John Cage

JOHN CAGE (Los Angeles, 1912 - New York, 1992)
"Diary: How to Improve the World (You Will Only Make Matters Worse) continued 1968".
Artist's book.
Measurements: 19,5 x 14 cm.
Diary: How to Improve the World (You Will Only Make Matters Worse) continued 1968 is an artist's book by John Cage, published in 1968 by The Letter Edged in Black Press. This 1968 installment is a continuation of his Diary series, a collection of observations, thoughts and anecdotes on everything from domestic life to global issues. The book is notable for Cage's use of random operations to determine its visual layout, often featuring variations in typeface and indentation, giving the text a unique physical and aural presence.
John Cage was a composer, music theorist, visual artist, and seminal figure in 20th century experimental art. Initially trained in composition with Arnold Schoenberg, Cage developed a body of work that challenged the traditional boundaries of music, introducing chance, silence and everyday sounds as essential elements of musical fact.
His most emblematic piece, 4'33'' (1952), in which the performer does not play any note during that time, became a manifesto on listening and the presence of ambient sound. He also pioneered the use of the prepared piano, a technique by which he altered the instrument by inserting objects between its strings to modify its timbre.
In addition to his influence on music, Cage maintained close ties with the visual arts and dance, especially through his collaboration with Merce Cunningham, and his thought influenced movements such as Fluxus, minimalism and conceptual art.
His theoretical work, expressed in books such as Silence (1961), consolidated his role as one of the most influential intellectuals in the redefinition of contemporary art, promoting a vision of creation based on indeterminacy, experience and perceptual freedom.