Burchfield Penney Hosts 'Resounding Roar' Release Party

The Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State will celebrate the release of Charles E. Burchfield: A Resounding Roar, an album featuring musical interpretations Burchfield’s paintings, writings, drawings, and doodles, Friday, August 14, at 6:00 p.m. on the Front Yard.

Fourteen local musicians conducted a yearlong study of Burchfield’s work to create a score for the Resounding Roar exhibition, on view through Sunday, August 23. A Burchfield Penney and Righteous Babe Records co-production, the album release concert will include performances from Unusually Different, BuffFluxus, and Anne Brundidge Dance.

This unique recording is a realization of the goal to create musical compositions in Burchfield’s name. A diverse group of performers were invited to participate, each being given suggestions—guidelines for duration, sounds, dynamics, pitch, rhythms, technique—on how to interpret musical symbols in the artist's work.

"The musicians were assigned to read Burchfield’s writings, which describe the sounds that inspired the artist’s paintings. His words are a core component of this project,” said Don Metz, Burchfield Penney associate director. “The words he suggested became elements in the composition. Burchfield’s words, like his paintings, inspire a musical experience.”

“The album is a fine addition to the sound/image pantheon. It’s nomination as an archeology from Burchfield’s 73 journals has been waiting to happen,” said Anthony Bannon, Burchfield Penney executive director.

Curators Metz and Tullis Johnson, will lead a tour of the Resound Roar exhibit on Thursday, August 20, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.