C+ — Watercolor on Paper by Arnaud Quercy

About This Artwork

This watercolor explores the harmonic structure of the C+ augmented chord through chromesthetic translation, part of the Synesthetic Explorations collection. The work translates musical intervals into visual relationships, examining how the unstable tensions of an augmented triad can find balance through color interaction. The piece investigates the correspondence between auditory harmony and visual composition, using watercolor's fluid properties to mirror the chord's inherent movement.

Orange tones dominate the composition, with tomato and coral hues creating substantial presence across the surface. Gray values appear throughout in steel gray and lighter slate variations, providing neutral anchors that allow the warmer colors to resonate. Silver accents occupy significant areas, while darker slate grays establish depth in the lower register. Small geometric forms and linear elements organize these color relationships, with a yellow rectangle providing a bright focal point against the orange field.

The work measures 12.0 × 16.0 cm on paper, signed bottom right, with certificate of authenticity number 20240718-0160. The chromesthetic mapping resolves to six primary pitches spanning from C2 to E7, with the augmented chord's characteristic intervals translated into the orange-to-gray color relationships. The compact format concentrates the harmonic tensions within an intimate viewing space, completed in 2024 as part of the artist's systematic exploration of chord structures through visual media.