Book No. 8 AGORAPHOBIA

Agoraphobia

Book No. 7 FEAR OF DROWNING

Fear of drowning

what safer
thing
to be
in an
ocean?

Book No. 6 The composer of silence stages the act of listening

The composer of silence stages the act of listening
> BOOK as PLACE <


This book was made during the experimental sound/visual arts/performance event/exhibition Dron | Ultima Ratio at The Hundred Years Gallery.  London 16.03.2013

As a response to : Jill Rock's geometric installation and Grassy Noel | Ape 's performance.

http://www.hundredyearsgallery.com/

Book No. 5 Shakyamuni holds up a flower

Shakyamuni holds up a flower
(The Flower Sermon)


I have the all-pervading
true Dharma,
incomparable Nirvana.
It does not rely on words
and is transmitted outside scriptures.

I now
hand it to you.

(the next page contains a plant leaf)

This book is a response to the koan "Shakyamuni holds up a flower" (also known as The Flower Sermon) contained in the Mumonkan collection by Mumon Ekai (1183-1260). 

In the story, Shakyamuni (Buddha) gives a wordless sermon to his disciples by holding up a white flower. No one in the audience understands the Flower Sermon except Mahakashyapa, who smiles.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_Sermon

What is this all-pervading Truth beyond scriptures?  A flower, a leaf.  A living thing.  That will soon wither, die, decompose, transform.  Brief, fleeting.  The most precious truth : life itself.  

Book No. 4 Portrait of the artist as an open book

Portrait of the artist as an open book

the book is the eye

the book is in the eye of the reader

the lens is the eye 

the lens is the reader

the eye is the book of the reader

the eye is the book 

the book is the I

.

Book No. 3 A GORDIAN KNOT

A Gordian Knot


To Alex.

Some time ago, I heard my dad tell the story of the Gordian knot. 

Coward!, 

I thought.  He (Alexander) never solved the riddle.  Yes, cutting is easy.  The real challenge is to stay there, disentangling the knot.  I made a promise.  Every time I encountered a knot (literally or symbolically) I would stay.  I would disentangle.  I would take my time.  I would find the way.  I took it as something personal.  A personal challenge between us two: me and Alex.  

This is a real story.  

It's funny how many knots we bump into all the time: in plastic bags, sewing threads, hair, jewellery (the worst!)  ...  and relationships.  

Staying there, untying the knot. 

I learnt a few things.  For example, I never found a knot that I couldn't disentangle.  There is always a way.  Sometimes if you just play with the knot in your hand for a bit, it softens giving you a way in.  Or sometimes you can use a very fine needle to separate the threads.  

But the thing is, and this I realise after a few years of doing this exercise (without cheating!): some knots are just not worth the time.  The time of life is precious.  These knots, yes, they could be disentangled if only you had the patience.  But they're just not worth it.  Those need to be cut through.  Sliced, fast and cleanly.  Ruthlessly.  So after I proved my point to him, 

I made peace with Alex.  

I taught him something, and he taught me something too.  

A day : a book INTRODUCTION

A day : a book

make a book every day

keep it simple

keep it quick

keep it direct

make decisions on the day

(a book dedicated to the flavour of that particular day)

as much as possible, use issues that arise on the day

sense the quality of that day : what issues keep arising?  what recurrent themes?  use that

(this is not a strict rule) 

the most important thing is to get the book done 

resolve

move on 

.

Book No. 2 A BOOK ABOUT SILENCE

A Book About Silence



Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
Fire!

Book No. 1 THE WAVE

The Wave.

The feeling of being flooded by an upsurge of negative emotions.  Drowned under the weight of obsessive, repetitive thoughts, fixations.  Later, there's a lot of thought and talk about civilians caught in situations of conflict, or civilians forced to take on the roles of soldiers, as in civil wars.  Rolled by the wave without preparation, strength or inclination.  My little personal problems don't necessarily feel banal now.  No.  They are just embedded in this larger collective banality that tumbles us over.  A wave within another wave, larger than life.