MUSIC 256A
Mollie Redman
On page 159, there is a paragraph about superfluity and freedom. I read this passage over ten times trying to understand each nuance. I was simultaneously listening to this pretty trippy album, “Jaago” by Lifafa, while reading it, making it quite the metaphysical experience. My eyes would be hit with an absolute truth about art, and then directly after, my ears would feel the magical tickle of an unfamiliar sound.
“Yet therein lies an aspect of beauty and freedom, for not being bound to an external purpose is precisely the necessary condition of being free…”
When we say that art serves no purpose, we mean that it serves no external purpose in this world. This does not mean that art serves NO purpose whatsoever. Rather it means that art serves an internal purpose. By creating art, it satisfies the artist’s inner purpose. And when enjoying the experience of viewing art, it satisfies the inner purpose of the viewer.
“...It is an auto-recursive strange design loop of doing something for its own sake, where the pursuit itself is its reward.”
We are free when we follow our inner purpose. No one else can know our inner purpose except ourselves. It is untouchable (by others) and exists for the entire course of our lives. I typically feel my inner purpose when I am wandering in a city by myself with no agenda. My senses are heightened because I am alone, making me take notice of my surroundings. Cities are an exciting place to be immersed within since there are so many sights and smells to take in (good and bad)! With my senses engaged, I do not need to think about where I am headed next, my legs simply take me there. In these moments I feel like a child on a playground. I explore when I am curious, I take breaks when I need rest, and I eat when I am hungry. Perhaps others get this feeling when they are on a hike, but for me that is not relatable.
“...Indeed art may be sold–thereby gaining a “use”–but that has nothing to do with the essence of the art itself.”
Can you sell my memory of walking down the street at 1 am following a man with red glittery paint on all the parts of his body extending beyond his unexpectedly normal looking clothes? Obviously not…but it would be cool if you could. Oh boy, by me saying ‘it would be cool if you could’ worries me. I feel like we are heading more and more into a world where every aspect of life can be bought and sold. Social media has created this job title called influencer. It started in a place where people were following their inner purpose and sharing their hobbies with the world. However, it has turned into a profession of performative living. I think money and art have a toxic relationship in that whenever money is introduced it has the natural tendency to corrupt art. When art is sold, suddenly the artist places an arbitrary value to their work (it is no longer an end in itself). Additionally, when art is bought, the buyer decides how much money the experience of viewing it is worth (which can be limiting when the buyer does not have $$$$ and cannot purchase a Picasso for their living room). I think this leads me to my realization that art is not a noun. Art is a verb. And verbs cannot be owned. They can only be experienced. Our inner purpose is something that can also only be experienced. And we experience it by living.