Reading Blog #2: John Cage

This article discussed John Cage’s life, his work, and different opinions of his work. John Cage was the Duchamp of music. Duchamp made everyone question what could and couldn’t be art with his work; “The Fountain.”

Many people had an opinion on this, many of which were negative. In my opinion, the importance isn’t so much in the work “The Fountain” itself, but in the commotion it caused and the deeper thought it provoked in viewers.

The article says that Cage “raised the question by implication that maybe music could be an art form rather than a music form.” This explains his success succinctly but perfectly. Cage pushed the world and the limits of what music could be. Like Duchamp, he caused the world to question what music is. This infuriated many people, many still today. I think that criticisms of Cage and Duchamp for lacking substance are reasonable. Yet, it is this lack of substance that makes their work “art,” raises questions, and changed history.

We are indebted to both artists for the freedom we have today to explore and push boundaries. In a way, these artists took the heat on behalf of future musicians and artists by pushing the limits as far as possible. For example, Jackson Pollock is criticized for his work. He is seen by some as a lazy or unsubstantial artist who lacks skill and training in a traditional sense. Pollock would not be able to thrive today without Duchamp!

It was interesting to learn a little more about Cage’s life as well. The article mentioned that he responded to being asked about being a professor at Harvard by saying that it’s like not being a professor at Harvard. It seems as though his compelling, curious nature carried over into his personal life as well.