From the Artists: This musical piece is inspired by two paintings, Untitled Cube (1969) by Alvin D. Loving, and Simpsonville (1980) by Edward Avedisian. There is a sense of conflict in nature of the two works where Avedisian’s piece appears energetic in vivid colors and shapes, while Loving’s three-dimensional work has more geometrical strictness. Such conflicting balance of the two artworks is reflected in the compositional structure of the piece in terms of control of timbre. While the electronic part is in a fixed form, the acoustic instruments have an open structure to explore timbres that are determined by the performers in their own interpretation of graphic notations. In connection with the idea of building community blocks, the samples in the electronic are daytime city sound collected in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The exchange between the acoustic timbre exploration and everyday sound gestures in the electronics invites you to experience a new exchange between you and the painting.

This project is part of an on-going partnership between UMMA and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance, supported by the Katherine Tuck Enrichment Fund and the Greg Hodes and Heidi Hertel Hodes—Partners in the Arts Endowment Fund.