Cloud Cult is a rare treat in the way they redefine the musical experience. Though their sound is slightly reminiscent of mainstream indie bands like Deathcab for Cutie, the band is unique in how they harmonize vocals, guitars, drums and bass with trombones, cellos, violins, trumpets and live painting.
The juxtaposition of music with live visual art is best described as moving, especially because it reincorporates a lot of the humanity that has been lost to modern-day technology. If anything, Cloud Cult can bring back the soul and the life that has been lost in a lot of music.
For visual artist and trumpet player Scott West, painting can help bring back that soul and also reinvent how people see art. West, who began playing with Cloud Cult in its nativity in 1993, describes the live art he creates as a “narrative [that] is a changing, evolving...as the painting develops.”
West’s paintings, which were originally separate from Cloud Cult’s image, have become an integral part of illustrating the meaning of Cloud Cult’s songs. Completed at random between the first and final guitar strums, West’s work hold true to the concept of creating a living, breathing narrative.
What influenced your decision to create art? How did it become an integral part of Cloud Cult's image?
Art has been my first love ever since I can remember. It was my first discipline, so it came natural to me to study art and pursue it as a career. When I was an art student in college, I started playing music with [Lead Singer] Craig Minowa and we formed into what you know as Cloud Cult. At one point I was going to leave the band to focus more on my art, but then Craig decided to bring live painting into the act.
How would you describe your personal style? What influences your art?
My art is influenced by my story, events in my life, and the music I'm listening to at the time. And when I'm at a show, it's influenced by the energy of the audience. I feed off of that energy and combine it with my knowledge of hue and color. As an artist, I see hue and color in the same way a composer sees lyrics, rhythm, and melody. But instead of using a pen, I use a paint brush [to create my song].
You said on your Web site that your paintings are living narratives along with the music. How do your paintings act as narrative pieces?
The narrative goes beyond the creation of the painting. It's the energy of the crowd and how I'm feeling in the moment, and that's what dictates the energy of my pieces. I've been trying [for a while] to get people to understand that paintings are living pieces that tell stories; they are never still.
How do you come up with a whole painting in one show? Do you prepare with sketches, or do you just go at it once you get on stage?
I'm a pretty immediate, in the moment painter, and [I believe that] the process of painting evolves over time. When we first began, I would come up with pre-sketches for the shows, but I began questioning the validity of my work as Craig started creating more complex work. Now the energy [I feed off of] dictates the feeling of the pieces.
Is there any symbolism to your art? If so, what kinds of symbols do you use?
I often work with archetypes and used those as symbols. Most of my art shows split personalities of people, or even people in a different time. I also use owls to signify age and crows/ravens to signify something imminent, but not necessarily imminent death or doom. It's more like something that is sure to happen.
So what's up with the rabbits?
You know, the rabbits are really interesting, and I didn't know what they meant at first. I was on tour, and they just kind of happened in one show, and I kept drawing them and drawing them. After a while, I realized that the rabbits in my paintings were me; they symbolized sacrifice, moving, and change.
Does your art have an underlying message? If so, what is the underlying message of your art?
I would say the underlying message is finding a connection between the viewer and the artist for just a glimpse. When I paint, my goal is to try to get them to be able to feel the way I did in that moment.
To learn more about Cloud Cult and the art of Scott West, visit the following:
www.myritual.com
www.cloudcult.com
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