METHOD NO. 19 (FEBRUARY 1, 2003)
Email-Bulletin "METHOD" is a free monthly on "Method Painting, Method
Poem, Method Music (Methodicist Manifesto)." Publishers are three
Japanese artists, Hideki Nakazawa, a (visual) artist, Shigeru Matsui, a
poet, and Masahiro Miwa, a composer. You can read the three manifestos
of Methodicism at http://aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/method/ If you want to
unsubscribe for this bulletin, email: nakazawa@aloalo.co.jp
This issue, METHOD NO. 19, carries a text by Shigeru Matsui and a web
piece by Masahiro Miwa, and word and info by the three Methodicists.
(We have stopped inviting guest artists since the last issue.)
>>>METHODICIST'S TEXT OF THIS MONTH:
Report on the "About Method Poem"
by Shigeru Matsui
"About Method Poem" was an event held for three days from December,
2002, to January, 2003, at Urawa Art Museum in Saitama, Japan (*1). It
had three programs which I organized: "What Is Method Poem?" for the
first day, "One Hour for Poetry by Shigeru Matsui" for the second day,
"The Recital: Method Poem and Its Surroundings" for the third day (*2).
This event was different from general poetry readings which I
think to be nothing but the chances where poets express their personal
and selfish emotion. I organized "About Method Poem" against such
selfish poets, the majority of contemporary poets. Actually, Method
Poem was launched in 1992 by Motoaki Shinohara, as a new form of verse,
different from a free form of verse and a fixed form of verse. In 2000,
I decided to use the same word with a broad reinterpretation, as a
literary wing of Method Art which professes itself reductionist art.
Both Sinohara and I, criticize today's poetry basing our opinions upon
history of literature.
On the first day, I talked on Method Poems, and read some of them.
I explained how Method Poems respected Japanese traditional poems, and
cited one of the oldest poems in Japanese literature from "Man'yoshu"
(*3) as an example, written by the Emperor Yuryaku in the fifth century.
I dared to ignore the meanings of that poem, and only aimed at the meter
made by repetitions, prefixes, and stock epithets. My intention was to
manifest the universality of Method Poems, which I consider to be the
result of having pursued such tradition. And Motoaki Shinohara, the
guest of the day, also read his poems on that day.
On the second day, I realized my piece, "Pure Poem," as a
performance, with two musicians, a music critic, a dancer, and a poet.
On the third day, I realized methodical pieces composed by poets,
musicians, and artists, with four musicians and a poet. I included in
the program the pieces by former and current members of group "Method,"
and also the pieces by former guest artists of the bulletin "Method."
Some pieces were made of signs except letters, or newly-coined words,
newly-coined letters, or, sound itself. And some pieces were of the
other genre of literature, which were also being reduced to method.
(*1) "About Method Poem" was one of events related to the exhibition,
"Melting Point: On Poetry and Sculpture." The exhibition was held from
November 19, 2002, to February 11, 2003, at Urawa Art Museum, featuring
three sets of a poet and an artist: Motoaki Shinohara + Tatsuo Kawaguchi,
Akira Tatehata + Saburo Muraoka, Gozo Yoshimasu + Isamu Wakabayashi.
(*2) http://www008.upp.so-net.ne.jp/methodpoem/info.html
(*3) "Man'yoshu" is an extant oldest Japanese anthology of poems. It
consists of 20 volumes, contains about 4,500 poems composed by emperors,
the nobility, and ordinary people.
>>>METHODICIST'S WEB PIECE OF THIS MONTH:
Muramatsu-Gear (Le Sacre du Printemps) for 22 Players
by Masahiro Miwa, composer
http://www.iamas.ac.jp/~mmiwa/MuramatsuGear.html
"Muramatsu-Gear" is the third composition from the series of "Reverse
Simulation Music." The original idea was given by Yuta Muramatsu, a
student of Hokkaido University of Education Sapporo, during his being in
my workshop for contemporary music. About the idea of the "Reverse
Simulation Music," please read my text, "Music That 'Could Have Been,'"
in Method No. 13, and also please refer to two works in the past: the
simulation software of "The MATARISAMA" in Method No. 14, and "TUDA-
SHIKI" in Method No. 15. If you start the software, "Muramatsu-Gear",
please load three sound files manually before clicking the start/stop
button.
>>>METHODICISTS' WORD & INFO OF THIS MONTH:
Hideki Nakazawa, artist:
nakazawa@aloalo.co.jp http://aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/
- Thanks to those who came and witnessed METHOD NIGHT VOL. 1 on January
24, which was the first presentation of Methodicism in the United States.
I was happy to have so many people and to have so meaningful discussion.
Thanks also to those who newly subscribed for this bulletin.
- METHOD NIGHT VOL. 2 by Hideki Nakazawa:
I will measure mass of your belongings, as my performance piece, "Mass
Measurement." After the performance, there will be an open discussion,
and then I would like to hold a small party. Bring something to drink
and any snacks you fancy if you prefer to remain through the last.
Begins at 7 pm on Friday, February 21, 2003. Admission free.
ISCP #610, 6th Floor of 323 West 39th Street, New York NY 10018
(between 8th and 9th Avenues; A, C, E to 42nd Street, exit at 40th)
t 212.947.0752 c 646.361.9130 COME AND WITNESS TODAY'S TRUE RADICALISM.
- Group exhibition "VOCA (The Vision of Contemporary Art)": from March
14 to 30, 2003, at Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo. My piece, "41193 Yen Which
Consists of 19235 Coins (Money Amount No. 24)," won the premium prize.
Shigeru Matsui, poet:
shigeru@td5.so-net.ne.jp http://www008.upp.so-net.ne.jp/methodpoem/
- Group Exhibition "POESIE VISUELLE JAPONAISE (5)":
from March 1 to 17, 2003, at Galerie Satellite, Paris.
I am now producing new works for this exhibition. The works will be
"Quantum Poems" requiring 30 days. Why don't you come to Paris in March!
- Contributed a poem to a Japanese magazine on poem, "SANZO 2."
- Contributed a poem to a music concert, "ABSOLUTE-MIX Presents PitchWeb
Vol.1, Chizuru Mitsuhashi + CATHEDORAL," produced by Tomoko Yazawa.
Begins at 7:30 pm on March 13, 2003, at KITAZAWA TOWN HALL, Tokyo.
http://www.conversation.co.jp/concert/ampw1.html
- Concert "Based on 'Pure Poem' and 'Quantum Poem'" by Shigeru Matsui:
on Saturday, March 29, 2003, at WINDS CAFE, Tokyo. Performers: Reisu
Sakai, Akito Takimoto, Shigeru Matsui. http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~mal/Cafe/
Masahiro Miwa, composer:
mmiwa@iamas.ac.jp http://www.iamas.ac.jp/~mmiwa/
- As I informed you in the last issue, two works of mine, one of which
was a collaboration work of The Formant Bros., have been played in the
recital of a trumpet player Kiyonori Sokabe on January 25 in Daikanyama,
Tokyo. This concert was very special for me, because the piece "SendMail
v3" was performed without any system crash! Until this performance,
system crash and rebooting the computer system during the performance
were parts of this piece, but these were not the intention of the
composer! And also it was the first time that I sent an e-mail to
mister president Bush in front of the audience. I wrote him: "Dear Mr.
Bush, Because I love music, I am writing this mail using my trumpet! I
am sure that you will reply to me in the same way. I know you follow
Hammurabi's code instead of Christianity, 'Eye for eye, trumpet for
trumpet'! Take care, your Japanese friend." This mail was sent but I
didn't hear from him until today.
As for "SendMail v3," please read my text and see my work appeared in
the back number, "Method No. 16."
- In February there is no schedule for publication. I will prepare
intensively an orchestral piece (in June in Cairo), an ensemble piece
for robots (in March in Kobe) and an extended version of the "Muramatsu-
Gear" for performances (in March in Hiroshima and Kyoto).
Group "METHOD":
http://aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/method/
- Volunteer assistants wanted to help our activities.
>>>POSTSCRIPT:
The next issue, NO. 20, will be published on March 1, carrying a text
by Masahiro Miwa and a web piece by Hideki Nakazawa. There are two
versions of this bulletin; one is only in English which you are reading
right now, the other is accompanied by Japanese translation which we can
send you at your request. To read the back numbers, visit the above URL
of "METHOD." To subscribe or unsubscribe for this bulletin, email any
of us at the above email addresses. You can send on this bulletin
to others freely, but corruption and appropriation are prohibited.
Monthly Email-Bulletin METHOD NO. 19 published on February 1, 2003
(C) Hideki Nakazawa, Shigeru Matsui, Masahiro Miwa, 2003