METHOD NO. 42 "FINAL NUMBER" DEC 31, 2004
Email-Bulletin "METHOD" is a free monthly, being published
by the three Methodicists in Japan, Nakazawa Hideki
(artist), Matsui Shigeru (poet), Miwa Masahiro (composer).
Manifestos of Methodicism: aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/method/
Full five years have passed just today since the issue of
the Methodicist Manifesto on January 1, 2000. As previously
stated, we finish publishing "METHOD" with this number and
we end the activities as the group of the Methodicists with
this day. Thank you, our readers, for having witnessed
"Method Painting, Method Poem, Method Music" as our
contemporaries.
The final number is special. It carries not only our three
Methodicists' texts but also Mr. Adachi Tomomi's, "former
Methodicist" who acted together with us for the first two
years. In the gravure appear the past guests for this
bulletin and the members of "The Method Machine."
>>>TEXTS:
Five Or Eight Years of Methodicism
by Nakazawa Hideki, artist
In the manifesto issued on January 1, 2000 I lined up
painting, poems and music in the same rank redefining each
of them, and called the idea of unifying them together
Methodicism. Just today, full five years have passed since
then. Of course, the manifesto was preceded for three years
by my style of "applying" the idea used for making painting
to writing poems and composing music and by my argument that
they "must be applied." I can say eight years have passed
since I started Method Arts or Methodicism.
Connection between (visual) art, literature and music
based on some arguments is not so novel. In that sense,
Methodicism can be said to be one of the composite art
movements in the broad sense of the word. However, I think
it unique that exclusive purification is requested in each
genre of painting, poems and music while the same artist
makes painting, writes poems and composes music, or each
separated (visual) artist and poet and musician act
together. Methodicism which adopts reductionism is neither
composite art in the narrow sense of the word nor
intermedia. In that sense, the five or eight years of
Methodicism have been the precious time of experiment from
both points of composite art and pure art.
There were two affairs that threatened the existence
of Methodicism. The first one was the presentation of
"Second Methodicist Manifesto" in 2001 by Adachi Tomomi,
which criticized Methodicism as being "ism" itself. I
pressed him to secede from our group by judging from
politics, not theory. The second one was the foundation of
"The Method Machine" in 2004 by Miwa Masahiro, which
interfered in "realization," an item of anti-Methodicism. I
participated in the foundation positively by judging from
politics, not theory. However, I turned converted artist at
that point of time. I decided to limit the period of
Methodicism to five or eight years and to make it a thing of
the past. Methodicism will not be succeeded any longer but
"Method" as a brand will be succeeded.
I say thank you to those who witnessed the experiment
of Methodicism with the progressive form of present tense
during these five or eight years. From this very day, I
will keep holding my tongue. I am an artist who makes works
of painting.
Method Poem Non Stop / Method Arts Non Stop
Matsui Shigeru, poet
The bulletin "METHOD" was started in 2000 by Nakazawa
Hideki as a part of art movement which advocated
Methodicism. It has come to the cessation of publication in
2004 on account of Nakazawa's conversion. However, Method
Arts have not necessarily finished. Method Arts are not
individual possessions from the beginning. Method Arts are
universal things for every artist who pursues each art genre
thoroughly, because Methodicism is the culmination for every
person of art for art's sake in each genre of art.
I am a Method Poet who was installed in this actual
space five years ago by Nakazawa. My duty was to
reinterpret broadly the word Method Poem which Shinohara
Motoaki has been using for about fifteen years. The broad
reinterpretation was exactly the literary criticism of
reductionism. My duty has produced good results to a
certain degree through these five years. However,
reductionism in literature tended to be understood in the
context of music or fine art as the one that deviated from
the main stream of literary history. In this point, I am
not satisfied. It is my future subject to find a place for
Method Poem in a literary history.
Method Arts go non-stop, even after the conversion of
Nakazawa Hideki. I will never stop writing Method Poems. I
am The Method Poet Machine.
Reverse-Simulation Music, Or the Future of Method Music
by Miwa Masahiro, composer
"A Definition of Reverse-Simulation Music Founded on
the Three Aspects of Music" and the series of works based on
this definition were written since I took over the
activities of the bulletin "METHOD" after Mr. Adachi Tomomi.
Even if they include my personal way of understanding, I
will say that I have shown with real examples, how Method
Music has to be.
A general idea of "time" which is connoted in the word
"method" is always on my mind. Method means order-ly
thought, action or technique and the word "order" should be
the most basic concept of "time" and it differs from "tempo"
or "speed." It is also symbolized by the (no-)relation
between order of steps ("algorithm") and "speed" of a
computer.
The concept of composing music, which is reduced to
the point: generating a perceptible sequence using
"algorithm" in "speed" based on human bodies and inventing a
story about the action itself is a re-definition of a ritual
which creates time and space for human to own jointly by
training. Supposing it is right, it must have been the
original idea of music.
"Reverse-Simulation Music" should be the only
effective and concrete way, which restores "discipline"
(from the Methodicist Manifesto) in the situation of
contemporary music today, because music is nothing more than
a fancy item to people in our capitalist society, which was
originally born in the western civilization. "Reverse-
Simulation Music" is a final western music from the East.
If human of this century living in the information
technology try to stay as human, music as art may exist only
as various forms of Method Music.
Method Painting, Method Poem, Method Music (Fourth
Methodicist Manifesto)
by Adachi Tomomi, musician
Against the content of "Method Painting, Method Poem,
Method Music (Third Methodicist Manifesto)," "Second
Methodicist Manifesto" has been published. "Second
Methodicist Manifesto" refuses to repeat itself. "Method
Painting, Method Poem, Method Music (Fourth Methodicist
Manifesto)" is the repetition of "Second Methodicist
Manifesto."
A large number of tautologies seen in every art and
every science of the twentieth century, which democratic
systems have given rise to, should now be talked about again
as a single principle, by being reduced to method, not to
form. Meaninglessness, which is what tautologies mean, does
not excuse sensualism nor the mob, and it rather requests
stoicism and discipline for its authorization.
Method painting is a colored plane which is overlaid
on method itself, prohibiting chance and improvisation.
However, real colors which cause pleasure will sometimes be
replaced scrupulously with other materials.
Method poem is a row of letters which comes to method
itself, prohibiting personalization and absorption.
However, real letters which epicize lyric will sometimes be
alternated scrupulously with other signs.
Method music is a vibrating time which embodies method
itself, prohibiting expression and tempo. However, real
vibrations which vary eros will sometimes be exchanged
scrupulously for other events.
These method arts, on the one hand, return to the
tradition which each form depends on, and on the other hand,
sing in chorus a single principle in the same age. We,
methodicists, doubt liberty and equality which have produced
license and indolence in arts and sciences, and reinstate
logics as ethics.
Supplement 1
Shinohara Motoaki 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.
Supplement 2
Those in favor of this manifesto can forward it to
acquaintances on your own responsibility, adding "In favor,
Name, (profession)" at the end. Those partially in favor
and those not in favor can also do in the same way. Or, you
can of course forward it without adding your name.
December 31, 2004
Drafter: Adachi Tomomi (musician)
>>>GRAVURE:
The Last Method Photo
- Attached file's name: method42.jpg
Taken after the end of "The First Solo Performance of The
Method Machine" at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Tokyo on Dec 5, 2004.
From the left of the front rank: Ikeda Takumi (The Method
Machine), Miwa Masahiro (Methodicist), Matsui Shigeru
(Methodicist), Nakazawa Hideki (Methodicist), Sakai Reisiu
(The Method Machine), Tsurumi Sachiyo (The Method Machine).
From the left of the rear rank: Sugiyama Monami (The Method
Machine), Mashioka (The Method Machine), Fukazawa Tomoharu
(The Method Machine), Suzuki Haruyuki (guest for "Method No.
6"), Furuya Toshihiko (guest for "Method No. 2"), Shinohara
Motoaki (guest for "Method No. 1"), Asai Takayuki (The
Method Machine), Shinoda Masanobu (The Method Machine),
Takimoto Akito (The Method Machine), Yasuno Taro (The Method
Machine). Photo by Imura Kazuha. As a side note, you can
subscribe to The Method Machine's own email magazine at:
method-machine.com/otayori
>>>INFO & POSTSCRIPT:
- METHOD Website: http://aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/method/
- We made a CD-ROM title which contains all the numbers of
Bulletin "METHOD" also including the web-pieces. We can
distribute it to those who want it at cost. Please contact
either of the below three:
Nakazawa Hideki: nakazawa@aloalo.co.jp
Matsui Shigeru: shigeru@td5.so-net.ne.jp
Miwa Masahiro: mmiwa@iamas.ac.jp
- You can send on this bulletin to others freely, but
corruption and appropriation are prohibited.
Bulletin METHOD NO. 42 English Version
Published on December 31, 2004
(C) Nakazawa Hideki, Matsui Shigeru, Miwa Masahiro, 2004
