On Repeat: How a Box of Old CDs Became a Painting
Part of the Music & Memories Collection by DeElla Hoberg
Sometimes inspiration comes from a beautiful landscape, a meaningful conversation, or a song that takes you back thirty years.
And sometimes it comes from a box of junk in the basement.
That's pretty much how On Repeat began.
I was rummaging around in the basement when I came across a box of old CDs and DVDs. Remember those? We don't even own a CD or DVD player anymore, although we do still have a record player.
I looked at those shiny little discs and thought, Those would make some really cool shapes.
Not exactly a profound artistic revelation, but sometimes that's all it takes.
I also happen to have a rather impressive collection of spray paint. Some people collect shoes. Apparently, I collect cans of paint. And yes, that collection includes glitter spray paint, because of course it does.
So I started playing.
I experimented with the circular shapes of the discs, layering color and texture, letting the materials do some of the work. The result was this soft, slightly retro background filled with overlapping circles, unexpected colors, and a little sparkle.
At first, I thought I was finished.
But if you've spent much time around artists, you probably know that I think I'm finished and I'm actually finished are two entirely different things.
The painting sat there, and I kept looking at it.
Something about those circles, the repetition, and the sense of movement reminded me of a song.
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive.
And suddenly, the painting had a direction.
I went back into it, adding abstract, spinning brush marks and the words "You spin me." What started as an experiment with discarded technology had turned into a painting about music, movement, and the things we play over and over again.
That's one of my favorite things about making art. Sometimes I begin with a very specific idea, and sometimes I have absolutely no idea where I'm going. I just start moving paint around and see what happens.
On Repeat is definitely one of those happy accidents.
There's something funny about using old CDs and DVDs to make a painting inspired by a song about a record. Technology changes, formats come and go, and entire collections of music eventually end up in basement boxes.
But the songs?
Somehow, they stick around.
We might not have anything left to play those old discs on, but it only takes a few notes of a familiar song to bring the whole thing back.
And sometimes, apparently, it takes a can of glitter spray paint.
About the Artwork
On Repeat is an original 20 × 20-inch mixed-media painting from my Music & Memories collection, a series exploring the connections between music, personal stories, and the memories we carry.
I'd love to know: What's a song you can hear a hundred times and still never get tired of?
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