9 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: John Cage 4’33
Nah, I disagree here. Cage had a clear intent with 4’33” that isn’t there with the banana.
Yes, I know the artist said the intent is that anything can be art, but there’s an infinite number of ways to do that that are far more interesting than a banana taped to a wall. What’s telling is that the artist didn’t have a reason for WHY the banana could be art. THAT would’ve been potentially interesting. But literally taking a banana to a wall and mumbling something about the commodification of art is the pinnacle of pretentiousness.
On the other hand, there is purpose behind 4’33”. As the poster above you noted, a large part of it was mocking the pretentiousness of the classic music scene, where there was an overwhelming sentiment that orchestral music was proper music and better than more colloquial music. Which is obviously ridiculous, there is nothing inherently better about prchestral music played in a theater vs a modern concert with tons of ambient noise vs a guy in the local pub singing while strumming on a guitar. So one part of the piece is having the audience recognize there is always other noise, environmental sound, ambience, and it doesn’t take away from the music. Theres no single proper way to experience music.
It’s also a study in musical negative space, or rather, trying to have the audience actually pay attention to their surroundings. Unlike the banana, which doesn’t try and do anything, 4’33” would’ve been played at an actual concert venue. You would gone and sat in an auditorium, expecting to hear classical music. And a performer would’ve come out, sat down at the piano, and then done nothing for the duration. The idea is that you are in this formal listening space, but what you are actually listening to is the “music” of the environment. You’re sitting in this space with the intent of giving your entire attention to the stage, and now you’re forced to contend with silence while also contending with the ettique of the music hall/theater, which is that it wouldn’t be appropriate to start talking to your neighbor or getting up and moving around like you might at a pub if someone starting playing a song you didn’t care for. So you sit and you listen. You listen to the sounds that are always around you all the time.
So yeah. It’s fine if you don’t like it, or the idea of it. No sane person is loading up 4’33” on their phone to jam too while sitting at home.
But it does absolutely have specific intent and purpose, moreso than the banana.
Comment by Sabbatai at 02/02/2025 at 16:22 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Could the lack of purpose, or intent... even perhaps the pretentiousness of a work of art, not be the very qualities which make it art?
Life is full of meaningless, pointless, and worthless things. Art, at its core is a reflection of human experience.