Maguire Art Museum Teaching Gallery: Jazz Player

Maguire Art Museum Teaching Gallery

Create blue and blues

Can you hear it?
In the blues,
there’s a vibration
melting to goop
right on the edge
of a saxophone.
If I played it
next to your ear,
would you listen?
Like, really listen?
With all your heart?
So much that reality
melts to an abstract
version of nights
we met at the bar.
Tell me two things:
Who do you pray to?
And when do you finally
believe that god is on your side?—
When you’ve fallen in love?
Well, that must be
the only explanation.
At least I think so.
 
- Leslie Quan

1) What drew you to the artwork you choose to respond to?

I chose Andrew Turner’s the Jazz Player because I was drawn to the abstract nature of the piece. At first glance, I only saw a blend of blues and grays which I thought symbolized an emotional interpretation of jazz. However, after taking a step back from the piece, I finally saw the jazz player. I feel as though music has that type of effect, too. It’s like when you listen to a song that you haven’t heard in a while and a memory comes flooding back, whereas the first time you heard the song you were probably focused on the lyrics and melody.

2) What is the aim of your own response?

I find that music resonates the most when I’m in love. My poem, Create blue and blues, encapsulates that mess of emotions when you’ve fallen in love. It often feels abstract and distant but also warm and comforting. From Turner’s piece, I wanted to set the scene for who the jazz player is playing for. More specifically, I wanted to show how music unites people in the most powerful way possible: love.

3) How long have you been at your creative craft (writing, photography, painting, acting, etc.)?

I started seriously writing poetry in June 2022 while I was studying abroad in South Africa. Even though I took thousands of photos in order to save those memories, I also felt a strong desire to capture and document the way each experience in South Africa made me feel. 

4) What role does that craft play in your life?

Poetry helps me process difficult emotions and experiences. I post most of my poems on my Instagram account (@lesliequanpoetry). When I write and share my work, it helps me reflect on myself and where I’m at in my life. Being in my early 20s has been an absolute rollercoaster so it’s been quite interesting to see the dynamic of each poem and how my writing has changed within the past year. 

5) What does it mean for you to be a part of a community? 

Being a part of a community means everything to me. It’s important for our well-being and it nourishes our soul in ways nothing else could. Community helps people feel validated, supported and encouraged to seek out positive experiences. Life is not easy. However, community serves to bring people together in order to uplift one another—that is the core of our human experience.