Beckett on Naturalness

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JHostler
Posts: 752
Joined: September 27th, 2008, 8:34 pm

Beckett on Naturalness

Postby JHostler » September 22nd, 2018, 3:28 pm

So... I'm spending a rainy day beating some old Samuel Beckett into my gray matter, and stumble upon the following:

"To avoid the expansion of the commonplace is not enough; the highest art reduces significance in order to obtain that inexplicable bombshell perfection."

The quote relates to a tortured character averse to chatter, but whose relative quiet imbues him with a "commanding brilliance." I immediately began drawing parallels to magicians "reducing the significance" of - let's say - unnatural moves, behaviors, etc. to create an environment (context, expectations, etc.) conducive to astonishment. A few lines later, I read:

"Just as the creative artist must be partly illusionist, our whispering prestidigitator was partly artist."

Of all people, Samuel Beckett "got it" in 1929's Assumption. Vernon would have been 35...
"The gnomes' ambition is handicapped by laziness." Adapted from Charles Bukowski, and clearly evident at http://www.gnominal.com

performer
Posts: 3508
Joined: August 7th, 2015, 10:35 pm

Re: Beckett on Naturalness

Postby performer » September 22nd, 2018, 4:28 pm

Did he ever do the sponge ball trick?

JHostler
Posts: 752
Joined: September 27th, 2008, 8:34 pm

Re: Beckett on Naturalness

Postby JHostler » September 22nd, 2018, 8:46 pm

performer wrote:Did he ever do the sponge ball trick?


Yes, but without the sponge balls.
"The gnomes' ambition is handicapped by laziness." Adapted from Charles Bukowski, and clearly evident at http://www.gnominal.com

performer
Posts: 3508
Joined: August 7th, 2015, 10:35 pm

Re: Beckett on Naturalness

Postby performer » September 22nd, 2018, 8:53 pm

Ah! A bit like the invisible deck trick......................


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