Julie Blackmon’s “Lot for Sale” depicts a landscape that is familiar and yet unnerving at the same time. The dried, brown grass of the empty lot could be found in any Midwest state in wintertime, before the first big snowfall. How do you feel when looking at the figures in the photograph? What do you think they’re doing? What emotions are they feeling?
Written for Kansas City-based newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Ingrid Stolzel’s “The Road is All” is inspired by a quote from 19th century French historian Jules Michelet: “Le but n’est rien; le chemin, c’est tout.” (The end is nothing; the road is all.) This music brings about many emotions we experience in our life: longing, pleasure, pain, joy. Much like what is depicted in Blackmon’s photograph, this music creates a sense of the lingering in the space between parts of our life - the road that carries us from one feeling to the next.
Want to explore more music inspired by Julie Blackmon's art? Listen to our Spotify playlist for full pieces.
Find more information about 'Julie Blackmon: A Life in Frame' on the Kemper's website.
You can find out more about Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art at kemperart.org.
View the full Kemper Museum Permanent Collection here.