Summary: In this episode of SFMOMA Artcasts we take a turn toward the conceptual. We begin with an excerpt from a Norton Lecture presented at Harvard University in 1988 by experimental composer, music theorist, and artist John Cage. Cage reflects on the process of writing his unprecedented silent piece 4'33" (1952) and explains what he admires about the composition. Next, artist Tom Marioni discusses Drinking Beer with Friends Is the Highest Form of Art, a conceptual performance he first staged in 1970, and considers the ways it reflects his philosophy on life. In the final segment, artist Mel Bochner describes his use of carpenters chalk to solve the problems posed in idea-based artwork. Both Marioni and Bochner reflect on Cage's innovations and consider the ways his work impacted their own.
