Re: conceptual art and improvisation/Abstract vs. concrete

["Emile Tobenfeld (a.k.a Dr. T)" <emile@foryourhead.com>]

At 6:06 PM +0200 9/23/01, luca wrote:
>Matthias wrote:
>>  There is a big gap though, between "anything is ok" and "this just came
>out"
>this is the real problem in improvisation; something which involves taste,
>sense of measure, and to understand the border between the things that are
>having sense for the people who is playing and the ones that can have
>something to say to the ones who listen.
>Sometimes (mostly in its early days) improvisation followed the idea of 
>the
>"perfoming art", very near to the visual/concrete installations.
>This was having a strong cultural sense in the sixties.
>I just visited the Venice's Biennale of contemporary art and I have been
>discussing with my girlfriend (who is a sculptist and more) about the
>sense/use of conceptual arts in our days.
>So many installations did really not come out; just the clear sense of the
>urgence of "making something new" and (sometimes) a few words that were
>trying to give the installation a conceptual reason.

Yes, there are too many pieces which give you the feeling that once 
you have read the notes or description of the piece, you don't really 
need to see the piece.  For me, at least (both in music and in visual 
arts), its not about the concept, its about whether something 
evocative and mind-opening has been done with the concept.

>We agreed that the ones that were emotionally powerful were the ones that
>didn't need anyone read the conceptual notes behind them.
>The concept came out very clear from themself.
>I love abstract art ( I think the way I play is abstract) and I agree with
>Kandisky when he said that the figurative art expresses the image of
>something real on which your memory can apply your remembers and
>past/dreamed emotions; he described abstraction in art saying that it goes
>deeper, forcing people to explore their inside with great humilty while
>facing a representation that has no objective sense.

I would argue that this kind of depth can be achieved using 
real-world materials, if the artists mind and craft are able to 
create layers of abstraction beyond the real-world source. (c.f.the 
photography of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston).

>luca


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                Emile Tobenfeld, Ph. D.
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