"I think we always have the capacity -- if not the ready ability -- to experience the world as inevitable and resolved, as beautiful as a mirror of our metaphorical perceptions. If that's right then it's our responsibility, not the mountain's and not the painting's." wc
I completely agree with that, to create one's perception may be difficult, but projecting in other minds is next to impossible. mando On Jun 10, 2009, at 9:00 AM, William Conger wrote: > The mountain is not inevitable and resolved; that is, the mountain > is not a quality. What is inevitable and resolved is the state of > mind or the feeling or the aesthetic experience of the viewer of > the mountain. We might say that the mountain is beautiful or seems > to have a sense of being inevitable and resolved but of course the > mountain is neither, it is just there. It is meaningless. It is an > empty container, as Lakoff and Johnson say, and we fill it up with > metaphorical meaning. > > Now, instead of saying mountain, say art, or painting , or > something else. It's still the same relationship between something > empty and the filled up perceiving mind that is a churning cauldron > of metaphorical potentiality, instantly offering up a plethora of > meanings and allusions to still more meanings at every instant of > experience -- if we allow it. > > Sometimes, a perception of metaphorical meaning seems to correspond > so well to what we call the formal attributes of something, the > subjective comprehension of its physical attributes, that we feel a > sense of rightness so strongly that we say it's inevitable, it's > resolved, it's "right" or that it couldn't be otherwise and still > feel so right. But none of this is proving that the thing itself > has the meaning or the rightness or anything other that its > physical substance -- meaningless but present. Is this feeling > possible with anything at all, I mean the sensation of the > inevitable and the resolved? Maybe it is. When we don't have that > experience in relation to something in the world, a mountain or a > painting, is the problem with us, our unwillingness or inability to > let the "churning cauldron" of metaphoric possibilities bubble > over, as it were? Maybe. I think so. > > I think we always have the capacity -- if not the ready ability -- > to experience the world as inevitable and resolved, as beautiful as > a mirror of our metaphorical perceptions. If that's right then > it's our responsibility, not the mountain's and not the painting's. > wc > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Chris Miller <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 9:51:32 AM > Subject: Re: inevitable and resolved > > William made it up? > > Well, a fine phrase it is - especially regarding images that are > recognizable > scenes or people. As every mark within them doesn't feel > "inevitable and > resolved", they deserve to be called "mere illustration". > > But even if nothing is recognizable, still -- if "inevitable and > resolved" is > not the first response that comes to mind, such images deserve to > be called > "mere decoration" or "mere self expression" > > As Mando agrees - "inevitable and resolved" is a very high bar > (and he's not > even sure that all of his own work can clear it) > > It's the quality found in natural things: mountains, canyons, > flowers, birds > and such. (and to return to Louis Sullivan - I think this is why > he suggests > that great architects will only be those who grew up in the > countryside rather > than the city) > > Is any kind of special knowledge or ability required to > recognize this > quality ? > > I think it's only necessary to keep such a concern foremost in the > attention > - although with so many possible distractions -- perhaps that is > not always so > easy. And the longer that attention has been practiced, the more > demanding > (though not necessarily more narrow) it is likely to become. > > Is such an effort similar to what William calls "heavy lifting > regarding > content" ? > > I have no idea how he distinguishes "content" from "meaning". > Does anyone > else? > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Want to work all of your life? Click here for investment > information and > start saving today. > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/fc/ > BLSrjnxQyrslAXurUuAStMfXRlsOqN > FC11KbErcSx8unI4gqHQKM9GJJ8FS/
