When we think of high culture, we think about art like Picasso's paintings and music like Beethoven's symphonies, but we rarely think about these kinds of works in the same space. This begs the question: is there really a link between art and music?

Beginning in 2009, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston hosted a long exhibition called Contemporary Outlook: Seeing Songs, which investigated this link from modern musicians. With selections from artists ranging from George Gershwin to Bob Dylan and Tina Turner, Seeing Songs featured works from over 60 international artists, showing stylized photographs of famous singers and musicians. Video art was created to match the time of pop songs like Madonna's "Rescue Me," while portraits of eye-catching pop stars like the Beatles and Jefferson Airplane abounded. What defined the exhibit was how the music influenced the artists in how they portrayed their creators. Rather than be realistic or objective in their photos or portraits, the artists used the music to inspire a more fluid and emotional view of their favorite musicians.

In 2011, the Museum of Modern Art in New York ran a film called Looking at Music 3.0. This film explored the relationship between art and music by focusing on New York street culture during the 1980s and 1990s. A link was shown between the rise of graffiti art in low-income neighborhoods and the appearance of underground music clubs and artists, giving rise to hip-hop sensations like the Beastie Boys and Run DMC. What was considered a waste during times of economic hardship became an opportunity for poor neighborhoods to redefine themselves and experiment with new styles and techniques. It was a combination of poverty and youth culture that bridged the gap between graffiti and early hip hop culture.

It's only been recently that any museum or artist has done a serious exploration of the relationship between the visual arts and music. The common thread that seems to run through these mediums in inspiration, as one medium influences the other. As we move deeper to a more interconnected world, we can expect more of this multimedia art in later exhibits.

To learn more about how art and music intersect, you can usually find special exhibits like places like the Museum of Modern Art in New York City or the Tate Gallery in London.

Image by Coup d'Oreille on Flickr