Paul Nervy Notes
“Jokes, poems, stories, and a lot of philosophy, psychology, and sociology.”


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Arts, general, composition.  ---  .This section considers principles and methods of composition in the arts.  ---  12/30/2003


Arts, general, composition.  ---  .This section is about composition in the arts.  ---  1/24/2006


Arts, general, composition.  ---  (1) Synthesis: Welding parts together.  Combining ideas.  (2) Analysis: Breaking things down into component parts.  Disassemble.  Unpack.  ---  10/13/2004


Arts, general, composition.  ---  A much too calculated method of artistic composition.  Pick an audience.  Tailor your message to your audience.  Speak your audience's language.  Talk about things your audience is familiar with.  Play to your audience.  Kiss up to your audience.  That's not art.  ---  10/15/2004


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Address important subjects, not the frivolous.  Pursue truth, not lies.  ---  10/13/2004


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Composition methods.  (1) Riffing.  Doodling.  Brainstorming.  vs.  (2) Planning the composition.  ---  6/7/2004


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Compositional elements.  (1) Emotions, tone, mood: hot or cool.  (2) Plot.  (3) Environment, background, setting.  (4) Characters, actors (human and non-human).  (5) Events.  (6) Structure, form, arrangement, development.  (7) Style.  (8) Consonance, dissonance.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Compositional elements.  (1) Subject, and views on it (theme, point of view of artist).  (2) Subject, issue, view, argument, evidence.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Compositional principles.  (1) Unity, integration, tied up.  (2) Symmetry, harmony, beauty.  (3) Variation.  (4) Flow, progression.  (5) Clarity of message (see communication in general).  (6) Concise, economical.  (7) Completeness of ideas.  (8) Truth: metaphysical, ethical.  (9) Accuracy.  (10) Power.  (11) Consistently high quality.  (12) Parts working well, working well together.  (13) One bad element, or one bad integration = bad art.  (14) Most important ideas on most important subjects.  (15) Enjoyable?  To who?  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Greater technical ability can allow for greater expressiveness.  ---  03/01/1988


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Importance of passion in creation of art.  Feeling strongly about what you are saying in the work of art.  ---  10/13/2004


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  (1) Synthetic method: by elements, by sections.  (2) Analytic method.  (3) Combo approach.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Compositional  problems: can't see, can't feel, can't say.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Compositional technology: materials, tools, techniques.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Fusion heat theory: final work takes total effort.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Fusion heat theory.  All your energies must go into the final work of art.  Heat to fuse.  Fusion Heat.  Total conviction.  Total power(s).  ---  11/13/1988


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Germ theory of composition: fester, burst, infect.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Great attitudes produce great art.  Shit attitudes produce shit art.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Inspiration vs. workman's attitude.  Free associating vs. meticulous rational searching.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Positioning the head.  Get garbage, shit, junk out.  Get noble quality in.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Riffing method.  Jazz improvisation.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Show the problems: realistic, pessimistic.  Show the solutions: idealistic, optimistic.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Summon all the tension and pain you see and feel.  Bring it to a fever pitch.  Let it burst forth.  ---  07/28/1993


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Methods.  Toadstools in fog theory of creation.  Sometimes you can't see the final goal, you can only see the next toadstool (just hope you don't have to choose between two toadstools).  Can't see ahead till you take next step.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Non-serial composition methods.  Any element of the composition, any part of the composition, can occur to the author at any time.  The parts of the composition can be thought of by the author in any order.  You don't have to create the work in a linear, serial order from beginning to end.  ---  6/7/2004


Arts, general, composition.  ---  Tapping into unconscious.  Revealing unconscious thoughts and unconscious emotions.  ---  10/15/2004


Arts, general, composition.  ---  What are some compositional methods that would apply to the arts in general?  What compositional methods apply more to one art than another?  (1) Free association.  Versus.  Logical and systematic exploration of alternative choices.  (2) Spontaneous, improvisational.  Versus.  Preplanned.  (3) Mechanical assemblage of modules.  Versus.  Organic growth.  (4) Expand.  Versus.  Concentrate.  (5) Inductive, bottom up.  Versus.  Deductive, top down.  (6) Toward order.  Versus.  Toward chaos.  (7) Toward thought.  Versus.  Toward emotion.  (8) Serial composition.  Versus.  Parallel composition.  ---  5/21/2006


Arts, general, composition.  ---  What are the most important subjects?  What are the most important views and attitudes on them?  What are the best ways to communicate them?  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  What makes art great?  How to make great art?  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, general, composition.  ---  When inspiration strikes, you have to be ready for it.  You can grab it, harness it, and put it to work.  It will always escape you.  It may or may not come back.  ---  03/01/1988




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Paul Nervy Notes. Copyright 1988-2007 by Paul Nervy.