Innovations Be Damned!

Despite being considered one of the most forward-thinking composers of the 20th Century, his close friendships with Abstract Expressionist painters like Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Philip Guston, and Robert Rauschenberg, and his inclusion in the tight circle of the New York School of poets, Morton Feldman spoke out against the concept of an avant-garde his whole life. Instead, he espoused the necessary uniqueness of every great artist, an individuality of style forged in opposition to the zeitgeist(s) surrounding him. The lecture's not a simple introduction to Feldman (though it may suffice as that), nor is it heavily involved in compositional theory. Instead it presents the lessons any artist or creative person can learn from one of the 20th Century's most colorful personalities.
Sat., Oct. 18, 6 p.m., 2008