Steve Roden (B. 1964)

Steve Roden is a pioneering figure in the contemporary art scene, whose oeuvre encompasses experimental music, painting, drawing, sculpture, sound installation and performance art. The intertwining relationship between his experimentations as a composer and his interests as a visual artist, forms the backbone of his abstract creations which mirror the sounds and rhythms that arise from his music.

When Sun is like Rain, When Rain is like Sun (when secrets are shared) is characteristic of Roden’s paintings that can be read as a visual accompaniment to his musical compositions. Vertical stripes of bold contrasting colours – red, yellow, green and blue - are intersected by diagonal black and white lines which give rise to geometric shapes that reverberate across the picture plan like staccato sounds. These clashing juxtapositions of pulsating colours force the eye to continuously move in all directions as the vibrant hues recede and project. Yet, at the same time, the composition strikes the viewer harmoniously and the sense of unity within the composition mirrors the effects of a completed song.