SYNCHROMISM

    Synchronism was an art movement based no the idea that sound and color are phenomena that are similar in the way that the individual experiences and perceives them. Movement as well as organization of color into ‘color scales’ are the ways in which synchronism pieces correlate to musical art forms.A basic tenet of synchronism is that color can be arranged or orchestrated in much the same way that notes of a symphony are arranged by composers. This harmonious arrangement of colors and shapes produces experiential results similar to that of listening to well balanced orchestral compositions.
    This art movement artists believed that by painting in color scales could evoke sensations that were very musical in nature. Typically, synchronism pieces feature a strong rhythmic form or forms that then advance toward complexity in form and hue, moving in a particular direction.
In many cases, such explosion of color using color scales pours out in a radial pattern. It is most common for synchronism art works to have some sort of central vortex that bursts outward with color, into complex color harmonies.
    Synchronism has been compared and contrasted to Orphism. Orphism refers to paintings that relate to the Greek god Orpheus, the symbol of song, the arts and the lyre. Though Orphism is rooted in cubism, this movement moved toward a lyrical abstraction that was more pure, in the sense that this form of painting was about synthesizing a sensation of bright colors.
Though there is little doubt that Orphism was an influence to later Synchronism, Synchronists would argue that it is an entirely unique art form. As Stanton MacDonald-Wright said, “synchromism has nothing to do with orphism and anybody who has read the first catalogue of synchronism … would realize that we poked fun at orphism.”
     Several other American painters have been known to experiment with synchronism. Whether synchronism was a branch of orphism or its own unique art form, there is little doubt that the harmonious use of color and movement based composition inspired many artists and art forms. Among these artists were Andrew Dasburg, Thomas Hart Benton and Patrick Henry Bruce.Though the majority of Thomas Hart Benton’s works centered on regionalism and murals, there was also a strong flair of synchronism. Benton’s interest and incorporation of synchronism was due mainly from having studied with synchronism artists such as Stanton MacDonald-Wright and Diego Rivera.