Synesthesia

Synesthesia is perceptual phenomenon which stimulates one of the sensory or cognitive pathways leading to an involuntary experience in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

So, in a sense synesthesia is a cross over of senses where an individual experiences two or more senses at the same time.

For example, a synesthetes may hear colour, visualize sounds, feel the presence of sound or taste colour.

I have witnessed this cross over of the senses all my life. As a child I would categorize numbers with food and associate sounds with flavours or food.

As I developed as an artist and a painter, I noticed that I was able to taste the colours that I was painting with and that stimulated my taste buds in a sensory way. I found myself even feeling a thirst for some colours as well, while experiencing a colour pallet existing of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavours.

I also realized that I visualized favours as abstract, non-representational forms, textures and shapes as well as visualizing the notes and chords in music as the formal elements as well.

I had figured everyone experienced this so I didn’t question it. It only became apparent that this was unusual when I came across the phenomenon serendipitously on the internet. At that point I knew I was unique and that I had synesthesia.

I was also approached and interviewed by a neuro-scientist who was studying the phenomenon. She recognized through my use of colours and placement that I had several variations of synesthesia. She concluded what I already knew, that in fact I witnessed, observed and saw the world from a different lens than conventional humans.

Now knowing that in fact I had synesthesia I began a series of paintings which I titled the Synesthesia Series. The series was a further exploration of non-objective, non-representational abstraction where within the picture plane an existence of action, depth, illusion and colour dwelled speaking a language that describes the essence of the unseen world.

Within this body of work, I continued to concentrate on contrasting background to foreground juxtaposition where the surface and picture plane gave-way to illusionary depth, space and tension.

The Synesthesia Series was exhibited during Pride Month in June of 2016 at Urban Gallery in Toronto, Ontario. http://www.fordhampr.ca/toronto-artist-kirk-sutherland-opens-synesthesia-show-at-urban-gallery/

I believe my work reaches beyond confines of abstraction, non-objective and non-representational art. For these pieces depict visually the essence of what is felt, experienced and witnessed in the unseen realm.

Kirk Sutherland