John Cage

Cage was an American composer, philosopher, poet, music theorist, artist, and printmaker. He pioneered "chance music", electronic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments. He has been called one of the most influential American composers of the 20th century. He is best known for his 1952 composition 4'33", which was performed without a single note being played. The content of this piece was meant to be perceived as the sounds of the environment that the listeners hear while it's being performed. His work that I am particularly interested in is the work that was devoted to chance. He was given a copy of the book called, I Ching, and he used that to compose his work.

"When I hear what we call music, it seems to me that someone is talking. And talking about his feelings, or about his ideas of relationships. But when I hear traffic, the sound of traffic—here on Sixth Avenue, for instance—I don't have the feeling that anyone is talking. I have the feeling that sound is acting. And I love the activity of sound [...] I don't need sound to talk to me" (wikipedia.org).

"The highest purpose is to have no purpose at all. This puts one in accord with nature, in her manner of operation" (brainyquote.com).


I really love the philosophy of Cage's work, especially the above quote. I am trying to do the same thing with my work. All of the photographs I have been taking are completely up to chance. When I set out to shoot, all I know is the location. I have no shots in mind, I just go out, meditate, and shoot when I feel moved to. I have been reading Basic Writings by Chuang Tzu and a lot of his philosophy is just like Cage's. Tzu urges people to have no attachments, no purpose. The whole point of life is to just wander.


www.johncage.info


www.newalbion.com/artists/cagej/

epc.buffalo.edu/authors/berrigan/cage.html 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJagb7hL0E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExUosomc8Uc
<a href="http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaftbhg.html">John Cage Variations III - kewego</a>
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1326163/variations_vii_by_john_cage/


Sorry Lauren! Blogger wouldn't let me embed video clips into my blog so I had to post links.