JR Larson, JR, Blues, silver,  wax , sculpture, tempo, songs, beats, war, minerals, art, artist, cold, artifact
Dekalb Blues Detail
Oil Paint, Wax, Silver, Music, Wood
10”x14”x2”
2010

In this sound-based work, “Playing the Blues”, the artist creates visual interpretations of songs by Blues Masters such as Leadbelly, Albert King and Howlin’ Wolf.

To achieve visual harmony with the song itself, silver was struck against a hot iron. The velocity of each strike was dictated by the tempo of each song. The strum pattern of the song is thus trapped in wax as the silver snaps and falls. During installation the energy of the song is usually recognizable by the scatter of the silver to the viewer, especially if viewed while listening to the song.