What initially drew you to the artwork you selected as the departure point for your composition?
Even before learning about the context behind the work, I was drawn to the striking visual effect of the lightbox. The backlit film gives the artwork an uncanny, dreamlike quality, which stands in contrast both with the scenery and the roadside paraphernalia in the bottom corner of the piece.
What was the process of translating visual art into musical expression?
Because my chosen artwork is part of a series of works inspired by American activist Leslie Feinberg’s 1993 novel Stone Butch Blues, reading and responding to that novel was actually my first point of departure. There is an uncertainty in both works which I tried to capture musically, as a response both to the unique presentation of the artwork and the ceaseless search for identity of Feinberg’s protagonist.
How did conversations with the artist influence your compositions?
There’s no substitute for seeing an artwork in person, especially with a medium such as this. So much more detail is apparent when viewing up close, and the physicality of the lightbox is an important aspect of its presentation. I am also grateful to Rosie and Hannah for providing extensive background materials on the work, as well as recommending I read Feinberg’s novel, both of which provided essential context to the work for me to draw from.
Were there any particular themes or moods from the artwork that resonated strongly with you?
Both the artwork and its related materials seemed to me to present a sense of longing, a quest for identity, and a certain sense of isolation. Although the scene depicted is quite broad and static, the roadside litter in the artwork hints at another world outside of this stoic scene, one described in Feinberg’s writing and characterized by turmoil and emotion. I tried to capture both worlds in my piece, and the conflicts between them.
Could you share any specific techniques or musical elements you used to capture the essence of the artwork?
One way in which I try to capture a sense of ‘otherness’ is by keeping the piano musically separate from the rest of the ensemble for much for the piece. At the beginning, the piano entrances are completely isolated, and strikingly different in tone from the other instruments. Sharp piano interjections frequently signal sudden shifts in the music, and it is only very gradually that the music from the piano is reconciled with the rest of the ensemble. Overall, I tried to capture as much musical diversity as possible, moving between moments of tenderness and tentativeness to those of great tension or catharsis, with each passage becoming longer and more complete as the piece progresses.
