IMPROVISATIONAL ART

I was introduced to competitive jazz performance in high school at the age of 15. I’d tried out for and was accepted to the guitarist position in the jazz choir rhythm section and occupied that role for 3 years. While it refined my appreciation for music and knowledge of theory, the lasting impact on the years since has been a love for educated improvisation in all things. Jazz music has a strong foundation of technical theory which is commonly complicated by its changing keys, time signatures, and tempos. This complexity is further magnified by the impromptu changes that take place in the moments of stage performance, communicated by subtle nods or glances of the musicians in response to the energy/moods of the performers or of the energy/mood of their audience. For these reasons it is said quite accurately that in live jazz you never hear the same song twice. This magnificent art form, rooted in equal parts technical knowledge and improvisational flow, has impressed its way into other aspects of my life experience.

Picasso was quoted as saying, “learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” This casually developing website is an effort to share some of my improvisational moments. I have received formal study in photography, music and writing and these are the methods with which I use to regard or revere the passing moments of my life. I do not share the results of these methods often as they have always been for my own enjoyment, but in an attempt to apply for a working studio space I have compiled some samples for review.

The challenge with each of these mediums is to authentically capture an experience without over or under-inflating its moment, while retaining a relatable quality. While I most certainly possess a long-term aim of perfecting aspects of skill with each of these categories, the underlying ethos is to stay true to an accurate representation of how a given moment was experienced by me.

PHOTOGRAPHS: Contains sample images from Sacramento, California (2009), Perth/Fremantle, Australia (2011), Beijing/Mutianyu, China (2013), San Diego County, California (2010-2014), Santa Fe, New Mexico (2013), Anchorage and Matanuska, Alaska (2019-2021), Anchorage, Alaska (2022). Images prior to 2022 were captured/created with a Canon 600D/Rebel T3i; 2022 and onwards utilized either a Canon 80D or Fujifilm X-H1. All edits have been made with Adobe Lightroom.

LIGHTPAINTING: Contains sample images from San Diego, California and Anchorage, Alaska. Images were captured/created with same cameras listed above, edited with Adobe Lightroom and/or Adobe Photoshop, and utilize long exposure photographs in a blacked-out room, The subject is lit by hand using a variety of flashlights, laser pens, candles, flames, and/or assorted found objects that emit light.

COMMUNITY: Contains short stories, experiences, community concepts/projects, and works in progress.

SOUND SKETCHES: Contains samples of music recordings from 2005 onwards. Sound was captured by either a Tascam MF-P01 Analog 4 Track Cassette Recorder, GarageBand or Logic Pro. All instrumentation & vocals were performed by Jesse Cunningham and saved to Soundcloud under Grassbenda/Frank Cunningham for reasons relating to anonymity.