The Oblique Grapefruit

Thanks to reading 2023 I am probably going to end up buying the book "Grapefruit" by Yoko Ono , metamorphosed in 2023 to "Grapefruit Are Not The Only Bombs", essentially a series of instructions to direct people to do things to create radical art or change the world in radical ways. The book consis of "event scores" such as:

"Imagine the clouds dripping. 

  Dig a hole in your garden to 

  put them in.  

   — 1963 Spring"

There is more information here. and a few more event scores here

This reminded me of the "Oblique Strategies" card set by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt (who also collaborated on the cover of "Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy". You can use and online implementation of it here.  , and the first card says "Is It Finished?" the answer , for me, on this post , being "No"

The second card says "Don't Be Afraid To Display Your Talents" so you can see how this could randomly help you in the creation of an artistic piece. I often say to people that for something to be art you just have to say that it is art, and that should cause an effect in the viewer. The effect may be positive or negative but if you have an effect  then the art piece is valid.

Follow the Oblique Strategies link and see where it takes you.

If you want to produce something these two methods may help unblock any mental brick walls, and these are probably just two high profile art aids or directors and they may help with everyday life, not only art.

"Emphasize Repetitions"

So will take the opening song from from "Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy" with an image of the album cover.

#TenAlbumsInTenDays #8 & #9 - Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy - Brian Eno

Dispepsi by Negativland was my #8 choice for #TenAlbumsInTenDays but I have already commented on it for my #LikeNoOther series here , and it really is an album worth investing some of your time in.

#9 is Brian Eno's "Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy" his second album after falling out with Bryan Ferry and leaving Roxy Music after their excellent "For Your Pleasure". I've just realised that Ferry and Eno despite sharing a common first name spelt it differently.

The album breezes in with the beautiful "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More" and the songs on the first side of the album never drop in quality culminating in the closed groove ending of "THe Great Pretender" if you listen on vinyl. Side two opens with the proto punk of "Third Uncle" before lurching into the Portsmouth Sinfonia backed silliness of "Put A Straw Under Baby".

The album closes with the totally engrossing and beatiful title track almost making you feel as though you are climbing Tiger Mountain' I will leave you with that song to tempt you with.

This album was concieved using Oblique Strategies , a series of cue cards developed by Brian and Peter Schmidt, who also did the cover featuring four prints for a seris of 1500 lithographs. This is another of my favourite albums that I constantly revisit.

Sleep well my friends.