Program Notes

Both praised and critiqued for his abstract style, Jackson Pollock was an influential figure in expressionist art, known for splashing and dripping paint onto his canvases to create dynamic, unconventional works. The abstract nature of his paintings sparked heated debates within the art world, mirroring similar discussions in music composition.

In the 19th century, the rise of forms like the symphonic poem fueled discussions about absolute versus programmatic music—debates that continue to shape how we conceptualize music today. This tension profoundly shaped my own musical journey, causing creative turmoil as I formed my own artistic opinions.

Pollock’s work led me to wonder how abstract paintings might translate into music, and whether labels such as “programmatic” or “absolute” are still important in contemporary composition. Each movement of Abstractions After Abstractions takes inspiration from one of Pollock’s paintings, drawing not only on their energy, rhythm, and style, but also using the hexadecimal codes of their dominating colors to generate pitch material.

Does this piece resolve the age-old debate between programmatic and absolute music? Not at all, but it does poke fun at it!