I think all artworks will reveal the structure of decision-making, strategies, impulse, intentionality if one studies them. Why? Because artworks are made by humans and what humans do at the highest level of invention, orchestration, etc., is to weave narrative into form (and there are verbal, aural, visual narratives separate and mixed). It can be very direct or very complex, obviously. And it must not appear too calculated but must have a rhythm, a flow, a set of relationships. What can't be purposely put into art by this means is real feeling, the expressive x-factor that people respond to but can't point to. Without that feeling there is, of course, no art; with it, that "narrative" is also needed. No amount of strategy can make an artwork but no artwork can come into being without the strategy. Van Gogh's art is a good example of that.
I suspect inspiration occurs when a passive, perhaps unconscious, narrative suddenly causes one to sense its metaphorical link to a conscious narrative. Before the modern breakthroughs in neurology, The term commonly used to refer to this phenomenon was "biassociation" (see, for example, Arthur Koestler). WC --- On Mon, 9/1/08, GEOFF CREALOCK <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: GEOFF CREALOCK <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Inspirations and intentions > To: [email protected] > Date: Monday, September 1, 2008, 6:34 PM > OK. You're right (re play-writing): I can see that there > may be a > back-and-forth process between inspiration and intention. > And, no doubt, much money has been made by someone > intending to cash in on > something that was a big "hit" by producing > something intended to be like > the "hit". > Geoff > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Reply-To: [email protected] > >To: [email protected] > >Subject: Re: Artists and intentions > >Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 17:12:31 EDT > > > >In a message dated 9/1/08 4:20:35 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > writes: > > > > > > > In a message dated 8/30/08 9:28:36 PM, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > > > > > > > . I might not > > > > value an inspired work but I would mistrust > an intended work. > > > > > > > > > > It is very rare that you can tell whether a > specific work is intended or > > > inspired . > > > Kate Sullivan > > > > >When one writes a playscript, as distinguished -- > perhaps; you guys tell me > >-- from creating visual works, the finished work feels > a kind of > >combination of > >inspiration and a cerebral working out of what one > intends this or that bit > >to do. Sensibility and common sense dictate the need > for certain > >craft-elements. > > > >That probably needs an example. The prototypical > example in theater > >involves > >a gun -- either justifying its being available when > needed by a character, > >or > >satisfying the expectation it excites if it's > hanging on the wall at > >curtain-up. Everything must be "prepared > for" as the story unfolds or the > >later > >moment won't "land", often because it > will be non-credible. > > > >The inspiration often comes in the form of how to > prepare the audience for > >what's to come, without giving away what's to > come. In the movie "An > >Officer and > >a Gentleman" there's an ingenious bit of > preparation early on. We're given > >a > >flashback to the boyhood of the Richard Gere character. > It serves to show > >what > >a lousy boyhood it was. For example, he's > motherless, and his father, an > >American sailor, grudgingly takes him along when > he's assigned to the > >Philippines. > > The father ignores the friendless boy. The boy takes > up with local thugs > >he > >want to think are his friends, but eventually they beat > him up, using the > >karate blows all the locals learn at a young age. We > accept the quick event > >as a > >stand-alone example of how isolated and unwanted he was > as a child. > > > >Years later, Gere is challenged by some local thugs who > despise these > >white-uniformed officers-in-training who steal all the > best local girls. > >Gere tries > >to beg off, "I don't want to fight." The > thugs won't let him go, they want > >to > >embarrass him in front of his girl. They taunt him and > then start pushing > >him > >-- whereupon he destroys the biggest bad guy with one > ripping karate kick > >to > >the face. We're both startled and yet satisfying > prepared for it -- by an > >event > >we never identified as a "plant" when we > first saw it. (The karate training > >then comes into play again later.) > > > >The playwright often senses generic needs. "Bren > has to demonstrate smarts > >early on, and a sense of humor." That's the > intent of the playwright; he > >is > >the craftsman realizing the form of what the storyline > needs. Now he needs > >to > >come up with speech and action for Bren that does > exactly that -- and > >that's > >where the inspiration comes in. Perhaps the most > satisfying giddily > >pleasing > >moments for a writer are when he finds himself > wondering, "Where did that > >come > >from!" > > > > > > > >************** > >It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. > Find your travel > >deal here. > > > >(http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)
