Mayhew cites jazz musicians, such as Miles Davis and Cecil Taylor, as major inspirations. In addition to Rhapsody, he has titled several other works after music, including Sonata in G Minor (1987), Overture (2001), and Orchestration (2006). The titling indicates the artist’s ambition to create visual analogues of musical experiences. The qualities of a rhapsody—improvisation, wildly contrasting tonalities and moods—are indeed evident in this work. In its riotous plume of color, one can almost hear the soaring opening measures of one of George Gershwin’s epic pieces.
We are now open and thrilled to welcome you back safely to the de Young museum! You can see Richard Mayhew's Rhapsody on view in Gallery 27A. With your health and safety as our top priority, we’ve made some changes to create additional time and space for everyone.
Read Our Safety Plan
Text by Janna Keegan, assistant curator, contemporary art and programming. This text is an excerpt from the upcoming selected works publication, de Young 125, available for presale in Spanish, Mandarin, and English from the Museum Stores.
Learn more about American art at the de Young.