The splendiferous Mickey Hart turns 83 today.
This true Renaissance Man of Rhythm is not only an extraordinary drummer but he continues to write, research and advance the science of sound as a source of mental and physical well-being and recovery. What’s more, he has long applied himself to the visual art world via the medium of painting.
We’ve previously noted, “As befits his lifelong passion for exploring the rhythms of the universe, the drumming icon pours carefully selected paints onto a canvas, then utilizes vibrations to make the colors dance across the surface.”
Hart himself explains, “Since vibration is the basis of all life, these fit perfectly into my cosmology. I’m an enthusiast of low-frequency sound. More than an enthusiast, actually, I would say I have a need for it, a hunger for the low-end. So my paintings are driven by those low frequencies. Rhythm is the key to it all. I play on my paintings and watch them create themselves in a way. These creations have a sound because they’re direct reflections of what I do in the day, whether I’m sonifying the cosmos or stem cells. All these things are sonifications, and I use them in my paintings. I also listen to music while I’m painting, so there’s a direct relation. To me, everything is music.”
His work is now on display at Golden Gate Park via the Forever Grateful Exhibition, which is underway and will continue through October 25.
Hart observes, “A part of my collection has made its way back to Golden Gate Park where it last felt the morning dew of San Francisco. Forever Grateful to be a part of this historical exhibition.”
Tickets for the exhibition are now available. You can read more about Forever Grateful in our recent feature. Our piece on his Vibrational Expressionism is here.
An overview of Hart’s work at Forever Grateful appears below.
