A K :
Knox--why do you simply copy my message to you and Ben? Have you no
response? I've requested to be removed from Ben's list, by the way.
Mathematics is part of the story of esthetics, but as the esthetic
is
the
line of communication between our minds and the physical world, it
participates in all of the forces that inflect that line.
To that purpose, errancy, the pull and push of information and
entropy,
or
what could be called life and death, is part of art and artworks
that
are
worth looking at. Resolution, if not marred by errancy, or by
multiple
intent, or by teleology--that is, by something possessing motion
or the
desire to be other--is deathly.
Your rather odd rankings of artists would leave out the greatest
masters
of
all--you disdain Caravaggio? Do you also disdain the masters of
the
Southern
Sung School? Their sensibilities were similar--in relation to
power,
part
and parcel of it, like Caravaggio at a certain time in his life,
they
turned
their faces away, in the direction of errancy, because that was
where
life
lay in their times.
Both you guys would benefit from an enlargement of your context.
Anyone
can
be a genius in a small enough room.
AK
Izzy (to her Dad Ben Lau):
Dad:
It's my observations
of how you communicate
in general. I KNOW you support everyone around you,
and that you're a
generous man. I agree that if people don't listen to
you, they can choose to
leave. However, you can't keep pushing people to
their limits because *people
have limits*. Even if they are your true friends,
pretty soon they will be
turned off NOT by what you're saying but the way you
say it. Do you
understand me? I'm saying, you are a great man; you
are a genius at art, you
are a generous man, you can see things that people
cannot, and your English
is superb. BUT, you are not communicating
effectively because people are
putting up defenses and eventually it does not
matter what you're saying...
they won't get anything from what you say because
they are defensive about
how you're delivering it. This is how people behave.
You WANT to get your
message out to general population, right? Well, you
have to cater your
speech to fit them so that they can have a chance to
listen. Not everyone
knows how to lower their defenses and leave their
egos behind.
I understand what you're doing, and if you choose to
continue delivering
your message in the same way, I don't mind because I
know that what you have
to say is important and true, and at the very least,
I'll be the one who
will always listen and embrace your words. However,
this is advice for you
in order to have more willing listeners to what you
have to say.
I'm getting very busy at school now, and I have a
lot to do, so this is
where I'll end it. Anyway, good luck, good health,
good fortune and take
care of yourself. Eat healthily, be thoughtful with
helping out around the
house, take care of mom, be aware of what you're
doing and especially, don't
idle with Go.
BEN LAU:
Earlier I said I am running an art class on this
broadcast, which is also a grade school. I reiterated
a few rules in grade school teaching. The most
important one being: when a student is not listening,
he/she will be sent home.
Immediately, I ran into difficulty. Two voices from
out of my strongest conscience: my wife and daughter
protested. They think we are all friends here and I
should treat friends with respect and equality. For
this reson, I am obliged to explain the comment I made
earlier.
If my most beloved ones have raised the question, I am
sure there are be even deeper misunderstandings out
there.
It is true! I will boot any student who refuses to
listen to the teacher. I am the full time teacher as
well as the headmaster. The great master Knox Martin
and Master Olivia occasionally point out a thing or
two for us, especially if I am wrong. We are able to
point things out to the students as a result of our
own enlightenment in art when we ourselves were art
students. We must all learn art from the past artistic
geniuses. Even the great Knox Martin is a student today! He is
still learning. In Art, you cannot stop learning new
things everyday.
Contrary to the thinking of an earlier attendee, Ben
Lau is NOT trying to avoid contradictions!
Look at the grade school education. Where do you see a
sign that reads: Kids: if you are not listening,you
are free to go to sleep?
No, the teacher will immediately arrange for the
parent to come and pick him/her up! I am not sure if
Bloomington District also has that rule. (I can see
Janet is laughing.)
Jesus said, if you are too smart, you cannot see the
kingdom of God. seeing the kingdom of god is really my
metaphor for reaching enlightenment in art.
Likewise, too much learnedness may hinder you here in
this classroom. so throughout the New Testament, you
see the young Jesus debating the old scholars in the
synagogue, you hear him preach against having too much
doubt or encourage the virtue of meekness. You hear
him explain why being too learned can become one of
the deadly sins, like eating far too much or having
sex with anyone 24/7 (No wonder the Muslims were
offended at us.)
As a consequence, if you are a Ph. D or a Master of
anything, you would have more difficulties than an
ordinary person in reaching enlightenment in art.
When Leander Hughes and I first met. I told him: If
you want to learn anything about art, use me as your
mentor. Anything other than that, I am afraid I cannot
help you since I am not familiar with those things.
Leander was a teenager at that time. He was
vulnerable. But precisely, that clearly worked to his
advantage!
Don't forget, I still have him on my FRIENDS list. If
he did not want to listen, he could have left me long
ago and there was nothing I could do to stop him. And
believe me, he is one of the most brilliant men I have
met in recent years. He is not under my spell or
anything!
Folks: studying art with me is like trying to see the
kingdom of God. You simply cannot be too smart!
Be vulnerable like when Mr. Leander Hughes was a
teenager!
I hope I have made myself very clear on this point!
Why this booting? It has to do with capacity. Time-wise
as well as space-wise.
Let us do this little reasoning: for a person who
champions "no ego" in learning about art, how egoistic
can he be? For a person who has two strong conscience
at home, how likely can he be the next Rasputin? It is
impossible even if he has wanted to be!
This grade school is free for everyone. But there are
rules. Remember those rules, folks. Even the great
master Knox Martin could face the danger of getting
booted if he makes a scene or gets drunk while
teaching.