Supernova

SUPERNOVA: The Colors of Rebirth

The Colors of Sound Supernova captures and illustrates the life cycle of stars in studies of light and dark. Created out of acrylic and ink washes, these colorful portraits of supernovas depict the beauty and rebirth that come from the greatest cataclysms in the known universe.

These works are companions to my series The Colors of Sound, which began after experiencing Sudden Unilateral Hearing Loss in 2017. In that series, I used painting as a way to reconnect to sound through visualization. The paintings were synesthetic interpretations of sounds, as well as stops along the way on my therapeutic journey.

I wanted to return to these paintings with the outlook I have now, standing on the other side of a battle with Hyperacusis and Tinnitus caused by my hearing loss. Supernovas became a way for me to discuss my passage through an ending to the other side.

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Passing Through the End

Supernovas are the event that signals the death of a star — a massive explosion of color and energy that bursts out into the universe. But these events, as destructive as they are, also mark the beginning of a new cycle. All the material will one day gather into new formations.

Seen this way, the supernova is the doorway into new states of being. It is the last gasp of an old form, an old way, an old star burning its final fuel before jettisoning out into pure potential. A star calls out with one last moment of splendor before disappearing. It is then a teacher. It is a guide out of hidebound stasis into light and possibility.

In the aftermath of the supernova, the colors hang in space for a time, like the gravestone of a star or the birthmark of something new. At first, it is inconceivable that even stars can die. But once gone, they leave behind this gift of renewal.

The supernova allows me to continue my work investigating sound as a visual experience. Sound requires a medium to pass through space on its way to the ear. On Earth, the percussion of a large explosion can bloom out for miles through the atmosphere. But in space, sound has nothing to pass through. The supernova, for all of its power, is silent — speaking only in color, heat, and force. The supernova sounds the way it looks, because you can only hear it through the eye.

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Capturing the Supernova

My approach to the paintings developed out of The Colors of Sound, and the new series continues to explore the themes of sound and silence. The most important aspect of the pieces is energy. The works take on kinetic force, leaping out to the furthest reaches of the canvas.

With the supernova as a subject, the new pieces also allow for a more representative approach. These are abstract but anchored, still visualizing sound but through a more definite lens. The mark making in the washes approximates distant stars, and the colors and shapes find their balance amid the chaos in explosive forms. It brings together the visual motifs I began in my previous series and sharpens them around the supernova.

This is a hopeful project.
My journey out of hearing loss is not complete, but the cataclysm and fallout is.
These paintings are a way for me to discuss the hope we might find when we get a little distance, a little time, a little healing.
There are inconceivable deaths in this universe, but they are windows into beauty and gift bearers of potential.

I hope you fall in love with the rich textures, explosive paint marks, and the buttery color palette I use to create this powerful and emotional collection.

If you have a question about my creative process or would like to collect a piece from this collection, contact me to schedule a call or studio visit.

Nicolle CureJuly 10, 2020Comment