robert pierzak - composer

Red Bird was inspired by an Agnes Martin painting from 1964 of the same name. Martin's painting is a subtle off-white polymer paint covering a six by six foot canvas, with a series of incredibly faint red horizontal lines spaced approximately a quarter inch apart drawn by a colored pencil. If looked at from a distance, only a subtle red tint appears on an empty canvas. If viewed up close, the lines become visible and gain their own personalities, as Martin retained small "flaws" and unmistakable traces of her hand drawing them.

Looking at the painting, I realized that this work can only be experienced live. No copy could reproduce the vividly subtle texture; the sheer calm and tranquility of joy could only be experienced standing right in front of it. After some considerable viewing time, I realized I was looking at two versions of this painting. First, I was looking at the idea of the painting; that is, a series of faint red horizontal lines. This mental representation was present to me the whole time. Second, the actual artifact in time (this latter kind of thinking dominated my experience throughout), which to me was a profoundly ethereal shifting depending on how closely I stared at it. For instance, suddenly certain regions of the red field might start vibrating or shimmering, at other distances the lines disappeared. A living organism, but gentle, always finding ample strength within its peace.

How much of the painting, then, did I see? Similarly, how much sound is heard in music? Or rather, how much sound is perceived in music as opposed to the perception of structures and meaning that are drawn from them? For instance, a melody is not sound, but an idea. When a gesture or motif is repeated, the sound is not heard, so much as the idea of the repetition is understood.

Thus I wanted to compose a piece that also lent itself to exploring the border of presentation and representation. The electronics simply draw from Martin's taste for the indiscernible (presentation), while the sax quartet's music was written as an abstract melody first, then arranged into sound with all its imperfections (representation).