All,
Your earlier posts led me to reread some chapters of an anthology
on John Cage, in particular a chapter on correspondence between
Cage and Abraham Skulsky, editor of "Musical America" in April,
1951: (I will use capitals in place of italics because of html
difficulties)
"...Now, for Mr. Skulsky's information (and incidentally "Musical
America's" too), let it be said that art is not a business; IF it
is, it is 'swinishness' ( I quote Antonin Artaud) and nothing
more. ART IS A WAY OF LIFE. It is for all the world like
taking a bus, picking flowers, making love, sweeping the floor,
getting bitten by a monkey reading a book, etc. ad infinitum
(business may also provide a way of life, but in that case, it
has nothing to do with profit and loss).
The old pond,
A frong jumps in,
Plop!
(BASHO)
When life is lived, there is nothing in it but the present, the
'now-moment' (I quote Mesiter Eckhart); it is thus impossible to
speak of being ahead of one's time or of historical development.
When life is lived, each one is 'the most honored of all
creatures' (I quote the Buddha), living in 'the best of all
possible worlds' (I quote Voltaire), and when this is done there
is 'no silliness' (I quote my former wife, Xenia Cage). Art when
it is art as Satie lived it and made it is not separate from life
(nor is dishwashing when it is done in this spirit). ..."
from..
John Cage
AN ANTHOLOGY
edited by Richard Kostelanetz
Published by Da Capo Press
IsBN 0-306-80435-2
Namaste,
Patricia
