OVERVIEW

Coloratura is an innovative system of musical paintbrushes that operate as MIDI controllers. Each of the twelve paintbrushes in the system is assigned to a unique musical note and color, enabling users to create both physical art and real-time digital music simultaneously. As the brushes touch the canvas, color and sound emerge as one, creating a multi-sensory experience for users and observers that simulates synesthesia. The end result of each user experience is an electronic music composition and a tangible, analog piece of art.

THE ARTIST

Bio

Camry Ivory, a musician, artist, and inventor based in Kansas City, is the creative force behind Coloratura, a groundbreaking instrument that transforms ordinary paintbrushes into tools for creating electronic music and physical art simultaneously.  Through her community-driven interactive workshops and captivating live performances, Camry harmoniously blends visual art and music together, redefining the boundaries of creative expression and inviting viewers and users to challenge conventional notions of art and music. Her passion for using technology to create beautiful, immersive experiences fuels her mission to reignite the innate spark of creativity within us all. As a featured performer and facilitator, Camry has collaborated with many musical and artistic organizations, including Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas School for the Blind, ArtsKC, Missouri Experimental Sonic Arts (MOXSONIC) Festival , Kansas City STEM Alliance, Harmony Project, and the Folk Alliance International Music Conference,  She is the 2024 Rita Blitt Interdisciplinary Artist Fellow at the Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University, where her work continues to explore the intersection of art, music and technology, fostering innovative artistic collaborations.

Artist CV

Press Kit


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • ‘Coloratura’ is an Italian term that literally means “coloring” or “to color”. In the musical world, the term is used to refer to vocal trills and ornamentation used by classical/operatic singers.

    Many of the terms we use in reference to art or music (e.g. chromatic, form, harmony, scale, composition, texture, tone) overlap both disciplines and the name of this project reflects this relationship.

  • Electricity! Each paint brush is wired to a circuit board that connects wirelessly to a computer. Each brush is assigned to an individual note in the musical scale; when a brush touches the canvas, it triggers a note on the computer.

    I use music production software to add various effects to the notes and to loop multiple musical phrases on top of each other.

  • For most of my life, my primary artistic focus has been music, but I’ve always been interested in the relationship between visual art and music. I am fascinated by people who have synesthesia–people who are able to see sounds or hear colors.

    I don’t have synesthesia, but I developed Coloratura as a way to recreate this phenomenon and create my music in an innovative way.

    Ultimately, I want to connect with my audience and provide them with a multi-sensory dynamic experience that will make them think deeply about the parallels between color and sound.

  • Yes! Determining the color of each note was one of the most difficult parts of this project! When I began developing Coloratura, I used a scale developed by Alexander Scriabin.

    As I was painting, I found that some of the most beautiful color schemes sounded horrible when “played” together, and some basic chords looked hideous when interpreted visually. I wanted to find a scale that would create a beautiful balance in color and sound.

    After a great deal of trial & error, I decided to use a modified color/music scale, based on a system developed by artist Steve Zieverink. Of all the scales I researched, it was the most visually and musically harmonious.

  • I host free public events in the Kansas City area at least once a month. Subscribe to my newsletter or my Instagram page to receive notifications about future events. A list of events is available on my website.

  • Absolutely! Send me an email at camryivory@gmail.com or fill out the contact form and we can discuss details.

  • I would love to see more visual & performing artists incorporating Coloratura into their practices to create unique works of art.

    I’m also interested in developing Coloratura as a tool for art/music therapy, since it has played a therapeutic role in my life.

    To accomplish these goals, I’m actively seeking out people in the art, music, and STEM fields who can provide technical support, research and development ideas, performance opportunities, networking opportunities, or financial assistance.

    If you’re interested, please email me at camryivory@gmail.com or fill out the contact form.