"Barb's Invisible Chimera" For Solo Flute

 

"Barb's Invisible Chimera" For Solo Flute

Bil Smith Composer

2024-2025

10 Images. 32” X 28”; 81.28 X 71.12 cm

Ink, Graphite, Acrylic, Metallic Powder, Gunpowder on Ilford Galerie Prestige Gold Fibre Silk

Edition of 5 with 2 APs

My new work for solo flute, "Barb's Invisible Chimera"  is a boundary-pushing musical composition that defies conventional expectations of both notation and performance, blending elements of visual art and sound in a way that challenges the performer’s interpretative instincts.

Conceptual Framework

The title Barb’s Invisible Chimera hints at a dialogue with the work of conceptual artist Barbara Kruger. Kruger’s signature style—bold textual interventions that critique consumerism and societal power structures—finds an echo in this work, which manipulates musical notation, imagery, and textual constructs to convey a layered critique of perception and interpretation in contemporary music.

My engagement with semiotic structures extends beyond music into branding and pharmaceuticals, drawing inspiration from the language of medical and commercial industries. My lexicon mirrors the syntacticons found in pharmaceutical branding, where invented words, color associations, and typography contribute to an overarching psychological effect. This aesthetic is reminiscent of Damien Hirst’s fascination with the pharmaceutical industry, aligning the notation of Barb’s Invisible Chimera with the conceptual weight of contemporary visual art.

Notational Structure and The Jubal Project

A central feature of Barb's Invisible Chimera is its incorporation of my Jubal Project notation archetype. The Jubal Project is an experimental notation system that departs from traditional staff-based representation, instead using striking circular color combinations, gestural mark-making, and unconventional symbols to communicate sonic intent. This system redefines the relationship between performer and score, transforming interpretation into an active, almost improvisational process.

This composition is a realization of an "idea of a moment in time for the flutist," placing emphasis on the ephemeral nature of sound and performance. By integrating Jubal Project notation, the score becomes an interactive, kinetic object—one that demands engagement beyond mere visual deciphering.

Materiality and Medium

The choice of materials in Barb’s Invisible Chimera contributes significantly to its impact. Ilford Galerie Prestige Gold Fibre Silk paper, known for its rich, tactile surface, serves as a base for the intricate layering of ink, graphite, acrylic, and metallic powder. The addition of gunpowder—a volatile, elemental material—imbues the score with a sense of transience and combustibility, reinforcing the idea of performance as an act of momentary existence. The materiality of the score is thus inseparable from its musical realization, making the process of interpreting and performing the piece inherently linked to its physical presence.

Performance Considerations

Performing Barb’s Invisible Chimera requires the flutist to engage with the score in a non-traditional manner. The absence of standard musical notation means that the performer must develop a unique interpretative strategy based on:

1. Color and Shape Recognition – The Jubal Project notation system employs color coding and geometric forms to suggest specific timbres, dynamics, and articulation techniques.
2. Gestural Reading – The physical markings on the score often imply movement and energy rather than discrete pitches, necessitating a gestural approach to sound production.
3. Temporal Fluidity – The composition resists strict metric structuring, favoring an organic, free-flowing temporality that adapts to the performer’s intuition and physical response to the score.
4. Multisensory Engagement – The interplay between visual art and sound demands an expanded sensory approach, where the flutist’s interpretation is influenced by visual stimuli as much as by traditional musical thought.

Aesthetic and Philosophical Implications

This work is intended to raise critical questions about the nature of composition, authorship, and the role of the performer. By relinquishing rigid control over musical outcomes, Barb’s Invisible Chimera situates the performer as a co-creator, blurring the line between composer and interpreter. This aligns with postmodern artistic discourses that challenge hierarchical structures in artistic production.

Furthermore, the pharmaceutical branding aesthetic embedded in the notation hints at deeper cultural commentaries—specifically, the ways in which language, imagery, and commodification shape human cognition and behavior. My approach suggests a parallel between the performative aspects of pharmaceutical branding and the performative nature of musical interpretation, highlighting the constructed realities inherent in both domains.

Conclusion

Barb’s Invisible Chimera for solo flute stands at the intersection of music, visual art, and conceptual philosophy. My integration of the Jubal Project notation archetype, combined with his unique material choices and cultural references, results in a work that is both provocative and enigmatic. For the flutist, the piece is less about executing predefined notes and more about inhabiting a shifting, momentary space of sonic and visual engagement.

By challenging traditional notions of notation, performance, and musical meaning, Barb’s Invisible Chimera continues my intent of pushing the boundaries of contemporary composition. It is a work that demands deep interpretative commitment, offering an ever-evolving experience that transcends conventional musical paradigms.