Drawing for Changes and Disappearances No. 33 1979 - 1982

John Cage created this drawing, "Drawing for Changes and Disappearances No. 33," on paper. It presents a constellation of lines and angles, a geometric dance evoking change itself. This echoes the ancient fascination with mapping the unknown, akin to early cartographers charting unexplored lands. These lines, seemingly random, recall the practice of divination, where patterns were sought in chaos to predict the future or understand the present. Think of the I Ching, where lines dictate the flow of change. The act of drawing lines to define forms has evolved through time, from cave paintings to architectural blueprints. Cage's marks, like the patterns in sand mandalas, have a non-linear progression. The drawing becomes a field for projecting our own interpretations. Change isn’t linear; it resurfaces, evolves, and adapts, much like these symbols in art and culture.