On a Clear Day: Reflections on Agnes Martin and John Cage

Exploring ideas of the fundamental, abstract, and unintentional, visual artist Agnes Martin and composer John Cage converge and diverge in many aspects of their work and life. In investigating the cross-sections of thought of these two formidable abstract expressionists, both of whom were large contributors to the American experimental art movement in the second half of the twentieth century, this project aims to uncover how these artists characterize, understand, and execute silence, unintentionality, and emotive content in their work through research and creative practice. Born in the same year and working across nearly identical timeframes, this multi-media projects is a comparative analysis that explores how these artists philosophies and work overlap, intersect, and disagree with one another through the exploration of biographical, autobiographical, and archival materials.

The performance incorporates John Cage’s Number Piece One10 and visual works by Agnes Martin including "On a Clear Day", "I Love the Whole World", and" Loving Love", alongside interviews by both artists, letters and essays by the artists, and reflections of my process performing and spending time with the chosen works. The show melds performance, historical recreation, and experimental audio and film. I aim to create an accessible performance that provides modern audiences a way to experience and be moved by these artists’ work and life.

Find out more here: https://www.laurenjconroy.com/projects/on-a-clear-day-reflections-on-agnes-martin-and-john-cage

Host or Publisher Lauren Conroy