A Joy That Lasts: From Bach to Colour
Prelude in C – A Visual Meditation on Serotonin
There’s a kind of joy that doesn’t rush in, sparkle, and disappear. It builds slowly. Lingers. Deepens over time. This is serotonin joy - and it’s something I return to again and again in both music and art.
One of the first pieces that brought this feeling to life for me (visually) was Prelude in C, the very first in my signature Stripes series, created in 2020.
The Music Behind the Work:
Bach’s Prelude in C Major is a favorite among pianists, not because it’s flashy, but because of how it feels, both to play and to hear. Its steady rhythm (a stream of arpeggios) mimics breath. There’s no rushing, no climax - just movement through time, harmony, and emotion.
It’s calming. Reassuring. Spacious.
Extract (bars 24-27) from Prelude in C by Johanne Sebastian Bach
Translating Sound to Colour:
When I created Prelude in C, my belief (and hope) was that the colours would follow that same emotional architecture. Nothing sudden or loud. A rhythm of stripes that gently invites you in. A visual meditation.
The result was just this!
In the World:
Since then, this piece has found its way into many spaces - art fairs, London’s The Shard, in the chic cocktail bar of London’s Town Hall Hotel, until finally settling into the private collection of a buyer who told me it brings them quiet joy each day!
For me, that’s the power of serotonin-inspired art.
It stays with you.
It shifts the room.
What artwork (or piece of music) has stayed with you over the years? I'd love to know.
You can get in touch with me here
🎧Listen to my performance of Prelude in C here
