The intersection of fine art with various other spheres of culture is something that has intrigued and compelled us for ages (see for example our super-love at JBP of books in art, and art in books).

Music is another field where we often see an overwhelming overlap with the world of visual art—albeit one that is recognized and considered with surprising infrequency. Paddy Johnson's recent Kickstarter campaign to produce an album of various sounds gleaned from the New York art world caught our attention this past September, and we're thrilled to see that the project, titled The Sound of Art was a smashing success; it generated the necessary funding to be realized, and records are now pressed and set to ship in time for Christmas.

Just about a year ago we had our very own sonically-inspired show at JBG with Mixtape, which took thematic cues from the fast-disappearing art of the compilation album, with its own rich variety of works inspired by songs, recording artists, instruments, and even the machinery of music. We thought we'd take this opportunity to examine a few choice examples of how music has influenced art and vice versa, and to look at some people who refuse to limit their creative production to one field or the other.

Here are a few musical editions and projects for your perusal; you might just find the perfect gift for the audiophile on your list! And of course we recommend putting on some tunes while you browse.

Untitled (Let's Get Lost) by Shaun Sundholm

Shaun Sundholm's gorgeous Untitled (Let's Get Lost) riffs on lyrics of—and draws its title from—a song from Elliott Smith's haunting posthumous album.

Untitled (I'm an island of such great complexity) by Mike Monteiro

Untitled (I like you 'cause you like me and you don't like much.) by Mike Monteiro

Mike Monteiro's wordplay as well often reaches over into the realm of popular music. Two of his editions see him quoting lyrics, appropriating the words of musicians to say something new and personally relevant—first those of Pavement and more recently of Lyle Lovett.

Album 1 by Paul Madonna

Paul Madonna cites music as his primary source of inspiration, stating:

Though I've been drawing and writing for as long as I can remember, music is the medium that has influenced me the most. I love the thought of an album being a collection that encapsulates a period of ideas, work and life into a tidy package, allowing the artist to work through a creative goal then move on to the next. Taken together, multiple albums become a systematic organization of a life's work; a collection of songs defines one album, and the collection of albums defines the artist. This led to my newest project, a yearly publication overtly titled Album, as an homage to that concept.

Roots of War in Popular Song (forest of no return) by David Byrne

No stranger to the music industry, David Byrne's edition to benefit Creative Time draws unexpected connections between popular music and political conflict.

Patsy Cline and Hank Williams by Mark Ulriksen

Monk by Mark Ulriksen

Mark Ulriksen's charming, cheerful portrait of country icons Patsy Cline and Hank Williams, and his atmospheric, classic-album-cover-inspired, (all but sold out) rendition of jazz legend Thelonious Monk round out our current selection.

We hope this little detour leaves you humming as you approach the New Year!