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Chiara Banfi

In this remarkable work, the artist has taken the sheet music for a Debussy composition and obscured the head of every note with China ink. By modifying the composer’s notations, the artist creates a new construction in the composition, a landscape reminiscent of Modernist architecture.

Study 1 - of the series Debussy's Studies

Study 2 - of the series Debussy's Studies

In her studio, Banfi had many different types of music sheets –– varying in size, color and style. The artist then decided to create this hybrid book which merges all of them in one, with 10-12 pages each. On each page, she made a drawing using a tree branch dipped in China ink, “as if nature had created a drawing or written a song. Each page with different drawing or musical possibility.”

Arrangement 4

In this piece, the artist explains, “I erase the whole music, leaving only the notations for pauses in evidence.” It is beautiful to witness the visual presence of silence –– which can easily be ignored when we think of music.

Bach's pauses 5

The Mohs scale measures the density of rock -- from the fragile chalk, which is 0 to sturdy diamonds, which are the top of the scale, at 10. For this work, Banfi used the most common mineral -- quartz. It is present in the Sahara desert as well as in Brazilian riverbeds. Quartz registers 7 on the Mohs scale. For the work, Banfi represents the Mohs scale using gradations of lighter to darker quartz. The artist has been interested in quartz not only for its visual qualities, but also because it is used in LP players to equalize the needle. “I see beauty in the fact that there is something organic in an electronic device,” she says. The way she sets the rocks on shelves also makes reference to both record shelves and to a musical score, creating rhythm and pauses that make a visual melody. 

Mohs Scale

For this series, Chiara Banfi finds pieces of white quartz that have natural grains of black tourmaline running through them. Placing the pieces in combinations accentuates the geometric shapes of the grain. Found in nature as is, the straight black line reminds her of the symbol for a pause in musical notation.

Untitled 3 - of the series Continuity

Untitled 5 - of the series Continuity

In this series, Banfi completely erased the graphics and text from all the normally printed surfaces of a long-playing vinyl album: the cover, sleeve and label of the record. “On one side of the vinyl, I recorded the runout -- normally the tail end of the groove at the end of a side that spirals around the label making a repetitive noise. And that sound reminds me of an end.” Yet again she presents us with a concrete representation of silence. She called the series Albers Collection because, as she overlapped the translucent sleeves and covers, she saw squares over squares, squares within squares, and the association with the German artist was inevitable.

White test press - Albers series

The Brazilian writer Guimarães Rosa wrote, “when nothing happens, there is a miracle that we cannot see”. Chiara Banfi’s work is an investigation of these unseen miracles. Like a detective she explores sound, silence, nature and memory, stating “there is an ongoing invisible symphony that we have not turned our attention toward.” Banfi creates an invitation for viewers to pause and enhance their perception.

I organize and curate pop-up art exhibitions, typically showcasing up and coming artists based in New York.

Loud Silence | Chiara Banfi

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