Figure 1: Roaring Tiger Anonymous
Figure 2: Cat lino-cut by Ben Lau 2006
From: “Knox” ***
To: “Ben Lau”
Subject: Re: Comparing two cat drawings
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:59:03 -0400
master ben—————at
point!
luvya! knox
April 09, 2007 4:14 AM
Subject: Comparing two cat drawings
*** refer to www.knoxmartin.com
Teacher: In the first cat drawing, entitled Roaring
Tiger, the animal may appear ferocious, popular, and
familiar, but it is just an illustration.
> M. O’Keef ego: I don’t think so! I am the
> President of a major art school, I will decide what is
> good drawing!
> Teacher: In the second cat drawing, entitled Cat, the
> animal may not seem to be well- drawn at first glance
> but it has definitely been created out of the
> necessity of a 2 dimensional space–in compliance with
> the Tao of Supreme Mathematical Relationship. It is
> the laws from the Tao that sustain the structure of
our universe.
> Ann K ego: I hate that structural stuff! That is an evil thing to say!
> Evil and patriarchal! We have fought hard for our
> freedom and diversity! We do not need compliance–we
> need errancy these days and Age. Enough already!
> M. O’Keef ego: Define the Tao!
> Emeritus Professor ego: Yes, you hear what he says:
> define what you mean! you cannot just throw something
> at us without a definition!
> J. Blocker ego (J. Blocker is a fictitious character
> teaching Art History at a university): I know
> this so-called teacher–he never defined anything. I
> hardly knew what he talked about half the time,
> even with my superior intelligence. He is utterly confused!
Teacher: Unfortunately,the Tao has no definition! The
Tao looks ridiculous to the blind but quite
fabulous to one who sees it!
>
> J. Blocker ego: I think the Roaring Tiger takes on an
> outstanding personality. Its narrative is so much
> richer. To me, his roar connotes prowess and fright.
> Teacher: The roar, the roar! Pay attention! There is no roar!
It is all in your imagination! It is the
> actuality that counts.
> J. Blocker ego: Pray what is this actuality? Is it an
> actuality understood only by you? As I see it, I am
> looking at a fearsome tiger and the actuality that
> affects me is that I have reacted with fear.
Teacher: This “actuality” is also called “reality.”
The reality in front of the artist, before he laid down
his metaphor for the Cat, is a blank sheet! It is a flat space.
In dealing with this reality, the artist must design his
metaphor–or formulate a viable composition within
such a space. It is true that one of the front paws
of the cat appears to be totally out of proportion to the body.
That does not really matter. The artist is not required to
re-create a cat that looks exactly like
that animal in real life. Far from it– he is charged
with making a metaphor for a cat–so the eyes may feast
on it and are delighted by a metaphor of the Cat. There is no
need for the artist to give an anatomically correct description of his
subject. The timeless beauty of his metaphor in compliance with the
Tao of Supreme Mathematical Relationships is what sublimates the work.
The Roaring Cat has failed to exist in such a
composition. Its illustrator has only tried to imitate a
roaring cat in his imagination.His description of a tiger may be anatomically
correct but his lines are random, arbitrary, and redundant. The form of
the animal is tacky and repetitive! It has no life to its credit. On the other
hand, the Cat is all calligraphic energy, poetic form, as well as
musical composition! It is the realization of beauty on a flat space
through the genius of an Alpha Seer. It does not connote
anything. Its timeless existence as great art has been validated by the
fact that the drawing has a life of its own.
> M. O’Keef ego: I do not understand it, neither
> will the public! If your view prevails, the art school
> will go out of business in a week or two.
Teacher: Miquel is right. Mediocrity is like a weed
that grows fast–at the speed of light! Now it will
grow at the expense of light, too!
>
> Emeritus Professor ego: So you agree that we are
> right! Aha, you are wrong–by your own admission!
> J. Blocker ego: We shall have to re-write Art history
> if your views are right!
> Ann K ego: yeah, mind you! the artist lives outside of
> history,too!
Teacher: I have heard those arguments before.What you
people champion may sound heroic, moralistic or sociologically
useful, but you simply cannot do everything in the name of art!
That is called cultural abuse!
Art is so specific and spiritual that without
enlightenment one simply fails to recognize it– as though
one were completely blind to it!