Composer

Composer toc Grasshopper, leaf, plastic, resin, twigs, marble. 

=POEM: "Piano" by D.H. Lawrence=

Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me; Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.

In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside And hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.

So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.

Posted by Caitlin Barth

=__St. Jerome In His Study__ by Albrecht Dürer=

= Image: Beethoven composing =

This image is of Beethoven composing one of his pieces. The significance of this picture compared to the Composer by Ben Timpson, is that there are many similar aspects. There is a window on the top left of the pictures, producing light. Also, the composer is hunched over working and writing his piece.
 * -Ashlyn Roberts **

=Quote: Bach= The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. [|**Johannes Sebastian Bach**]

=Define Composer= "A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media."

This is wikipedia's definition. A composer "creates" something, be it music, or books, or anything else. The ability to create something, to make something out of nothing, is a gift, an art. These artists are special people. Timpson is also one of these people, and so this relates to this peice of art. He has "created" something out of discarded parts, something new. He is the composer in his work. He is the composer who made Composer. by KAYDREN ORCUTT

=﻿The Creationist= This is a song by Kerli that she sang to a fan who was ill. This is similar to Composer because a composer is someone who creates, and this is called The Creationist. Many lines deal with creation, like "life is my creation". This line means that life is what you make it, and that you can control your life. A composer creates something, and this song says that everyone is a composer because they create their own lives by the decisions they make. When the singer says "I'm a creationist", she is saying that she is a composer, because she has created something, and this makes her similar to all artists because all artists create something.

This is an old and funny poem I accidentally overheard It keeps the little children playing And bigger children spead the word My memory is bad So I always tend to forget how it goes but

Life is my creation, my best friend Imagination is my defense And I'll keep walking when skies are gray Whatever happens was meant that way

You're no better or no worse than the others We are all the same And life is just a moment You might as well enjoy this day It's time to start believing Everything you want is on it's way and

Life is my creation, my best friend Imagination is my defense And I'll keep walking when skies are gray Whatever happens was meant that way

We'll be growing, into knowing While we're flowing Keep on going Life is my creation, is my best friend Imagination is my defense And I'll keep walking when skies are gray Whatever happens was meant that way I'm a creationist, oh, I'm a creationist

This is an old and funny poem I accidentally overheard.

song at http://www.kerlimusic.com/media.aspx added by KAYDREN ORCUTT

=Windows=

"Composer" by Ben Timpson makes it seem as if the viewer is looking at the musician through a circular window, and in addition, a faint square window can be seen in the top right corner of the piece. The way the light is shining onto the composer, and more specifically, onto the composition being created, infers that the composer is connected to the outside world through the music he is composing. Since the composer is boxed in between two windows, it would make sense that his only way out would be to write, compose, and create new work. Posted by Alex D'Antoni

=The Grasshopper Aspect=

"As a cultural symbol, this insect is a prominent feature in Asian traditions. For instance, the Japanese connect its molting phases with the wax and wane of the moon. Further still, the Japanese cherished the song of this creature and believed the moon coaxed the music from them." From: []

Posted by Eric Donald

Analysis- Bailey Kirkland I believe this piece was created to show that art is simple, yet powerful entity that can be expressed in countless ways. The composer is creating music, a form of art, while Ben Timpson is portraying the composing through a small sculpture(dont know what to call it). This represents that no matter the form, art should be expressed because it has a powerful effect on not only oneself but on viewers.

Analysis-Sam Jones I think that this piece is trying to communicate the distance that artist sometimes feel with their environment. Ben Timpson used blue and white as the background, yet used brown and dark colors to portray the composer. I think he did this to show the contrast that artists feel with the outside world when they are busy composing.

=**POEM: "To Be a Poet" by Jaroslav Vrchlicky**=

Life taught me long ago that music and poetry are the most beautiful things on earth that life can give us. Except for love, of course.

In an old textbook published by the Imperial Printing House in the year Vrchlickys death I looked up the section on poetics and poetic ornament.

Then I placed a rose in a tumbler, lit a candle and started to write my first verses.

Flare up, flame of words, and soar, even if my fingers get burned!

A startling metaphor is worth more than a ring on ones finger. But not even Puchmajers Rhyming Dictionary was any used to me.

In vain I snatched for ideas and fiercely closed my eyes in order to hear that first magic line. But in the dark, instead of words, I saw a womans smile and wind-blown hair.

That has been my destiny. And Ive been staggering towards it breathlessly all my life.

Posted by OJ Guzzardo
 * Analysis:** This poem is about not looking for the words to write great thoughts, but letting the words come to you. This relates to the piece because the man is sitting, writing intently, not letting anything else bother him. He is in his own world where nothing matters except for his thoughts, the pen, and the paper.

=Modern Day Composer= []

While the painting above may have a strong connection with Ben Timpson's depiction of a composer, there are many things that differ between both the style and meaning when comparing both pieces. A shared characteristic is the position of the composer and their workstation. Both have been placed directly in the middle, making them the main focus. A difference can be evaluated when looking at the perception of light, being as that it sets the mood of the atmosphere. In Ben Timpson's "Composer", there is a large amount of white space surrounding the musical artist sitting at his desk. However, at the edges of the glass in which the art is physically displayed, a dark blue border has been placed around the edges, creating an outside, surrounding of darkness. Because of such craftsmanship, I perceive the white space to be a representation of light. Having a connotative meaning of warmth and safety (comforting items), the object of light can be related to the comfort of a beautiful symphony orchestrating tones known to be warm when played by instruments. Therefore light represents a wonderful state of mind. This can also be related to Blau's painting, yet it is not strongly supported even though there is a presence of darkness surrounding the composer. The reason being is due to the fact that enormous amounts of light are not shown, therefore not providing the same tone set by Ben. A reference to modern musical composition is also seen through Blau’s work, evident by the sound board in the bottom left-hand corner. Two contrasting artists are seen by both pieces of art. One is intricate and cluttered (Blau) and the other is humble (Timpson). By: Joseph Riggs