Nanopublication — Reflexions Series — Geometric Abstraction as Intervallic Isolation

Context

Within the broader Synesthetic [4] Explorations collection, the Reflexions series adopts geometric abstraction as its formal vocabulary. This choice is methodologically deliberate rather than merely stylistic. Geometric forms with discrete boundaries allow each octave register to exist as a distinct visual entity—a separate plane of color with defined edges—rather than merging into continuous gradients.

This discretization mirrors how octaves function in musical perception: while frequency is continuous, octave equivalence creates perceptual categories. A C in one octave is heard as fundamentally "the same" as C in another octave, yet distinctly located in pitch space. The geometric planes in Reflexions paintings honor this categorical perception—each colored shape is complete in itself while belonging to the same hue family as its octave relatives.

The approach aligns with Concrete [5] Art [6] principles: systematic, rule-based abstraction where visual elements derive from structural logic rather than representation or expression. It also resonates with Synchromism's historical project of creating visual music, though grounded in empirical chromesthetic research rather than theoretical speculation. The hard-edge treatment prevents atmospheric blending that would obscure the categorical relationships being visualized.

"C Octaves - Reflexions 23" exemplifies this approach: distinct geometric shapes in various red-spectrum values, each clearly bounded, collectively articulating the octave span of C through spatial arrangement and value differentiation.