entire composition when the work is done. I think it’s telling that we use the word ‘composition’ for both musical pieces and works of art.”
Dr. Elizabeth Grant, chief program officer of the museum, said, “‘Amplified: Art, Music, Power’ invites visitors to explore how music can both connect and divide us, to celebrate vital freedoms of expression and assembly, and consider what it means to be free.”
Twelve artists from throughout the country are being spotlighted in the exhibit.
