Shannon Novak uses the language of geometric abstraction and colour to create portraits of people who have inspired and influenced him - his mentors, heroes and family members – from Swiss-German artist Paul Klee, to leading scholar of Maori art, Jonathan Mane-Wheoki. A synesthete, the portraits in Leitmotif reflect the relationship between sound, colour, form, time, space and social connections, while questioning our preconceptions of a ‘likeness’ within portraiture.

The title, Leitmotif refers to a short piece of music used to introduce a character, place or idea to the audience. Interacting with each other through the course of say, an opera, these leitmotifs reveal the presence of a particular person – in the same way Novak’s portraits can be seen to introduce us to the aura or energies of each individual.

This exhibition has been in development since 2012, and we are excited to share with you Novak’s unique perspective on portraiture.

Exhibition Information:

Listen: The accompanying music for the portrait Jonathan Mane-Wheoki can be listened to and downloaded free here.

Read: Art on the synesthetic spectrum, Richard E. Cytowic, M.D., MFA. Written to accompany Leitmotif and provides an explaination on Synesthesia and how it manifests in Novaks work.

Download: Instructions for the augmented reality portrait Roy de Maistre can be downloaded here.