In Harmony— At West End Gallery
Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos, nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply to wake up to the very life we’re living, which is so excellent once one gets one’s mind and desires out of its way and lets it act of its own accord.
― John Cage, 1957 lecture Experimental Music
Running on fumes and late as well this morning so this will be short and sweet– hopefully. You never know about such things.
I came the quote above from the late and influential avant-garde composer John Cage from a 1957 address at the national convention of the Music Teachers National Association. I liked his thought here, that we should not be so focused on finding order in the chaos that swirls around this world. The nature of this earth is just as it is and needs no improvements. What we see as a problem in nature, is our problem. We are the ones needing improvement.
In our quest to tame or alter the chaos of nature, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that the order we seek is already in place. It is the harmony that comes from our awareness of our place in this unfathomable swirl that carries us along. Straining to understand or change this keeps us from seeing the richness of our place in the swirling chaos.
Relaxing and going with the unalterable flow allows us to better see and feel the beauty and excellence of this world and our lives.
That’s it except for a piece of music from John Cage. I can’t say that I always understand all of Cage’s work. Some of it evades me completely. That is probably my own shortcoming as there have been times in the past when I listened to his music when I was still fighting against the chaos whereas his music requires you to go with the flow and find the harmony and stillness within the chaos. I thought his 1948 composition, In a Landscape, was fitting since I attempt to reveal the harmonies in the landscape. This is a lovely piece that pays homage to composer Erik Satie, best known for his Gymnopédies which I have shared here a number of times as well as using them for the inspiration for a number of early paintings. This just seems like a perfect accompaniment– quiet and meditative– for the dark, cool, and rainy May morning here in my part of the world.
I generally wouldn’t seek out John Cage’s music, but it’s rainy, dark, and cool here this morning, and this suits the conditions just fine.