The Artistry of… Mark Isham
Art made to capture sentiments expressed in and by another art form is special. Music made to capture the sentiments expressed by another art form is special music. Music has paired with dance and visual art, including the beautiful, audacious wonder of graffiti and its roots in the too often co-opted and challenged urban art and culture.
The film score captures the sentiments of the film and its story, whether dramatic or documentary, and adds an often necessary layer of perspective. The artist whose art transcends by being able to bridge and reach across is special.
A favourite film, Little Man Tate, is Jodie Foster’s directorial debut and she acts in it with Adam Hann-Byrd, Dianne Wiest, Harry Connick Jr., and David Hyde Pierce, among others. Mark Isham is the film composer. This is just one of his many scores for films.
True to Isham’s artistry, the aural experience is one of direct connection between visual and what lands on the ear. His music is a lens that lends layers to perspective, challenging the senses by never being satisfied with just one way of seeing and hearing.
