Canvas of Sounds: Non-synesthetic Visual Representations of Music in Scholarly Literature

This article aims to investigate the relationship between visual arts and music, specifically focusing on non-synesthetic visual representations of music. Although synesthesia, where one sensory experience involuntarily stimulates another, has been extensively studied, there remains a gap in understanding how music can be visually represented without direct sensory overlap. This study is a systematic review of academic databases, analyzing scholarly articles published between 2009 and 2022 to capture recent advancements in this interdisciplinary field. The findings reveal four themes: the nature of visual representations, methodological approaches, influence of cultural and individual factors, and recognition of this inquiry as an interdisciplinary area. It is observed that entire musical compositions often yield more intricate visual representations, whereas specific musical elements tend to produce more symbolic and abstract visuals. The review concludes the significance of interdisciplinary approaches, combining insights from art, psychology, and computational analysis in exploring music’s visual representation.