I enjoy Charley Rose's interviews and especially love the theme music. It's a catchy jazz tune written for the show by
David Shapiro and
David Lowe. What I enjoy about it is the bass line that weaves in and out with a life of its own, very much a part of the tune, but nothing like the theme melody. Without it, though, the melody would sound like just another jazz melody. It's the bass line that keeps the tune moving.
Doesn't a good painting do a similar thing? In every good painting, isn't there a something at acts like a bass line that keeps the eye moving, independent of the subject? Let's play a little game we'll call, "What is the bass line?" Look at this painting by Carolyn Anderson.
P.S. Anderson's bass line is that neutral yellow that weaves throughout both negative and positive areas of the painting. Pollock's bass line is a circular movement. Do you have a favorite bass line that finds its way through your art work?
