Re: [microsound] our first .microsound poll

[scott allison <lipistal3@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>-I don't understand why Cage the composer and Cage the
>  writer/philosopher can't be judged separately.

I am sure you could judge them separately, might be a good topic for a book, 
don't wait for someone else to do it. More perspectives are better than less 
perspectives.

>  When people are active both as artists and theoretical
>  writers, they quite often contradictory in their acts.

Examples?

>  Theories often sound very inspirational, but make
>  lousy art. As much as great art is often lousy theory.

True, often performances come out being lousy other times successful 
(regardless of whoever it is doing truly live electronic music, (there was a 
long thread discussing what might constitute live electronic music recently 
on this list, in Cages example I think he fits into the performance side, 
all sound making being generated in real time, and as a result sometimes a 
performance is successful, other times awful, chance has a hand in the 
matter as the composition takes place in the moment, although Cage did 
create performance strategies... of which seem to influence the work of 
people like Steve Roden for a contemporary relationship, he talks about 
using strategies in most of his work, doesn't mean his work is always good). 
Cage seemed more interested in the results of the information derived from 
chance operations (again read Tomkins), the whole idea being that you might 
discover something that you/your ego would have never made and thus 
informing new ideas/solutions. Often times this practice results in (for 
better or worse - loose connections or entropic noise, but it can also 
provide for new ideas and new relationships in meaning).

Saying Cage made lousy art is to general of a statement, (not to suggest 
that your statement is saying he made lousy art,it seems you are speaking in 
more general terms here.) (but one needs to be really specific if saying 
Cage made lousy art, he produced work in so many fields, are we referring to 
his sound work (which recording/performance in particular, and by what 
system are we using to say its lousy?), or maybe the rock paintings he did 
as artist in residence VA tech (which are considered stunning and highly 
sought after), artistic judgment can also depend on what sort of cultural 
filter we look/hear through, sure Cage would be lousy to someone expecting 
to hear electornica like Autechre (based on a cannon of beats and lush 
melodies), and look what happened to Autechre when they released Confield 
(mostly beatless noise), the AE fan base hated it, does that make them Lousy 
artists? No. Artists are allowed to make things people might not like, I 
commend that action, because that shows someone is willing to take a risk 
and do something that might not be accepted or considered popular, also 
helps to keeps life fresh.

Best
Scott Allison

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