Wednesday, March 18, 2009

question and answers



The Zenmaster asks his students "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" The students go away to contemplate the question for a long long time.

The first one returns. He says nothing and just holds his hand in the air. Quiet.
The second one returns. He slaps his master in the face.

Both answers are right, but there might be others too. To me this is how art should be. And I'm going for answer number 2.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Right on!

aimee said...

i would have been disillusioned if you had chosen option number 1!

marie-louise said...

Jag tycker att det är för mycket smockor här och där. Jag vill att tillvaron ska vara hygglig och bra. Jag föredrar helt klart den mer stillsamma eftertänksamheten.

Alexandra Hedberg said...

Marie-Louise, I don't interpret the slap ("smocka")as aggressive hitting, but as direct and surprising. You get the quick aha and laugh because its not what you expected. Then afterwards you might think about it and if it was just that. or if it had a more hidden meaning.

To me the first one is the slow awe and more contemplating, but impressive. More like the traditional Eastern Wisdom.

I like both kinds, but my personality makes me closer to create art of the second type.

marie-louise said...

Ahh, Alexandra...min engelska är så begränsad...
endera dan träffas vi "på riktigt" och då kan vi diskutera som bara den.
Och det ska bli kul!!!!!!!

asphalt and air said...

Alexandra,
You make my laugh! Very nice story.
And the stones to hold things down are wonderful...windy?
Is that a shirt for the superhero print. I want one, I want one!

Veja cecilia said...

jag håller med dig om att en smocka är att föredra. jag vill bli berörd. men samtidigt har jag (sedan jag blev mamma tror jag) börjat uppskatt mer stillsamma saker. roliga filmer istället för filmer som skakar om mig. dekorativa saker utan större mening(som mina trista mönster)känns plötsligt helt ok. fast vill jag få mig en smocka ibland!

Esti said...

I'm sure you'll pick the seconf one... You are brave and active. I'm more of the first one kind...

I like that first picture :)

(By the way, blackbird was defenitely spring... and now it's here in all its splendour... it's so sunny!)