Matrix 5: Tones of Resonance
The art book Matrix 5: Tones of Resonance, about Ms. Rivera’s study and meditation with the 5 tones used in ancient Cherokee (Tsalagi) Healing Practices, includes images of paintings created through an innovative manipulation of the intersection of these healing sounds and the painting process.
Interview with Guadulesa Rivera: Several years ago, when I lived in Boston, I was awarded an Individual Artists Grant to create a project involving art and science. I had already begun to paint with musicians in live settings and because of my approach, I was convinced that the sound environment was affecting the drying patterns of the paintings. I had full reason to believe this, because I had studied the work of others who explored the mystery of sound and its effect on the physical body and consciousness. My project was called Matrix 5, because I worked with the five tones used in the Tsalagi (Cherokee) healing practices, in order to experience the transformative powers of sound. I am now writing a book, based on the notes from my project, and I entitle it Matrix 5: Tones of Resonance.
Guadulesa Rivera: I am re-entering a world that is with us all the time, but few are aware of it. The influence of sound on our physical bodies, emotions and consciousness is powerful. To be able to bring this consciousness into my work as an artist is very special to me, and that is an understatement.
EXCERPT FROM MATRIX 5: TONES OF RESONANCE (C) 2015 GUADULESA RIVERA:
The smallest particle of life, and everything beyond, responds to Sound. Sound, as medicine chants and instrumentation, is an important element in Tsalagi healing. Through the understanding of our relationship to sound, we begin to enter the world between form and formlessness, being and becoming. Although color frequencies are measured differently, the Tsalagi recognize the connection between the attributes of tones and hues. The following chart depicts the tonal relationships in North America. Overview of the Five Resonant Tones: