“There is no limitation in ideas or possibilities when you think in neon.”
Streetside Artscape:
Neon Dion // Think BIG
766 St Helens Ave Tacoma
October 2022 – December 2022
“This concept was inspired by classical composer Carlos Simon’s masterpiece, “Graffiti.” A selection of orchestral music named after and inspired by Hip-Hop’s form of artistic expression is such a full circle moment. Ironically, just as recent as the 1990’s Hip-Hop was prohibited, demonized and even protested on a global level. After being proud and perplexed by the sheet music to Graffiti a notorious line popped in my head from one of the most revered rappers of all time, Biggie. In a masterfully crafted verse he celebrates and reflects on the process and pain it took for Hip-Hop to evolve from a block party into a global culture. My idea was to express that same sentiment while highlighting the parallel and juxtaposition between classical music and hip-hop. ‘You never thought that Hip-Hop would take it this far'”
“Graffiti was performed was performed by the Northwest Sinfonietta at the world famous Pantages Theater in Tacoma, WA. Founded in 1991 by harpsichordist Kathryn Habedank and conductor Christophe Chagnard, Northwest Sinfonietta is the premiere, professional chamber orchestra in the Puget Sound area. As an ensemble of 35 musicians, the Sinfonietta (meaning ‘little symphony’ in Italian) blends the intimacy of chamber music with the power of a full symphony orchestra—the result is a truly invigorating experience.
The program included accomplished conductor, pianist, and educator, Jeffery Meyer and impressive pianist Joel Fan who has performed over 40 different concertos with orchestras worldwide. I had the pleasure of creating a piece of merchandise and styling the Sinfonietta for the concert. The design (seen in photo 2) came in the form of a graphic paying homage to each of the musicians that have played in the Northwest Sinfonietta. 35 instruments that are played are displayed as well as text that reads “Northwest Sinfonietta since 1991”, in honor of the longevity and legacy of the orchestra.”
See more of Dion’s work at www.neondionart.com
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