Ab Major - Variation 5 — Acrylic on Paper by Arnaud Quercy

About This Artwork

This work explores the visual representation of an Ab Major triad through chromesthetic mapping, part of the Synesthetic Explorations collection. The composition translates specific musical pitches into their corresponding color equivalents, creating a direct bridge between auditory and visual perception. The piece examines how harmonic relationships in music can manifest as spatial and chromatic relationships on paper.

Red-orange tones dominate the composition, appearing throughout the surface in varying intensities from deep russet to bright tomato. Gray and blue elements provide structural contrast, with steel gray and light blue creating cooler passages that balance the warm dominance. The arrangement follows a spread voicing pattern, with colors distributed across different registers much like notes across a piano keyboard. Black linear elements define boundaries and create compositional structure, while subtle blue-violet and orange accents appear as small but essential harmonic details.

The work measures 10.0 × 15.0 cm and weighs minimal on paper support, executed in acrylic with precise color application. Certificate of authenticity number 20240615-0141 accompanies the piece, with the artist's signature located at bottom right. The compact format allows for intimate examination of the chromesthetic relationships, where each color zone corresponds to a specific pitch in the Ab Major harmonic series. Created in France in 2024, this variation demonstrates the systematic approach to translating musical harmony into visual form.