DESCRIPTION:
The song "For Gabriele" (from Bett Butler's MYTHS & FABLES, www.bettbutler.com) was inspired by the story of early 20th century German Expressionist painter Gabriele Munter. In an era when women were barred from art school, she studied—and fell in love with— artist Wassily Kandinsky, who repeatedly promised marriage. After living and working together for over a decade, Kandinsky returned to Russia and married a younger woman, throwing Münter into a deep depression. Recovering, she continued to experiment with shifting styles, painting with bold colors and often imbuing mundane subjects with subtle but profound emotion. The Nazis denounced the work of Münter and her colleagues as degenerate, and she hid many of their paintings during World War II, saving them from destruction. The video, by artist Joan Fabian (www.joanfabian.com), incorporates work by Münter, Kandinsky, and Fabian.