Landmarks recently announced the return of Sound in Sculpture, our annual performance series organized in collaboration with the Butler School of Music and Texas Performing Arts. Launched in 2015, the event features musical compositions by student composers, all created in response to works from Landmarks’ collection. On April 20, composers Josiah Garza, Jinghong Zhang, Rita Yung, and Joe Jaxson will respond to Mark di Suvero’s Clock Knot and Sarah Oppenheimer’s C-010106.
We recently sat down with Jinghong Zhang to discuss his process for composing a piece for the program. A graduate student in the Butler School of Music, Zhang wrote a work in response to Clock Knot, entitled No’is’tes, which plays off the sculpture’s form and name.
Can you describe your creative process and how you went about composing for Sound in Sculpture?
I went to observe Clock Knot in detail, looking at it from different angles, perspectives, and during various times of the day. I found an personal connection between the work and my own artistry. The melting of art and science, along with the ancient and modern motifs reflected in this work inspired me at the start of this composition.
How does visual art influence your work?
I have always had a deep understanding about the connection between fine visual art and music. For me, fine visual art is an expression in space, while music is an expression in time. Time and space are inseparable entities in human existence, so the power of artistic expression can be magnified in a profound extent if visual and sonic art are combined.
Has Sound in Sculpture changed your view of Landmarks’ collection?
Absolutely! As I mentioned, I believe that the combination of visual and sonic elements enhances the experience of art. Sound in Sculpture, for me, elevates the awareness of the incredible art on campus through musical presentations with them. Every year we’re able to participate in interdisciplinary collaboration where composers, musicians, and artists gather together to honor these marvelous creations.
What are your future plans with music composition?
As a performer and a composer, I want to keep expanding my artistry through performance. I recently presented a multimedia electroacoustic music concert entitled, Neo-mythological Dramatic Inception, a show which combines drama, theatrical elements, dance and electroacoustic music. If you’d like to know more about this concert project or other of my works, please visit my website: www.jinghongzhang.com
Join us April 20 at 6:00 PM CST to hear Zhang and other composers works during Sound in Sculpture.
