In his article, Searching for Silence, Alex Ross explored the new concept of making sounds into an art rather than just a form of music. I found John Cage to be an extremely interesting subject of study as I believe his mind worked in a unique way compared to many of the people that he worked with. He was drawn to randomness and steered clear of harmonic patterns to create something that had never been practiced before. I admire the fact that he did not seek out fame or recognition and instead cared about turning a new leaf for the digital art world. Because of his openness and willingness to share his ideas, I believe that he was truly in the profession of inspiring others and sharing his knowledge with the world. Although I do not believe that I would enjoy listening to a 4:33 long piano performance of silence, I cannot help but find the concept intriguing. I then began to see the article take a turn when Ross debriefed Cage’s early life. His childhood seems to have an effect on the artist he became and reminds me of the modern rapper, Kanye West. West, according to his social media, comes off as unhinged and unstable, but he manages to create some of the most popular music in rap today. Although Cage’s work is not necessarily the most recognizable, the impact he had on the digital art world is synonymous to that of Kanye.
P.S. The fake UPS guy coming to mug him in his apartment only a couple days prior to his death is crazy!!
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