Artwork | solarlunarmusic

GALLERY all photographs by Amos Chan. Special thanks to Amos, Nancy Ribeck, Satoshi Kobyashi, Carl Zapp

How to Participate with Music

Project: September Suite 2009-2012

About the Artwork

My process often begins with graphing moon rise/set, sun rise/set, high and low tides, and/or moon phases from one or more locations within a time period. Pitch, note value, and dynamics are then assigned. Tempo is open to interpretation.

Comparing moon phases over four different years, the scrolls below can be read vertically from left (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). The variations highlight different aspects of rhythmic patterns derived from the same information.

Next to the artwork, there is a key explaining more details for each piece.

Photographs of artwork by Amos Chan and Dan Rubin. Special thanks to Amos, Nancy Ribeck, Satoshi Kobayashi, Carl Zapp and CS Studios.

September Suite: Phases 2009-2012 (B&W)

Digital prints of a monotype on Hahnemühle paper, rag, 50" x 25"

My monotype process is

inspired by Zen Buddhist

hatsuboku or "flung ink"

landscape painting.

Key:

For each vertical scroll, phrases/measures are constructed by day of the week from top to bottom -- Sunday to Saturday. Waxing moons are on the right and waning are on the left. Each scroll (left to right) represents 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.

The color variation references printer ink colors Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow.

September Suite: Phases Layered 2009-2012

marker on acetate scrolls, unryu, block ink, monofilament, 52" x 6"

I was curious to see and hear how the same four years worked layered together.

September Suite: 2009-20112

Sacred Harp/Sacred Shape (varations)

gouache on rag paper, 50" x 20"

Inspired by Sacred Harp Shape Note singing which uses different shapes for each pitch, the same four years are expressed as the actual moon phase shapes. Instead of vertical scrolls, this pieces takes the same four years horizontally for each scroll. Read top to bottom, each panel highlights a different phase with yellow.

September Suite: Moonrise 2009-2012

Player Piano Scrolls

sunprint paper, unryu, block ink, mylar

36" x 26"

I'm fascinated with the patterns created by player piano rolls which have cut spaces for each musical pitch and duration moving across from left to right. This piece tracks moonrise times with dark blue as night, medium blue as afternoon and light blue as morning (based on sunrise/sunset times. Again, the scrolls are read vertically from left to right for each year.

Moonrise times

Night, Afternoon, Morning

(based on sunrise/sunset times)