Modal structure as architecture: “All Blues” (1959, Kind of Blue) is built on a mode, not on shifting chords. The melody revolves around a fixed tonal center, allowing the musicians to drift freely within a defined space. The work functions in the same way: the rectangles don't tell a story that progresses from left to right—they coexist, each sovereign in its own zone, like Miles Davis's soloists improvising in a shared space without jostling each other.

The black lines: rhythm and improvisation

The black lines—sometimes rigid like a bar line, sometimes curved and trembling like reeds or bass strings—introduce the temporal dimension into a still image. They traverse the blocks of color like a bass line traverses harmonies: discreet yet structuring. Chambers on the double bass, precisely.