Parkites Edward Wald and his wife, Nina Wald, will combine their artistic talents for the first time Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Park City Library during a free event called "Living Paintings: A Night of Music and Moving Art."
Edward Wald will provide an audio experience using piano compositions he wrote. Nina Wald will provide the visuals, including physical paintings as well as a video of the paintings animated using artificial intelligence.
“It's very unique experience even for us, because we've never done this before,” Edward Wald said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Thursday. “It makes us feel that these paintings [are] becoming like alive. The characters, the objects, the story behind these paintings become alive.”
Nina Wald’s work has been developing and evolving over the past few years, and her husband said her efforts inspired him to expand his own boundaries in music.
“I used to play only piano compositions, and I had [a] very traditional view on music, and we argued a lot about electronic music,” he said. “I told her that electronic music is not music, that only acoustic instruments can make real, authentic sound.”
That changed when Edward Wald discovered new wave musicians who blend acoustic instruments with electronic music to create a calming and emotional sound.
At the same time, Edward Wald said he and his wife have drawn inspiration from each other. He said her work is a blend of expressionism, impressionism and minimalism. Her style is also characterized by her work in psychology.
Nina Wald used a lot of art therapy as a psychologist and found it helped patients heal some trauma by first recognizing it exists, accepting it and then transforming it.
“After you accept it only, you can transform it into something beautiful, whether it's an artwork or maybe you build something, you grow a plant, or even you just transform the image of this event or feeling in your imagination,” Edward Wald said. “I think she transferred this psychological experience as a psychologist and art therapist into her art creation.”
He said he’s also drawing from Tai chi and qigong practices, which combine slow, patterned movements with breathing and meditation. He said they help to calm the mind and emphasize accepting the natural flow of life.
Edward and Nina Wald’s collaborative work will be on display Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Park City Library.
