Saw Brian Eno last night at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. He talked for 2 1/2 hours using an overhead projector and his voice - no audio, no props (besides a set of screwdrivers). He was talking about the ideas that inform his artistic practice in various media and he framed them within some BIG IDEAS (how Copernicus & Darwin levelled out our ideas about our own importance for starters, wrapping up with What Is the Purpose of Art?).
It's a little odd to me how closely his talk mirrored some of the things I've been trying to turn over in my head about the approach a critic 'should' take, what makes an artwork or artist 'important' or 'relevant', and how to negotiate the maze of cultural signification that one's response to art (music in particular) projects to the outside world.
It didn't turn on any big lightbulbs for me, but it was well worth the dough ($45 for seats way up in the rafters, but that includes admission to his exhibition at the Glenbow as well). Lots of little nuggets to chew on.
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