The Noisy Paint Box
Reviewed by Sandy Hall
This book presents such an interesting look at the early life and eventual notoriety of Vasily Kandinsky and his art. Some believe he may have had a genetic condition called synesthesia, in which one sense connects with another to “hear colors, see music, taste words, or smell numbers.” (Author’s note in the book). This concept was so interesting to me because my oldest daughter once had a piano student who associated colors with specific musical tones. Kandinsky was a Russian-born who was first a lawyer and economics professor. He once saw an exhibition of Monet’s paintings. While listening to Wagner’s opera Lohengrin, he saw colors as he listened. He first painted an abstract painting in 1910 which “sparked a revolution in the art world.” (Author’s note in the book) Mary Grandpre, the illustrator, is most well-known for her Harry Potter illustrations for the United States editions published by Scholastic. Here in The Noisy Paint Box, her acrylic paintings are imaginative and flowing, often abstract - which matches the style of Kandinsky; sometimes the text even gets tucked into random places around her illustrations. I am not really a fan of abstract art, perhaps because I don’t really understand it, but I do recommend this book because of the influence of synesthesia on his work. Such a fascinating concept! Do you know anyone with that capability? If you like this book, then you might also enjoy Blue Rider, by Geraldo Valerio. Kandinsky was the founder of the art group Blue Rider of Germany.