2024 remix of Freesound [424626[424420]] Problem Child by Timbre, from Freesound, Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
This combination is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Behind the Scenes
I studied art history during my undergrad, and the movement I came back to over and over again was Surrealism. It spoke to the part of me that has always been fascinated by dreams and everything that remains mysterious about our experience.
Although Surrealism proper started in the 1920’s and probably has quite a few works in the public domain, I wanted to look further back, partially to be sure my image would be copyright-free and partially to find some art I had not seen before. I was very excited to find out about J. J. Grandville, a French illustrator who lived during the first half of the nineteenth century and inspired many artists and authors who came after him.
The image you see here is called “Apocalypse at the Ballet,” and I love it for a number of reasons, the primary one being that it’s just fun. Everything in it seems like it’s in motion, and I get the sense that Grandville genuinely enjoyed playing with similarities in forms here. It seems like the kind of fun you have when you let your mind wander while doodling on the side of your notebook. Another reason is that I love seeing different interpretations of an apocalypse. Whether it’s literal or metaphorical, it’s always revealing.
When looking for an accompanying sound, I started browsing freesound.org’s “weird” and “experimental” tags to get some ideas. I figured I would find something in those places that could compliment surreal imagery well. Timbre’s “2024 Remix…” really emphasized the movement that felt so strong in Grandville’s illustration. I’m struggling to find the words to describe the music other than “fast-paced” and “electronic.” It reminds me of hyperpop, but I have no idea if that label is correct. Overall, I think that when the music is added, it makes the whole thing feel less like a strange night at the ballet and more like a wild rave.
Theo, I love the image you chose; it drew me in because I’ve always loved ballet. Looking at this piece of art strangely reminded me of a Lemony Snicket book cover, and I love all the wonky proportions and otherworldly characters strewn across the scene. When looking at the image alone, I feel that the image embraces the unnatural state of things we think we know, and how it almost mimics hallucinations. The image gives me an unsettled yet curious feeling while I look at it.
Clicking on the music surprised me – I jumped because I was not expecting the experimental/rave sound at all! I was jolted out of my former headspace with the image, but I personally think this was very effective in depicting just how chaotic and fun the art is. While I am no art expert, I agree that the combination of the image with this sound is absolutely apocalyptic.
If I were to suggest a different audio choice, I would lean towards a demented/music box waltz of some kind to capture the “ballet” portion of image while still depicting that something is unreal or creepy about the image. An example is “Stilt Faeries” by Circus Contraption.
Hi Theo! I also really love the image you chose. It reminds me of a Salvador Dali or MC Escher painting. Very surreal and psychedelic and, as you said, fun. It also feels like something out of a children’s fairy tale. To that end, I was expecting a more “twinkly” audio clip, I was surprised by the industrial rave sound! I think the audio you chose creates an interesting juxtaposition between the two works, old and new, organic and sharply metallic. It creates an overall disconcerting atmosphere. With an image like this you could have also chosen more traditional “ballet” music, but I appreciate that you made the artistic decision to step outside of the box. I think you could have also chosen something with a heavy usage of harpsichord to create and unsettling atmosphere, or psychedelic/prog rock to lean into the the surrealism. The image resolution is great and loads without issue, however I encountered a few technical issues when starting/pausing the audio file (possibly operator error). Overall you made a really cool choice here!
Hi Theo,
I think the image you chose is very fascinating. I love the movement in it and the feeling of insanity. It does very much showcase movement and it’s very fun to look at!
The sound is very insane as well and sounds like constant movement itself. And when you combine it with the image, it seems like one constant spinning motion from the ballerinas.
I will say the the sound was easy to start but it did take me a few minutes to figure out how to pause it.