ALFREDO OLIVA

RESULTA CURIOSO EL ANHELO DE NUESTROS SENTIDOS POR ENCONTRAR ELEMENTOS PERCEPTIVOS EN LOS QUE ANCLARSE, COMO SI LA AUSENCIA DE SEÑALES VISUALES O SONIDOS DISTINGUIBLES NOS ABOCASE AL VACÍO EXISTENCIAL. CUANDO NOS ENFRENTAMOS A UN MUNDO VISUAL HOMOGÉNEO SIN NINGÚN TIPO DE REFERENCIA, POR EJEMPLO INMERSOS EN UNA DENSA NIEBLA, NOS SENTIMOS TAN PERDIDOS Y DESORIENTADOS QUE NUESTRO CEREBRO COMIENZA A FABRICAR ALUCINACIONES EN UN INTENTO DE PROPORCIONARNOS AQUELLO QUE LA REALIDAD NOS NIEGA.
NUESTRA MIRADA TRABAJA CONTINUAMENTE POR SEPARAR LA FIGURA DEL FONDO CENTRANDO NUESTRA ATENCIÓN EN AQUELLAS CONFIGURACIONES PERCEPTIVAS QUE NOS RESULTAN MÁS INTERESANTES. LA FIGURA SE ACERCA A NOSOTROS, INCLUSO CUANDO SE HAYA EN EL MISMO PLANO QUE EL FONDO. NOS SEDUCE, NOS ATRAPA SIN QUE PODAMOS APARTAR LA VISTA DE ELLA. UNA VEZ QUE HA SIDO ESCRUTADA CON DETALLE TAL VEZ EL FONDO INTERPELE NUESTRA ATENCIÓN Y AHORA LLEGUE SU TURNO, PERO EL SUYO SERÁ UN PAPEL SECUNDARIO. ES CIERTO QUE EN ALGUNAS OCASIONES EL FONDO PUEDE RESULTAR TAN INTERESANTE COMO LA FIGURA, PERO INCLUSO EN ESAS OCASIONES NUESTRO CEREBRO NO PODRÁ PERCIBIRLOS SIMULTÁNEAMENTE, Y NUESTRA MIRADA TENDRÁ QUE HACER UN ESFUERZO PARA VERLOS SECUENCIALMENTE, PASANDO DEL FONDO A LA FIGURA Y DE LA FIGURA AL FONDO, COMO EN EL CASO DE ESAS FIGURAS AMBIGUAS DISEÑADAS POR ESCHER PARA CONFUNDIR AL CEREBRO DEL OBSERVADOR O DEL VASO DE RUBIN.
EN EL MUNDO DE DIVERSIDAD QUE HABITAMOS CADA UNO ES LIBRE DE SELECCIONAR AQUELLOS ELEMENTOS DE SU ENTORNO QUE ATRAIGAN SU ATENCIÓN COMO FIGURAS, QUE SERÁN AQUELLOS QUE LE PROVOQUEN LA REACCIÓN EMOCIONAL MÁS INTENSA. UNOS SE SENTIRÁN MÁS ATRAÍDOS POR ESE PEQUEÑO DETALLE LLENO DE COLOR, OTROS POR LA SILUETA DE ESE GRUPO DE PERSONAS A CONTRALUZ O POR LA CONFIGURACIÓN GEOMÉTRICA QUE DIBUJAN UNA HILERA DE FAROLAS Y SUS SOMBRAS. NO OBSTANTE, Y A PESAR DE ESAS DIFERENCIAS INDIVIDUALES, HAY FACTORES QUE INFLUYEN EN QUE ALGUNOS ELEMENTOS RESALTEN COMO FIGURA POR ENCIMA DE LO QUE LES RODEA, COMO EL HECHO DE TENER UN CONTORNO DEFINIDO, ALGO DE LO QUE SUELE CARECER EL FONDO, EL OCUPAR UN ESPACIO MENOR O TENER MAYOR NITIDEZ.
CUANDO EL FOTÓGRAFO CAPTURA UNA IMAGEN LO HACE GUIADO POR LO QUE SU CEREBRO HA CAPTADO PREVIAMENTE, Y SI QUIERE QUE QUIENES OBSERVEN DESPUÉS SU FOTO SE SIENTAN IGUALMENTE ATRAÍDOS POR ESA CONFIGURACIÓN DE FIGURA Y FONDO, Y VEAN O SIENTAN LO MISMO QUE ÉL, PODRÁ SERVIRSE DE ALGUNOS TRUCOS PARA TRANSMITIR SU IDEA:
1. UTILIZAR EL ÁNGULO O PUNTO DE VISTA DE LA CÁMARA QUE MUESTRE DE FORMA MÁS CLARA LA INFORMACIÓN DESEADA SOBRE EL ELEMENTO O SUJETO PRINCIPAL Y MINIMICE LA IMPORTANCIA DEL FONDO.
2. EMPLEAR LA ILUMINACIÓN DE FORMA QUE HAYA MÁS DETALLE, FORMA Y TEXTURA EN LA FIGURA, Y QUE AUMENTE LA SEPARACIÓN TONAL ENTRE ELLA Y EL FONDO.
3. UTILIZAR UNA PROFUNDIDAD DE CAMPO Y LA DISTANCIA FOCAL QUE NOS MUESTRE MÁS NÍTIDAMENTE AL SUJETO PRINCIPAL, Y DESENFOQUE EL FONDO.
4. PROCESAR LA IMAGEN JUGANDO CON EL CONTRASTE GLOBAL, Y CON LA SOBREEXPOSICIÓN Y SUBEXPOSICIÓN DE ZONAS PARA RESALTAR EL PROTAGONISMO DEL ELEMENTO DESEADO. UNO DE LOS ERRORES MÁS COMUNES DE QUIENES COMIENZAN A PROCESAR SUS IMÁGENES CON PHOTOSHOP O PROGRAMAS SIMILARES ES EL DE, AL TRABAJAR POR ZONAS, TRATAR DE DAR LA MAYOR LUZ Y SACAR LA MAYOR INFORMACIÓN POSIBLE DE TODAS LAS ÁREAS DE LA IMAGEN, SIN TENER UN PLAN DE ANTEMANO ACERCA DE HACIA DÓNDE QUIEREN DIRIGIR LA ATENCIÓN DEL OBSERVADOR.
A PESAR DE LA IMPORTANCIA DE LA FIGURA Y DE SU INDUDABLE PAPEL ESTELAR, NO DEBEMOS INFRAVALORAR LA IMPORTANCIA DEL FONDO, O DE LO QUE EN FOTOGRAFÍA SE SUELE DENOMINAR ESPACIO NEGATIVO. Y ES QUE AMBOS SON INTERDEPENDIENTES, NO PODRÍAN EXISTIR EL UNO SIN EL OTRO, INCLUSO EN ALGUNAS OCASIONES ESTE ESPACIO NEGATIVO LLEGA A CONVERTIRSE EN UN PROTAGONISTA PRINCIPAL DE LA FOTO, POR LO QUE TAMBIÉN ES IMPORTANTE QUE EL FOTÓGRAFO SEPA CÓMO SERVIRSE DE ÉL PARA AUMENTAR EL IMPACTO DE SUS IMÁGENES. ALGUNAS IDEAS AL RESPECTO:
1. DISTRIBUIR EL ESPACIO. CUANDO CENTRAMOS DEMASIADO AL SUJETO EL ESPACIO NEGATIVO O FONDO TIENDE A QUEDAR NEUTRALIZADO, CREANDO UNA IMAGEN ESTÁTICA Y FORMAL. PUEDE RESULTAR MÁS INTERESANTE DESCENTRARLO, PARA ASÍ ACTIVAR ESE ESPACIO NEGATIVO Y CREAR CIERTA TENSIÓN ENTRE FONDO Y FIGURA. O NO, SI NO DESEAMOS ESA TENSIÓN.
2. ESA TENSIÓN TAMBIÉN PUEDE INCREMENTARSE CUANDO DAMOS FORMA A ESE ESPACIO NEGATIVO, COMO AL ENCUADRARLO DENTRO DE UNA PUERTA O VENTANA EN PRIMER PLANO. EN ESOS CASOS EL ESPACIO NEGATIVO PUEDE TENER UN CONTORNO QUE HAGA ECO O COMPITA CON EL DE LA FIGURA, Y EL OJO SE DESPLACE ALTERNATIVAMENTE DE FONDO A FIGURA, CREANDO UNA SENSACIÓN DE TENSIÓN Y MOVIMIENTO.
3. JUGANDO CON SU TAMAÑO. AQUÍ ES DIFÍCIL DAR REGLAS GENERALES, YA QUE DEPENDERÁ DE LO QUE PRETENDAMOS CON NUESTRA IMAGEN. ALGUNOS FOTÓGRAFOS GUSTAN DE CREAR UN EQUILIBRIO ARMÓNICO ENTRE EL ESPACIO POSITIVO Y EL NEGATIVO, PUESTO QUE SI DEMASIADO ESPACIO NEGATIVO PUEDE HACER QUE EL SUJETO PAREZCA PERDIDO O INSIGNIFICANTE, LO CONTRARIO PODRÍA IMPEDIR QUE RESPIRASE POR ENCONTRARSE EN UN ENCUADRE MUY CERRADO QUE RESULTASE AGOBIANTE. NO OBSTANTE, ESTE EQUILIBRIO NO SIEMPRE SERÁ NECESARIO O DESEABLE, Y EN ALGUNAS OCASIONES PUEDE SER INTERESANTE INCLINAR LA BALANZA DEL LADO DEL ESPACIO NEGATIVO PARA MOSTRAR UNA FIGURA EMPEQUEÑECIDA O RIDÍCULA.
4. PROPORCIONANDO UNA DIRECCIÓN A LA MIRADA Y UNA SENSACIÓN DE MOVIMIENTO QUE PUEDE COMPLEMENTAR O CONTRASTAR CON LA DIRECCIÓN DEL MOVIMIENTO DE SUJETO. CUANDO EL ESPACIO NEGATIVO O FONDO SE SITÚA POR ABAJO DEL SUJETO CREA UN MOVIMIENTO VERTICAL ASCENDENTE Y UNA SENSACIÓN DE OPTIMISMO, LA CONTRARIO DE LO QUE SUCEDE CUANDO EL ESPACIO ESTÁ EN LA PARTE SUPERIOR DE LA IMAGEN. SI HAY MÁS FONDO A LA DERECHA DE LA FIGURA ESTA SE DESPLAZARÁ HACIA LA IZQUIERDA, Y HACIA A DERECHA SI EL FONDO SE SITÚA A SU IZQUIERDA.
5. GENERANDO UNA REACCIÓN EMOCIONAL. POR LO GENERAL, CUANDO EL ESPACIO NEGATIVO ES ABUNDANTE EL OBSERVADOR PUEDE EXPERIMENTAR SENTIMIENTOS DE SOLEDAD, AUSENCIA, LIMPIEZA, PUREZA, CALMA O SIMPLICIDAD.

Alfredo Oliva: fotógrafo, psicólogo y profesor en psicología
Escrito obtenido en facebook, publicado además en el blog del autor

►

1. AN ARTIST WHO BUCKED THE STATUS QUO, DIES AT 75

DENISE GRADY

“THE CAUSE WAS CANCER, SAID HIS ASSISTANT, ALOIS HÖRTL. MR. PICHLER WAS A SCULPTOR AND ILLUSTRATOR WHOSE WORKS INCLUDED A WHITE, TORPEDO-SHAPED HELMET WITH A TELEVISION INSIDE IT (PORTABLE LIVING ROOM), A RUSTY BED FRAME SUPPORTING A HUMANOID FORM DIVIDED BY SHEETS OF JAGGED GLASS, AND NUMEROUS DRAWINGS AND MODELS OF FANTASTICAL STRUCTURES, AMONG THEM FLOATING CITIES AND UNDERGROUND BUILDINGS. HIS ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS WERE NOT JUST PLANS; THEY WERE ALSO WORKS OF ART IN AND OF THEMSELVES. OTHER IMAGES —DREAM DRAWINGS, AS HE CALLED THEM— WERE DARK AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY LOADED. HIS FIGURES WERE OFTEN SKELETAL OR ROBOTIC. IN THE EARLY 1960S HE WAS ONE OF A SMALL GROUP OF AUSTRIAN ARCHITECTS WHO TOOK A VISIONARY APPROACH AND MADE IMAGES OF ARCHITECTURE THAT COMPLETELY DEFIED THE STATUS QUO, SAID BARRY BERGDOLL, THE CHIEF CURATOR OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, WHICH OWNS 16 OF MR. PICHLER’S DRAWINGS. THE GROUP ALSO INCLUDED THE ARCHITECTS HANS HOLLEIN AND RAIMUND ABRAHAM, WHO WON INTERNATIONAL RENOWN. THE GROUP’S DRAWINGS AND MODELS CHALLENGED MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE, WHICH EMPHASIZED FUNCTION AND OFTEN PRODUCED STARK BUILDINGS DEVOID OF ORNAMENTATION AND DOMINATED BY CONCRETE AND METAL. THEY BEGAN TO EXPLORE THE EMOTIONAL RESONANCES OF ARCHITECTURE, MR. BERGDOLL SAID. A BUILDING MIGHT TELL A STORY, RATHER THAN JUST BE A FUNCTION. MR. PICHLER LIKED DESIGNING BUILDINGS THAT WERE NEVER GOING TO BE BUILT. IN AN ESSAY, HE WROTE, THIS IS WHAT WE REPROACH ARCHITECTURAL FUNCTIONALISM WITH: IT NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. HE PROCLAIMED, WHAT I CALL FOR IS AN ARCHITECTURE WHICH FASCINATES. WALTER PICHLER WAS BORN ON OCT. 1, 1936, IN DEUTSCHNOFEN, NORTHERN ITALY. HE STUDIED ART AT THE HOCHSCHULE FÜR ARCHITEKTUR IN VIENNA AND BEGAN WORKING AS AN ARCHITECT IN THE 1950S. IN THE EARLY 1970S, AFTER A FLURRY OF SHOWS IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES BROUGHT HIM INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM, MR. PICHLER MOVED TO BURGENLAND, A CORNER OF EASTERN AUSTRIA NEAR HUNGARY, SLOVENIA AND SLOVAKIA, AWAY FROM THE WORLD OF GALLERIES, MUSEUMS, EXHIBITIONS, ART CRITICS AND COLLECTORS. THERE HE DID WHAT IS WIDELY VIEWED AS HIS BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT WORK. HE BOUGHT A LITTLE FARM THERE, AND IN ONE OF THE BUILDINGS HE DISCOVERED A LITTLE FIGURE THAT WAS WRAPPED IN GAUZE — I THINK, A CHRIST FIGURE, SAID BARBARA GLADSTONE, OWNER OF THE GLADSTONE GALLERY IN MANHATTAN, WHICH HAS SHOWN HIS WORK. HE WAS INSPIRED TO MAKE A KIND OF ALTAR FOR IT, TO GIVE IT A SPECIALPLACE. MR. PICHLER CONVERTED A FARM BUILDING TO HOUSE THE FIGURE AND THEN BEGAN ALTERING THE OTHER HALF-DOZEN OR SO OUTBUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY, INSTALLING ONE OF HIS OWN SCULPTURES IN EACH. ONE IS COMPOSED OF TWO LARGE, CYLINDRICAL CONCRETE CONTAINERS WITH A SYSTEM OF GUTTERS THAT COLLECT AND DISGORGE WATER. THE SCULPTURES AND THE BUILDINGS THAT SHELTERED THEM BECAME HIS LIFE’S WORK. THE WORKS WERE VERY POLISHED, DARK, OMINOUS, MECHANICAL, MS. GLADSTONE SAID, LIKENING SOME TO DARTH VADER, THE VILLAIN IN THE STAR WARS MOVIES. HE REALLY BUILT THESE SCULPTURES FOR HIMSELF, MS. GLADSTONE SAID. HE DIDN’T WANT TO COMPROMISE ANYTHING, AND IF HE WORKED FOR HIMSELF, HE DIDN’T HAVE TO. MR. PICHLER IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, ELFI, AND HIS DAUGHTER, ANNA TRIPAMER. HE REFUSED TO SELL THE SCULPTURES FROM THE FARM BUT SOMETIMES LENT THEM OUT FOR SHOWS. MS. GLADSTONE, WHO HAD SEEN HIS WORK IN A SHOW AT MOMA, TRAVELED TO VIENNA IN THE HOPE THAT HE WOULD ALLOW HER TO EXHIBIT HIS DRAWINGS. SHE FOUND HIM TO BE SERIOUS, FORMAL, ELEGANTLY DRESSED AND NOT EASILY PERSUADED TO PART WITH HIS DRAWINGS, SHE SAID. HE WAS ALWAYS SURPRISED WHEN SOMEONE WANTED TO SHOW THEM, SHE SAID. THE COMMERCIAL WORLD WAS NOT SOMETHING HE WENT AFTER.

The New York Times. 28 07 2012

2.

“I WAS OVERCOME BY THIS ARTIST’S WORK WHILE WALKING THROUGH THE STEDELIJK MUSEUM IN AMSTERDAM. I WENT RUNNING TO THE BOOK SHOP TO GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK…WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE EXHIBIT THERE WAS A WOMAN CRYING NEXT TO ONE OF HIS WORKS (THE BED OF GLASS). I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANT TO HER, BUT ALL OF PICHLER’S WORKS MOTIVATE ME TREMENDOUSLY. HIS DARK STYLE OF MACABRE ARCHITECTURE AND HUMANOID CREATIONS PREDATE GIEGER’S ALIENS, MARYLIN MANSON AND NINE INCH NAILS (…) HIS WORK REMINDS ME OF THE OPENING CREDITS OF THE MOVIE SE7EN”.

Reseña en Amazon sobre un libro de Pichler. 1999

3. ES LA BELLEZA DEL DIBUJO: CONTAR buenas HISTORIAS que NO TIENEN QUE SER CIERTAS

EDITH SCHLOCKER

“WALTER PICHLER IS A SCULPTOR. HIS WORLD IS THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL; POPULATING SPACE WITH FIGURES. ST. MARTIN, IN THE BURGENLAND, WHERE PICHLER HAS LIVED AND WORKED FOR MANY YEARS, IS AN IDEAL PLACE FOR THIS SON OF SOUTH TYROL TO REALISE HIS UNIVERSE OF IDEAS, CONCEIVED AS A COMPLETE ARTWORK. HERE ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE MERGE INTO AN INSEPARABLE UNITY, AN ORGANIC, MYTHICALLY CHARGED WHOLE. TO GET CLOSER TO THE SPACE OR THE SCULPTURE, WALTER PICHLER DRAWS. DRAWING PRODUCES HIGHLY ACCURATE PLANS: DRAWING ALSO HAS A VERY LIBERATING EFFECT ON ME, SAYS PICHLER, AS IT MEANS THE DIRECT NOTATION OF THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS. JUST AS OTHERS WRITE, I DRAW. WITHOUT DRAWING, I COULDN’T THINK AT ALL, HE EXPLAINS. WITH DRAWING COMES THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENSION.
THE CYCLE OF BRAND-NEW DRAWINGS BY WALTER PICHLER, ON DISPLAY AT THE SOUTH TYROLEAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY AT CASTLE TYROL, MERAN, IS CHARGED WITH PAINFUL EMOTIONS. THE EXHIBITION IS ON THE UPPERMOST FLOOR OF THE TOWER WHERE, ON 20 LEVELS, HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS AS WELL AS EVERYDAY ITEMS ARE SKILFULLY USED TO RECOUNT THE DRAMATIC HISTORY OF SOUTH TYROL IN THE 20TH CENTURY. IT INCLUDES A LARGE AREA DEDICATED TO MIGRATION, DEALING WITH THE EMIGRATION OF POOR TYROLEANS AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY, THE ‘OPTION’ DURING THE FASCIST ERA (I.E. TO LEAVE FOR NAZI GERMANY OR STAY IN MUSSOLINI’S ITALY) AND THE SITUATION TODAY, WHERE WEALTHY SOUTH TYROL HAS BECOME A LAND OF IMMIGRATION FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
PICHLER’S DRAWINGS, TELLING THE STORY OF HIS MOTHER, ARE ALSO DIRECTLY RELEVANT HERE. THE ARTIST, BORN THE YOUNGEST OF NINE CHILDREN IN 1936, KNOWS THESE STORIES MOSTLY ONLY FROM HEARSAY. THEY LARGELY TAKE PLACE IN HIS SOUTH TYROLEAN HOMELAND, BUT SOME ARE ALSO FROM TELFS IN THE AUSTRIAN TYROL, WHERE THE BIG FAMILY LIVED FOLLOWING THE OPTION. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS COMPELLED THEIR DEPARTURE, WHICH IS WHY HIS FATHER OPTED TO MOVE TO GERMANY IN 1940. LIFE IN THE SETTLEMENT FOR SOUTH TYROLEANS IN TELFS WAS LIKE A GHETTO, THE WAY TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY WAS A FIGHT, REMEMBERS PICHLER. BUT THESE ARE NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT STORIES FOR HIM. WALTER PICHLER WISHES THIS CYCLE TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR THE CRIME COMMITTED AGAINST MY MOTHER. THAT THIS SHOULD TAKE PLACE AT CASTLE TYROL IS FOR HIM A MATTER OF GREAT SATISFACTION. HE BELIEVES THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THESE DRAWINGS SHOULD STAND, NOT JUST FOR THE FATE OF HIS MOTHER, BUT ALSO FOR THE INNUMERABLE WOMEN OF HER GENERATION TO WHOM SIMILAR THINGS HAPPENED.
PICHLER HAS BEEN PRODUCING DRAWINGS OF HIS MOTHER FOR YEARS NOW. A DRAWING OF HER IS IN FACT ONE OF HIS MOST BEAUTIFUL WORKS, HE SAYS. MAKING A WHOLE SERIES OUT OF THIS HOWEVER RUNS THE RISK OF SLIDING INTO THE MERELY ILLUSTRATIVE. WHAT PICHLER IS TELLING HERE ARE STORIES. STORIES THAT EVERYONE HAS EXPERIENCED DIFFERENTLY, REMEMBERS DIFFERENTLY. THE ONLY AIM IS TO MAKE A DRAWING OF THEM. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE TRUTH: I CAN JUST TELL STORIES THAT I THINK ARE GOOD. THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF DRAWING.
IN APPROXIMATELY 30 SEQUENCES PICHLER TELLS THESE STORIES ON BOTH VERY SMALL AND VERY LARGE SHEETS, SOME LIGHTLY OUTLINED IN PENCIL WHILE OTHERS CELEBRATE WITH OPULENT COLOURS AND EXPRESSIVE FORCE, ALL PRESENTED ON THE RUST-BROWN WALLS OF THE HIGHEST FLOOR OF THE KEEP, WHERE DRAWINGS BY WALTER PICHLER WERE ALREADY ON SHOW. EACH DRAWING RELATES TO A SPECIAL INCIDENT. FOR INSTANCE, IN ONE THE MOTHER CLINGS WITH ALL HER STRENGTH TO THE ROCKY WALLS OF THE EGGEN VALLEY, FROM WHICH AGAINST HER WILL THE FATHER IS PULLING HER BY THE LEGS. THERE ARE ALSO VERY FREE, TOTALLY PRIVATE DRAWINGS, SUCH AS ONE WHERE PICHLER SUPERIMPOSES A DRAWING OF HIS MOTHER OVER A PHOTO OF HIS DAUGHTER ANNA: OR, BRIMMING WITH RAGE-FILLED EXPRESSIVITY, ANOTHER DEDICATED TO HIS SISTER, A DEAF-MUTE VICTIM OF THE NAZI EUTHANASIA PROGRAMME. THIS EVENT DROVE HIS MOTHER OVER THE EDGE AT THE AGE OF JUST 54.

galeriethoman.com

STANLEY KUBRICK

“…FOR THOSE WHO MANAGE SOMEHOW TO COPE WITH OUR MORTALITY. THE VERY MEANINGLESSNESS OF LIFE FORCES A MAN TO CREATE HIS OWN MEANING. CHILDREN, OF COURSE, BEGIN LIFE WITH AN UNTARNISHED SENSE OF WONDER, A CAPACITY TO EXPERIENCE TOTAL JOY AT SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THE GREENNESS OF A LEAF; BUT AS THEY GROW OLDER, THE AWARENESS OF DEATH AND DECAY BEGINS TO IMPINGE ON THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS AND SUBTLY ERODE THEIR JOIE DE VIVRE, THEIR IDEALISM -AND THEIR ASSUMPTION OF IMMORTALITY.
AS A CHILD MATURES, HE SEES DEATH AND PAIN EVERYWHERE ABOUT HIM, AND BEGINS TO LOSE FAITH IN THE ULTIMATE GOODNESS OF MAN. BUT IF HE’S REASONABLY STRONG -AND LUCKY- HE CAN EMERGE FROM THIS TWILIGHT OF THE SOUL INTO A REBIRTH OF LIFE’S ÉLAN.
BOTH BECAUSE OF AND IN SPITE OF HIS AWARENESS OF THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF LIFE, HE CAN FORGE A FRESH SENSE OF PURPOSE AND AFFIRMATION. HE MAY NOT RECAPTURE THE SAME PURE SENSE OF WONDER HE WAS BORN WITH, BUT HE CAN SHAPE SOMETHING FAR MORE ENDURING AND SUSTAINING.
THE MOST TERRIFYING FACT ABOUT THE UNIVERSE IS NOT THAT IT IS HOSTILE BUT THAT IT IS INDIFFERENT; BUT IF WE CAN COME TO TERMS WITH THIS INDIFFERENCE AND ACCEPT THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF DEATH -HOWEVER MUTABLE MAN MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE THEM- OUR EXISTENCE AS A SPECIES CAN HAVE GENUINE MEANING AND FULFILMENT. HOWEVER VAST THE DARKNESS, WE MUST SUPPLY OUR OWN LIGHT.”

Stalley Kubrick Interviews
Gene D. Phillips (Ed.)
University press of Mississippi . 2001, p.73

STEVEN WILSON

“PEOPLE FORGET HOW MUCH JAZZ WAS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE BIRTH OF THE ORIGINAL WAVE OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK”. “IT WAS WHEN POP MUSICIANS STARTED TO INCORPORATE THEIR LOVE OF JAZZ AND CLASSICAL THAT PROGRESSIVE EMERGED. SUDDENLY YOU HAD THIS MASSIVE BURST OF CREATIVITY –THE THREE MINUTE POP SONG WAS NO LONGER RELEVANT, THE STANDARD OF MUSICIANSHIP SHOT THROUGH THE ROOF. A BAND LIKE YES –BILL BRUFORD WAS A JAZZ DRUMMER PLAYING IN THE CONFINES OF A ROCK BAND. IN KING CRIMSON, MICHAEL GILES AND IAN MCDONALD BOTH GREW UP LISTENING TO JAZZ AND CHOSE TO FORM A ROCK’N’ROLL BAND. IT’S THAT FUSION OF JAZZ WITH SPIRITUALITY AND IMPROVISING, COMBINED WITH CLASSICAL MUSIC AS A FORM –LONG PIECES, THE SYMPHONIC STRUCTURE, CREATING STUFF THAT MOVED IN SECTIONS.
“I CANNOT EMPHASISE HOW MUCH I’VE LEARNED DOING THE CRIMSON RECORDS. WHAT I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THEM I REALLY DIDN’T. WHAT’S FASCINATING IS THESE ALBUMS AREN’T VERY LAYERED. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THE TONE OF THE INSTRUMENTS AND THE INTERACTION OF THE PLAYERS THAT GIVES THIS WONDERFULLY WARM FULL SOUND THAT STILL HAS A LOT OF SPACE AROUND IT.”
“IT’S ALMOST LIKE I’VE UNLEARNED SOMETHING. I MADE RECORDS BY LAYERING AND LAYERING, BUT I’VE COME TO APPRECIATE THE TONE OF THE INSTRUMENTS, THE MUSIC GETS TO BREATHE MORE AND YOU GET MORE THE CHARACTER.”
“I LOVED STOCKHAUSEN AS A TEENAGER, AND THE MINIMALIST COMPOSERS LIKE STEVE REICH, PHILIP GLASS, ARVO PÄRT. THINK OF THE SOUNDTRACK TO 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, THE MUSIC OF LIGETI. IT’S A VERY KIND OF COSMIC SOUND, EERIE AND BEAUTIFUL. A BAND LIKE CRIMSON OR VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR HAS A VERY DARK HEART, BUT THE MUSIC CAN ALSO BE VERY BEAUTIFUL. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN MUSIC AS TEXTURE.”
“ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN THE WORLD WHEN YOU’RE SAD IS TO LISTEN TO A SONG THAT LETS YOU UNDERSTAND YOU’RE NOT ALONE FEELING THAT. WE’RE ALL PART OF THE SAME HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS.”

Steven Wilson: I can’t emphasise how much I learned working with King Crimson
Grant Moon. Prog Magazine #20. 2016 09 26