Feldman

Hello Christopher!

I know we have pretty much moved on from this . But the whole
situation is indicative to much how we view our artist. Artists exist in two
and only two categories. either geniuses or not really worth talking about,
much. When we as a society place artist in the first category, soon
afterwards there are those "attacks" on clay feet, as if to prove what an
AH someone is or how evil he/she was, pedophile, gambler etc. etc.
I remember when Feldman was more in the second category and how as soon as
he died he can do no wrong. I guess this always happen to a certain degree.

Sometimes the persons personality can get in the way. I am sure we all know
very talented people who drove any success away from themselves. I am sure
none of us really would have like Van Gogh as a person and wouldn't have
lasted an evening in his presence.

I think it would be much healthier if work was excepted for what it is.
I have heard as many great unknowns as i have knowns and so much work that
is out there is not done by those who we elevate to Goddess)head (only in
order to tear them down), whose work is not so supernatural as
supra-natural-as an activity . And this supra-natural activity should be
recognized for what it is worth.

I would much rather just be able to enjoy Feldman for what he does that
have to decide if he is really a music god or not. Do i have to worship
every note of dismiss it all as falling short of Debussy? This seems to be
the position we are forced into.

Still at some point it does become necessary to recognize those who do what
others cannot as there are those who do exceed beyond the rest. To place
them in the context of all those who come close, hit or miss, etc. would
really give them the recognition they deserve and maybe take it away from
those others who don't really cut the cake.

More would be gained by having a society where we could take in more art on
a more daily basis instead of those excursions to the museums. Instead of
mass produced paintings on restaurant walls, works by local artist (this is
quite common in Europe) and for us, instead of Muzak in public spaces, work
by composers/sound artist creating environmental sound.
One such thing i can imagine is common practice chord progression done in
JI, and in reverse and modulating so that they constantly raise in pitch
over periods of time until you get back to someplace where you can loop it.
Of course it would be interesting to observe whether such rising was
pleasing or not or if it made the environmental sounds around it appear to
descend because of some weird figure/ground relationship. Maybe it is better
to descend subliminally and cause the environment to raise or give the
effect that after a piece, the sound has "ascended" in pitch. We could call
this -For Paul Erlich.
We have segregated art away from us.

Christopher Bailey wrote:

> This is pretty harsh:
>
> Encounters with Morton Feldman
>
> by Elliott Sharp
>

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

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