The Tension of Differentiation

Description

I was among 12 visual artists challenged to create work in response to a jazz-infused poem written by Nashville-based poet Thandiwe Shiphrah. The title is taken from a line in the poem and the work takes its shape from the phrasing, rhythm, and ideas, presented in parts of the poem. I was particularly struck by the concept of “the tension of differentiation” and attempted to represent it visually through color, shape, and allusions to a bass instrument, which I consider a fundamental cohesive element that gives music its underlying structure.