The bond between art and music has inspired many composers and artists, leading to numerous celebrated works, like Pictures at an Exhibition or the Rake's Progress.

Gallery Oldham will be presenting an exhibition from 4 April to 27 June 2009 featuring new work by visual artist Kevin Laycock, produced in collaboration with the composer and radio presenter Michael Berkeley and Manning Camerata. They will work together on a cross-genre commission inspired by mid-20th century artworks in the collection of Gallery Oldham.

Few artists since Messiaen's generation have developed the potential for art and music despite the heritage of Picasso and Matisse, Satie, Stravinsky and others.

The new suite of paintings and objects created by Kevin Laycock will form the basis of a digital wallpaper based on the development of visual and audible information. The project will explore the relationship between music and visual perception.

The work will comprise of an electronic recording (described by Michael Berkeley as a sound canvas) with live strings performing, as a result of an education project with the University of Leeds and Peter Manning, Artistic Director of Manning Camerata and Musica Vitae, Sweden. This performance will be linked to a sequence of abstract images by Kevin Laycock.