MAIRA KALMAN IS AN AMERICAN LIVING NATIONAL TREASURE

September 14, 2016 Lucian Burg

THERE, I SAID IT.

Over the years I keep thinking about the designation of individuals as Living National Treasures in Japan. Living National Treasure (人間国宝 Ningen Kokuhō) is a Japanese popular term for those individuals certified as Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties (重要無形文化財保持者 Jūyō Mukei Bunkazai Hojisha), that is people who are masters at their craft that have high historical or artistic value.

“Amid the clamor of technological and economic success, a reverence for age, custom, and tradition endures in Japanese culture. The honorable title, ‘Living National Treasure’, is the highest award that can be achieved in the Japanese arts. Some seventy master craftsmen and performers are bestowed with this title and are charged with passing on the country’s artistic heritage to future generations.

Ostensibly, it refers to the concept of protecting the traditional arts of a country through government support of the people who participate in those arts. But, in my mind, it not only keeps alive those traditions, but sets the foundation for up-and coming artists, designers, and craftsmen who have attained a mastery in their craft and have spent years passing it along to future generations. Those individuals who not only preserve a nation’s cultural legacy, but inspire those around them to become masters of their own craft.

So, in my mind, we have many Living National Treasures among us, here at home, and many who have passed away (just think about Miles Davis, Charles and Ray Eames, Alice Waters, Julia Childs and countless others, in many creative fields—you get the picture).

This is the first in a series of many individuals that I’ll acknowledge for their significant achievements in their chosen field.
Maira Kalman has worked as a designer, author, illustrator and artist for more than thirty-five years. She has produced a vast body of work that is basically a visual record of her life — what she sees, what she experiences, what she finds absurd or interesting. Her use of color, her incorporating hand-drawn words into her illustrations, her use of personal photos in her work, her uncanny eye for finding a quirky, but compelling way into a person’s life and a situation are unparalleled.

   Watch the wonderful video above of her giving a talk at Creative Mornings in New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. A true gem of a person, artist and inspiring and humorous talk.
   And check out her many books at your local bookstore. They are full of wit, wisdom and humor, not to mention a wonderful painting style that is completely captivating. An American Living National treasure in my book, and hopefully yours. Dive deep and enjoy.
   More American Living National Treasures to come in future posts.

BRIAN ENO IS A LIVING TREASURE

September 13, 2016 Lucian Burg

“Everything Good Proceeds from Enthusiasm.”

I’ve decided not to limit myself to highlighting American Living National Treasures, but Living Treasures in general. There are so many interesting individuals on the planet, doing amazing things that I’ve decided why not be open to all Living Treasures (that speak to me and hopefully you) and now and then, adding shout outs to non-living treasures, those who have passed on, but whose artistic and creative legacies live on and are well worth re-examining for their perspectives on art, design and life.

A recently released interview (watch video above) from Alfred Dunhill also gives a glimpse into Eno’s general philosophy and approach to art, which gives you a flavor of the quality of his thinking and a quick window into this amazing creative person.

“Art offers you the chance to surrender. The chance to not be in control any longer.”

So, this time Brian Eno is top of the queue. Brian Eno has always been know as a trail blazing musician, what with Roxy Music, partnering with David Bryne, with David Bowie and countless others, he has been little known to be an incredible thinker about life, music and art. Many years ago in San Francisco, I attended a lecture about music and art, and he spoke for almost 2 hours. The people in the auditorium were transported by his deep insights and generosity of ideas and we all left the lecture changed just a little bit.

Most people are not aware of Brian Eno as an arts educator and teacher, and he has recently made a visual and sonic installation for a hospital in England called “Quiet Room for Montefiore.” The piece is designed to be soothing for patients (and hospital workers) in the hospital and provide a sense of respite from the harsh realities in the clinical environment.

“What we like doing—that is why we like sex, drugs, art and religion—what we like doing is surrendering. They’re really all ways of losing me.”

His most recent “immersive” installation piece is called 77 Million Paintings and uses generative music techniques to ensure endless unique combinations of video and music, that has been seen in many cities around the world and is still traveling to many more venues.

He has also recently released an app for the iPad and iPhone called Scape . Scape makes music that thinks for itself. Scape is a new form of album which offers users deep access to its musical elements. These can be endlessly recombined to behave intelligently: reacting to each other, changing mood together, making new sonic spaces. Scape employs some of the sounds, processes and compositional rules that we (Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers) have been using for many years and applies them in fresh combinations, to create new music. Scape makes music that thinks for itself. Check it out.

Many years ago (1975), Brian Eno released a deck of cards, called ObliqueStrategies , that he collaborated with the artist Peter Schmidt, where each card is printed with a suggestion, tactic or small aphorism. They are meant to be chosen at random to give new contexts to creative decisions. It has become legendary in stature and something worth looking up or buying.

This is only a small window into the creative world of Brian Eno, but, by all means, dig deep and enjoy.