Strange and Ordinary Tools: The Reciprocity of Art and Life for Nishida Kitarō and Alva Noë

In Strange Tools: Art and Human Nature, Alva Noë argues that art is defined, in part, by its ability to disturb the organized activities that shape our lives. This article endorses Noë’s perspective, while integrating Nishida Kitarō’s novel concept of “kōiteki chokkan” (acting intuition) and examples from traditional Japanese arts to demonstrate how art is an unfolding interaction between the artist, their creation, and the environment. Nishida’s view complements and adds depth to Noë’s, clearly articulating the implicitly enactivist understanding of art in Noë’s work. It is argued that, as a result, art is both a “strange” and “ordinary” tool.