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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Creative Tuesdays - Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite

Creative Tuesdays  - Beatles song!!!
This is a work in process but, to hearken back to college days, I decided to do an uber psychedelic rendition of Being to the Benefit of Mr Kite, the 7th song of the Sgt Pepper album, and a source of many interesting mental voyages back in the day.

Song here -

nothing like digital arts to bring through the trippy aspects of this album and this, to me, the trippest of the trippy songs - there's only one way to do a proper rendition of this song - in an altered state

since that sort of recreation is both beyond my budget and best interests in general, I opt for a trance-inducing Mr Kite and Photoshop experience.

beginnings of process
I sit in a dark room with the poster from which John Lennon based every last word of this song, listen to the song non-stop, and fill in with every colour I wish. If one notices the pixillations of the poster, the strange tonality is achieved with the flooding function set to very low tolerance, so that only a few pixels at a time are filled. This allows for each application of the flood function to occur rhythmically timed to the driving, endless thump of Mr Kite. Blown up big, the eye travels through the intoxicating pixilated landscape and true sensory saturation is achieved.

These methods were advocated by various instructors I had at GSU art school - one in particular had as a thesis project, to draw miles of paper with a red marker - for 7 days straight. With no sleep. Dali and other surrealists also spoke of these states as sources of deep creativity- or at least a good time, after a fashion. 

If I had nothing better to do I could sit here and do this for hours at a time. Whee! But for now, this is what will have to be. The song was played for a total of 40 times or more, during an uninterrupted 2 hour stretch. 

Love this song!





update: I did want to clear up that I did not draw the image of Mr Kite's poster! I could def. not do all that in 2 hours, LOL. I took the image file of the poster and manipulated it that way. The original poster is here, and if you read the words and listen to the song, you see what was done with the lyrics in this song.

7 comments:

Wanda said...

I would call that "Reckless Abandon Dedication" with a great outcome!

Wow, I have to say I'm impressed with what you did, and how you did it, and how long it took you!!

You Rock!!!

Alicia C said...

thanks Wanda! it's great to give oneself the permission to just go all- out with something slightly pointless (as in, will earn no income nor prize) and give it your all :D

Christine said...

This is a lovely interpretation, they had so many songs!

Rita said...

Wow, I like it...I had forgotten about that song!

Unknown said...

very cool. I love how you got the colors to come alive, almost like 3D in a way. Fantastic take.

Betsy Brock said...

Oh, I had totally forgotten about this song! haha...40 times you listened? that sounds like something I would do...just keep hitting replay on youtube....lol...You did a great job with the feel and the colors..very fun!

Michael said...

Yes, I got what you were saying. Alicia. Never knew the background to this song either. funny as I was thinking about this song for myself as I like drawing kites. Anyway, an apropos rendition here from that poster. Well done. As it is, I'm sure it still took a fair bit of time, no? ! TY!