a personal note 1
philosophical
... I believe that the ability for artistic decisions is not necessarily attached to specific points of reference. And then there is no reason at the same time to be accused of favouring a certain post-modern aesthetic of indifference. In this context I would like to suggest a basic idea of Zen-Buddhism, the so-called “Koan”. A “Koan” is, roughly explained, a tenet-like problem, that, because of its immanent contradictory character, is not rationally comprehensible. Only an encompassing analysis may finally lead to a kind of transcendental process that goes beyond that aforementioned contradictory element. But this is a complete individual experience which defies any kind of verbalisation. It can be compared with an artistic process of decision making, far a way from traditional or conventional dialectic methods, but also far away from post-modern tendencies of disintegration of any kind.
In my eyes, this enables a new possibility of artistic freedom of decision. It is not irresponsible, nor is it signified by a certain immanent bias. A word by Stephane Mallarmé seems to me to be quite appropriate here:
I have created my work only through elimination. And each truth that I have achieved was generated by the loss of an impression; an impression that burned itself in the very moment of its flashing. And based on the darkness that was set free by it, I was allowed to intrude deeper into the feeling of an absolute darkness. (Stephane Mallarmé, cited after Maurice Blanchot: The Singing of the Sirens, Berlin 1982, page 82, translation by D. Mack)
Also this quote – from a time that cannot at all be blamed for post-modern thinking – implies the lack of so-called archimedic points, without loosing orientation, or, with the words of Harry Lehmann, becoming addicted to a “total subjectivity”…
(Dieter Mack)
(Excerpt from an article called: The Purpose of Tolerance – Some Thoughts on Strategies of Consciousness in Connection with Contemporary Composing and Statements by Harry Lehmann, published in: KunstMusik Vol. 6, edited by Maria de Alvear & Raoul Mörchen, Köln 2006, The Original is in German language).
