I was reading the last chapter of A Natural History of the Senses when I realized that I am not a freak. I am a synesthete (like 1 out of every 2000 people. Interestingly, 5/6 of synesthetes are female {another way to look at it is that 1 in 1,200 women have synesthesia, but only 1 in 5,000 men)). Encouraged, I read the book Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens, exploring the history, manifestations and forms of synesthesia, finally coming to realize that synesthesia has been a creative and intellectual treasure in my life.
Synesthesia is a benign neurological condition in which two (or more) senses are linked in a person's mind and perceptions. For instance, one might see music or percieve a color as being part of a letter or word. I see music in color with texture and shape. For example, the dull whir of an office air circulation system is a dull, tarnished pewter color, with overtones of grimy putty-colored army tan. It always is, and always has been, as long as I can remember. In the same way, Maria Callas' voice is always a blushing pink, but the specific shape, texture and tone of pink varies with what and how she sings.
The following are examples of synesthetic paintings I have done. They are representations of what the songs look like to me as I hear them.
This painting was done as a representation of what I 'see' when I hear the song "So" by Tracy Chapman, off of her album Matters of the Heart. I felt her voice as throbbing and intense, with strands and rivers of emotion flowing through it. The guitar was vibrantly emotional, which I saw as the mottled green. The message of the song (both musically and lyrically) was, perhaps not dark, but intensely idealistic in a way that requires at least a modicum of pessimism. I saw this combination as the flowing blue and black portions.
This one is a representation of what I 'see' when I hear the song "Carribean Blue" by Enya, from her album Shepherd Moons. Enya's voice sounds like flowing golden bronze to me. The instrumentals had the feeling of evolving, morphing tonal colors to me, related and complementary, but also discreete. Hence the grey/silver, blues and greens. I felt the colors of the song constantly changing, but somehow also staying true to a certain higher 'self'. The green in the upper right corner did not scan well, but that was how I felt the background vocals -- as pale green clouds skimming the top.
This is part of a painting I made as a representation of what I 'see' when I hear the song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by They Might Be Giants, off of their album Flood. The violins have a frenetic silver quality, but also have overtones of coppery bronze. There is a deep reverberation in the background that sounds like a deep blue wedge. The song is seemingly light and energetic (the fluffy turquoise), but also has darker undertones (the flecks of black).
Christian Liljeberg's Synesthesia page
Synaesthesia - A Cognitive Model of Cross Modal Association
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