161 Glass
Duration ~ 17:00
161 Glass
Program Notes:
161 Glass is a site-specific musical work in which the intersection of mid-century architecture, and the art and culture of a dynamic city are inextricably linked. It was commissioned in 2009 by the Dallas Contemporary Museum. While the entire three movement piece is 17 minutes long, it is intended to be modular with each movement standing on its own. Its first movement, “The Floor”, reflects upon the former functionality of the building, influenced by the sounds of the materials and work activity of a factory floor. The second movement, “Light Matters”, to be performed later in 2010, is metaphorically derived from the location name and the properties of glass as an architectural and transparent element. The third movement, “Confluence” embodies a collage of time, art and space.
The composition derives its impetus from the building itself, its architectural and functional history, Dallas Contemporary’s new site on Glass Street, and the transition of place in a cultural geographic context, the triangulation of cultural context and functionality. I endeavor to place the work in the framework of art, architecture and place.
— Christina Rusnak 2010