“What determines the value of a work of expression?

 

I believe that the value of a work does not lie in the material piece itself, but in the philosophy (thought) behind it. By ‘philosophy’ here, I mean everything produced through the human brain, encompassing from conscious to unconscious.

 

Almost all the expressions that we encounter through our eyes and ears are produced through a person's brain. In other words, what humans express is, to a greater or lesser extent, a projection of their philosophy.

 

As long as humans have a brain, there are very few expressions that do not involve it. Whether in sleep or in the state of dementia, every kind of human expression, with a few exceptions such as reflexes and autonomous physiological responses, reflects the brain, that is, the philosophy. Even if the brain is digitized and its shape changes, its essence would likely remain unchanged.

 

Thus, it can be said that the essence of expression is philosophy. That is to say, philosophy and expression are inseparably tied together.

 

Various expressions are performed by humans. While each form of expression may differ, in fact, all expressions fundamentally represent one thing - philosophy.

 

It's not necessarily the material expression itself that holds value. It's merely a manifestation of philosophy, or to put it boldly, it's merely illustrative material for the philosophy made concrete. But in modern times, it is often the illustrative material itself that is valued. Isn't that a bit strange?

 

The illustrative material is worshipped, but it's philosophy that truly holds value. If we could extract thought alone, material expressions wouldn't be so important.

 

Would it be easier to understand if I compare it to a philosophy book? The material value of the book you're reading isn't that high, is it? The essence of the value lies in the philosophy, the thought, the revolution within it.

 

I can understand the appraisal of material beauty and technical skill. However, these too, in the end, are expressions of philosophy, and merely part of it.

 

Deep within what is manifest in the material, there lies the essence - the philosophy, the thought.”

 

 

 

“Do you know the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper? It's a tale carrying a moral lesson that if one is lazy, they'll face consequences, but if one works hard, they will be rewarded.

 

But, in fact, it seems that among grasshoppers, there are many species that don't survive through winter. This means they, by nature, don't have the habit of storing food. When viewed in this light, our perspective on the story dramatically changes.

 

If they can't make it through winter, the grasshopper's way of relishing its brief life can be said to be entirely justified. Because, after all, there's no point in devoting effort to storing food for a winter they won't survive.

 

So, here's what I'm trying to say. We, humans, are made to believe in numerous misconceptions. We're not seeing the truth. This is formed by a brainwashing called ‘socialization’, that begins at birth and continues throughout our lives. Society is adept at molding us into social beings. They're truly skillful at it. We are corrected to fit into society, unconsciously, through being scolded, disliked, and on the other hand, being praised and pleased.

 

Well, setting that aside, anyway, the truth is covered. If you know the truth, your view of things changes dramatically, just like in the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper. I think that these dramatic shifts in perspective are indeed the truly magnificent expressions.

 

Humans don't view things through organs like eyes or ears. We perceive things with our brains. If our philosophies or thoughts change, the way we see and feel everything changes.

 

What's important is not to express something new, but to express a new way of seeing things, or in other words, to express the truth (philosophy).”

 

 

 

“Seeing or feeling is a process that occurs through the brain. In other words, as one's philosophies or thoughts change, so does what one feels or sees.

 

Do you think that this single painting you and I are looking at right now is the same thing for both you and me? I don't think it is. The same thing might be depicted there, but a different thing is portrayed. That's because our philosophies, yours and mine, are different.

 

It's a bit difficult to understand, isn't it? But, what I'm trying to say is, it might be our philosophies, the ones receiving it, that determine what we see and what we feel. No matter what intention the creator might have infused into it, it's actually the viewer's philosophies that determine what is seen and what is felt.

 

See, people who grasp the philosophy of the nature (the truth) of a grasshopper and those who don't, their interpretation of the story of the ant and the grasshopper - in other words, the way they see and feel about it - would differ, right?

 

I said that the essence of expression is philosophy. But, it doesn't solely belong to the one expressing it. Just like the philosophies of the creator, the philosophies of the receiver are also very important.

 

So, in order to convey what you see and feel (philosophies), you need to communicate your philosophies (what you see and feel) to the receiver.

 

Then, it follows that true creation is the transmission of philosophies.

 

That's why I position philosophy at the top of expression. This is because the essence of expression, known as philosophy, creates all the senses of oneself and the viewer, such as vision and hearing, in other words, everything that can be seen and felt.”

 

 

 

“We are convinced to believe in value concepts, constructs of human convenience. Beyond the elimination of all these value concepts that humans have crafted, lies the truth - the genuine expression.

 

When we reach that point, the significance of expression vanishes.

Why? Because everything before our eyes is overwhelmingly beautiful and hideous. There are no expressions or works that can surpass it.

 

To express such an ultimate masterpiece, I create ‘philosophies’.”