METHOD NO. 33 APR 1, 2004 Email-Bulletin "METHOD" is a free monthly on Method Art, being published by Group METHOD in Japan, Nakazawa Hideki (artist) + Matsui Shigeru (poet) + Miwa Masahiro (composer). Manifestos of Methodicism: aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/method/ >>>METHODICIST'S TEXT OF THIS MONTH: Q & A on Method Poem: In the Case of Matsui Shigeru by Matsui Shigeru, poet [Q1] Although you are negative on poetry reading, you are sometimes doing it. Why? A: I have been critical to reading. The reason is that reading cannot represent the row of letters precisely. However, poetry has developed in a close relationship with voices traditionally in most cultures. The tradition still lives on in today's poetry reading. My method poem stands on logicalism that also respects tradition. In spite of my being critical to reading, I also understand I need to read in order to place myself on the tracks of the history of poetry. [Q2] You are sometimes doing performances other than reading. Why? A: I am considering how to realize the precise concept of poems. For example, one of the ways to realize my "Pure Poem" (*1) is "Pure Poem Walking" (*2). "Pure Poem" is a work made of only "I," "II" and "III" in Chinese characters or Roman numerals. Here you will see a relation that Roman numeral "III" has three Roman numeral "I." When you read it, the pronunciation of "III" sounds "three," which has no relation with "one," the pronunciation of "I." In "Pure Poem Walking," the realization is actualized by one step for "I," three steps for "III." This way keeps the relation that "three steps" means three times of "one step." "Pure Poem Walking" is useful, because it can prevent separation of letters into signifiant and signifie, which reading derives. [Q3] If your poems are not intended to be performed, I think your poems are boring, if speaking frankly. A: I agree with you in a sense of entertainment. I have never made pieces being aware of entertainment, or pleasure. The reason is that to appeal to feelings is not my purpose. I am making method poems as logic itself. Therefore, I would rather be willing to be called "boring" by those whose criticism is only based on pleasure for feelings. [Q4] I suppose there have already been many poets who used to make poems by logic. Are you different from your predecessors? A: Yes, I am different. By using logical poetics and technique, most predecessors have made pleasurable pieces that also appealed to feelings. For example, they sometimes treated the tautologicality of logic like a pun. I think such kind of pleasure may have led readers into epokhe, because it reduced the ranking of logic to a lower level. Shinohara Motoaki (*3) and Fujii Sadakazu (*4), both of whom I respect, are today's poets who use logical poetics and technique. Although very logical, their pieces have such huge pleasure that we almost forget their logicalness. Being surprised at that, I decided myself to write poems that removed pleasure as much as possible. For me, just a logical row of letters is enough to be a poem. [Q5] Who are the readers of your poems? Those beings who have no purpose to be pleased. They might not be actual humans. If this saying makes sense, I think my poems' reader should be "pure reason." (*1) www008.upp.so-net.ne.jp/methodpoem/PurePoem.html (*2) www008.upp.so-net.ne.jp/methodpoem/PurePoemwalking.html (*3) Shinohara Motoaki -- Poet, aesthetics. The originator of method poem. Supplement 1 for our "Methodicist Manifesto": "Motoaki Shinohara has been calling his own compositions method poems since about ten years ago. While respecting his activities, we use the words with a broad reinterpretation." www001.upp.so-net.ne.jp/mabusabi/ (*4) Fujii Sadakazu -- Poet, Japanese cultural scholar (ancient novels, oral literary, Okinawan culture, contemporary poetry). Famous for the study on "Genji Monogatari" and the poetics both analytic and unique. >>>METHODICIST'S WEB PIECE OF THIS MONTH: Application Software "Ogaki Jaiken Drumming" by Miwa Masahiro, composer http://www.iamas.ac.jp/~mmiwa/jaikenop.html Originally, "Jaiken-zan (operation)" was invented by Takahashi "Jai" Tetsuo for the performance, "JIYAI-Kagura," an imaginary folk entertainment in Sendai. This application software was developed for a different piece called "Ogaki Jaiken-Daiko (drumming)" based on the same rule (algorithm). In my usual way of "reverse simulation music," human players, seven high school students in this case, simulated this software in real space using seven Japanese drums at Ogaki biennale 2004. >>>METHODICIST'S GRAVURE OF THIS MONTH: Solo Show Card by Nakazawa Hideki, artist - Attached file's name: method33_nakazawa.jpg A partial close-up photograph of the card for his own solo show (see the info below). Taken by himself. >>>METHODICISTS' WORD & INFO OF THIS MONTH: Nakazawa Hideki, artist: nakazawa@aloalo.co.jp http://aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/ - Nakazawa Hideki Exhibition "Sentence" Apr 3 - 24, 2004. Gallery Cellar, Nagoya. Opening Reception: 5pm, Sat, Apr 3. The series "Sentence," made of palindromic coined words, was made while in the U.S.A. last year. The whole image of the card and the further info can be seen at the above url. - Performance & Talk (related to the above exhibition) 5:30 pm on Apr 15 at the above space. 500 yen (with 1 drink) Performance: Nakazawa Hideki's "Coined Words Reading" Lecture: Chiba Shigeo, art critic. Conversation "Place of Art": Chiba Shigeo & Nakazawa Hideki - Though my writing is delaying, "Contemporary Art History: Japan" (in Japanese and English) will soon be published. The exhibition at the MOT Annual 2004 has been done. Matsui Shigeru, poet: shigeru@td5.so-net.ne.jp http://www008.upp.so-net.ne.jp/methodpoem/ - I am a poet whose standing point is stated in my above text. I am going to appear in a reading party on May 1 and 2. Further info will be announced later. "Striped Stripe" was premiered on March 20. Tsurumi Sachiyo, a composer, and Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus realized the concept of my poems precisely! Miwa Masahiro, composer: mmiwa@iamas.ac.jp http://www.iamas.ac.jp/~mmiwa/ - "The New Era" for mixed voices (2001) was published as scheduled! - No concerts/performances this month but I will be in Linz, Austria! >>>POSTSCRIPT: - METHOD Website: http://aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/method/ - To read the back numbers, visit the above website. - To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: nakazawa@aloalo.co.jp - If you want to read in Japanese as well, let us know. - You can send on this bulletin to others freely, but corruption and appropriation are prohibited. Monthly Email-Bulletin METHOD NO. 33 English Version Published on April 1, 2004 (C) Group METHOD, 2004 (C) Nakazawa Hideki, Matsui Shigeru, Miwa Masahiro, 2004