..On the use of Chance

Each of the elements to be included as possibilities must be fully worked out before it can be added to a list from which it may or may not be selected – even those that are not selected (this being impossible to predict) must be ready to be selected – this procedure is an effective strategy to remove the focus from the finished product by making each part a finished product in its own right.

A Method

A Work on every single detail, however ‘insignificant’ until it shines even when seen alone and outside any context – at (this end of the process it is very important to be very disciplined – and it is more constructive when this is self – discipline and not imposed from the outside.

B Then place it in a list and let it go (release it) – be ready to just accept when it is selected (you already know it is ready) or equally when it is not (you already know it is ready) !!!

C Work hard to include as many possibilities as can be made ready and to make the final list as wide ranging as possible – (the list has an organic quality, it is constantly growing as the creative process is used to generate further possibilities)

Finally – fully accept what is given by the chance procedures without any editing – to try to steer chance only makes its use pointless (bearing in mind the essential premise that this too will be ‘communicated’).

(my mother always told me that I should wear clean underwear in case I had an accident – this illustrates a completely different set of values but is nonetheless useful as a metaphor for this process.)

Finally, having ensured that all the components are fully realised – then on this level at least – the essential – they are beautiful – so there is no need for further editing -just trust.

Every single one of natures basic building blocks is fully realised – combination x might produce an orchid – y a toad – z a cancerous growth – the same basic blocks being used in different combinations to make up each one – if the building blocks are perfect then ‘beautiful’ becomes a very relative term – specifically relative to the human species – it becomes a philosophical, metaphysical question. My quest is thus a philosophical, metaphysical one – Art being (a metaphor for) life – but what is really illustrated by this line of approach is this – if one takes care of the bricks then the house will take care of itself – and when this attitude is applied to every single detail without any concern whatsoever for anything else then the resulting work will have a gestalt that is clean and clear and it will shine as a beacon whatever its ‘subject’ – it will be completely open like a beautifully made bowl waiting to be filled with fruit and it is just this quality that allows it to step out of ‘ART’ and into LIFE

Now another issue altogether: There can only be one TRUTH – but unfortunately truth has many facets, each of which can be said to be “true”. In their quest for power, politics and religion manipulate this basic fact in order to control people – by spotlighting A truth – and calling this THE TRUTH – they manipulate facts and make propaganda – which tyranny is always cloaked in spirituality or necessity – thus removing responsibility from individuals and passing it on to either ‘God” who is irreproachable or State which is unapproachable – This very sophisticated but often completely transparent manipulation of truth is also used by the “Art Mafia” to control where the funds go and the value of works of art – this has now become a multi-million dollar industry.

I believe that Art can and should reflect these processes ‘metaphysically’ even “archaeologically”, without any need to make pedantic dogmatic statements and each piece of work that comes out of such a process reflects the whole of the environment in which it was made, in much the same way that every particle of a smashed holograph contains the whole image.