Vivace 12

About Vivace 12

Modernist Burton Kramer finds inspiration for his abstract paintings in the beauty of a musical beat. In Vivace 12, one of a series, geometric shapes in blues, pinks, greens and yellow appear to dance rhythmically across the sky-blue canvas. Vivace is an Italian word that in musical terms means lively tempo. Kramer explores the language of visual forms and sound much like the 20th century European painter Wassily Kandinsky, renowned for his experiments with colour and music.

“My paintings are music made visual; they deal with rhythms, syncopations, tonalities and moods. Their primary messages are sensory, and not literal.” Burton Kramer

He is one of Canada's most influential and gifted graphic designers. He designed the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation logo in 1974. Kramer trained at Yale University (MFA), The Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology (BSc), The Royal College of Art, London (Fulbright Scholar) and The State University of New York. Kramer has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Arts Ontario, The Order of Ontario by the Province, an Honorary Doctorate from Ontario College of Art & Design and named Member of the Order of Canada. His work is held in many private and public collections.