Expansion & Convergence: アーティストとしての拡張と収束について

March 2018 (３月)

前回、今年はブログを毎月更新していく的なことを言っておきながら２ヶ月が経ってしまった。まあ２ヶ月ならよかろう笑。

この２ヶ月、大きな変化はないが、今後訪れるであろう、正確には訪れることを願う変化のための準備というか、種まきをいろいろしていた。これはこれで楽しい時間である。

そんな中ここ最近考えていたことがある。

アーティストとしての研鑽には「拡張」と「収束」があると思う。

拡張とは、これまでの自分に足りないものを補い、技術や音楽的発想を増強し、できなかったことをできるようにすること。自分のキャパシティーを拡げて、可能性を拡大していくこと。

一方で収束とは、自分というアーティストがどんな存在なのか、内向きに見つめ、自分が本当にやりたいことや自分にしかできないことを探し求めること。自分の個性を発見することと言ってもいい。

アーティストたるもの、誰かが出来ることを同じようにやってもしょうがない。自分の存在価値の探求。ここに「収束」が求められる理由がある。けれども、その芸術の歴史や展望、時代や社会の要請に応じた能力の開拓を怠ってもいけないだろう。そして何より、真に輝ける魅力的な個性を得ようと思ったら、「拡張」を必要とせずにはいられないと思う。

言い方を換えれば、「拡張」とは欲を追い求めること、「収束」とは欲を捨てることかもしれない。

さて、今の自分はどうだろうか。まだまだ欲を捨てることなんてできない。いっとき欲を捨てようと考えた時期もあったが、まだまだ時期尚早だったのだろう。やはり拡張を求めて日々取り組んでいるように思う。

でもこの先、しかるべき時期に欲を捨て始める必要がきっとあるんだろうと想像する。まだまだかなり先のように思うが。その時には、欲を捨てることこそがむしろ拡張につながる状態でなければならないと思う。つまり「収束」こそが「拡張」となる。それがアーティストとして、いつか辿り着くべき場所だと思う。もちろんそこは終着点ではない。そこからまた新たな旅が続いているのだろう。


Last time I wrote here that I would keep updating this blog every month, but it's been two months already...I would say it's ok that only two months passed...haha

These two months have been without big change, but I've done something and prepared for a change that should come up in the near future. More exactly, it's a change that "I hope" will come up. This kind of time that I've spent for these couple months is like sowing seeds and sort of fun, I think.

Anyway some interesting thought came up to me recently.

I think there are two things in artists' learning process: "EXPANSION" and "CONVERGENCE".

"Expansion" means that artists learn to do something that they are not able to do and strengthen their technique, expand musical ideas that are not acquired yet. It can be said expanding their capacity and possibility.

On the other hand, "convergence" means that artists look into their inside, think about who I am as an artist, and search what I really want to do or want to be. It sounds like discovering their own personalities.

If you are an artist, it might be no value that you do something same as someone else do. You need to search your own worth. This is why "convergence" is required. However, we should develop ability that the art's history or perspective wants, or that the times and communities demand. And most important, if you want to acquire an brilliant originality like real jewels, I don't think you can do it without "expansion".

In other words, "expansion" is to pursue wants and "convergence" is to give them up.

So how am I about this matter? I don't think I can give up my wants yet. I actually had time to throw them away in these few years, but it seems like it was too early. I'm still spending time to expand myself.

But I guess that the time to throw wants away will come at some point in my life. It should be still far away though. I think that at that point to give up my wants must lead to expansion. I mean, "convergence" should become "expansion". This is the point that artists have to reach someday, even though it's not a last stop. I guess there will be another journey going on afterwards.


~最近聴いて良かったライブとCD~
|| Gigs & Albums that have inspired me lately ||

Tierney Sutton at Birdland 2.24.18
Craig Taborn & Ches Smith at National Sawdust 2.28.18
Ben Wendel "Seasons Band" w/Gilad Hekselman, Aaron Parks, Matt Brewer, Eric Harland at Village Vanguard 3.4.18
Fred Hersch | Drew Gress | Billy Hart at Village Vanguard 3.11.18
Claudia Quintet by John Hollenbeck at Miller Theatre at Columbia University 3.24.18

Kenny Wheeler & Brian Dickinson "Still Waters" (1999)
Drew Gress "Heyday" (1998)
Chet Baker & Paul Bley "Diane" (1985)
Craig Taborn "Avenging Angel" (2011)
Paul Motion Trio "I Have The Room Above Her" (2005)
Paul Motion Trio "One Time Out" (1989)
Ralph Alessi & Fred Hersch "Only Many" (2013)
Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley (1961)
Archie Shepp "On This Night" (1965)
Sonny Rollins "Our Man In Jazz" (1962)
David Binney "Lifted Land" (2013)
Charles Lloyd Quartet "Journey Within" (1967)