Actually there are hundreds of aesthetic ideals at any given time, which has an influence on me as i try to create something with my personal Aesthetic ideal using nature( the human form) as my subject,because it has remained the same.
AB On Aug 31, 2012, at 3:49 PM, William Conger wrote: > I take it Cheerskep agrees with my statement where I mention that any word will > elicit some meaning. When a person responds to a word by saying it's > meaningless, he is right to the extent that all words are in themselves > meaningless. In another sense he is saying that he doesn't understand the > context with word addresses. But in his brain many meanings for the word have > already reached consciousness an some of them may be taboo or too odd to express > and so 'cultural' rules apply and he excuses himself by saying 'it's > meaningless'. > > > On the question of aesthetic ideal, I don't see what all the confusion is about. > There are lots of aesthetic ideals. Generally one or two is dominant in any > given era and culture. Individuals may think they are free from these ideals > but the best they can do is a variation on it. True yesterday, true today, true > tomorrow. The hard part is recognizing when an aesthetic ideal is at the point > of radical transformation. > wc > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, August 31, 2012 11:54:21 AM > Subject: Re: Aesthetic Ideal > > William writes: > "When we hear or read a word that seems meaningless, our amazing brains > will. . . . > resort to onomatopoeia [and other devices as it attacks] > the job of explaining whatever it senses. It will come up with a > 'meaning', > always. " > > I recently completed a one-act play that addresses the topic. The full > nineteen-page one act is available at: > > http://tommccormackplays.com/pdfs/Why-Bren-Left-PHILOSOPHY-8-29-.pdf > > Here's an excerpt. BREN is an academic in exile, KIT is the > recent-college-graduate daughter of his landlord: > > BREN > You -- and some philosophers -- are like children who believe in > tree-spirits. In effect, you think inside every "word" dwells an abstract imp. > On > yonder shelves, you assume there are a million inky imps carrying out abstract > actions twenty-four-seven: "naming", "referring", "picking out". . > ."denoting", "designating", "signifying". . . "meaning". Wonder the shelf > don't > collapse under all that truckin'. > > . . . .Those imps are as mythical as angels. What you call "words": audible > or inky, they are incapable of DOING ANYTHING. After a writer puts ink on > paper, the ink -- that you'd point at and say "That's a word" -- is as > inert as stone. When you read, you're inclined to say it's the "word" that's > acting, but ALL THE ACTION IS BY YOUR BRAIN -- > (lightly taps KIT's head) > -- recalling memories connected with those sounds and inky shapes. And > piecing together new notions you've never had before. > > KIT > Wait -- > BREN > -- Suppose I say "hypostatize" to you. What notion rises? > KIT > . . . "Hypostatize"? Everyone knows that. It's a kinky sex position from > the Kama Sutra. You made the word up. To me, it's meaningless. > BREN > Right. 'It's "meaningless" to you.' Which you say because the sound > "hypostatize" connects with nothing in your memory. > KIT > . . . But 'hot' and 'milk' DO connect! So do 'justice', 'beauty', 'art'. > You trying to tell me they're meaningless? > BREN > YOU wouldn't call them meaningless. Because if ANYTHING comes to your > mind when you hear my talk-noise, you'd say: There! That's obviously "the > meaning for me"! But these notions, these "meanings for you" -- where do the > pieces come from, and how do they get assembled? > KIT > ..."How do they get assembled"? I'm not sure what you're -- > BREN > -- When I say "apelsin", or "milk", "democracy", "designate" -- or even > "Cleopatra!" -- what comes into your head are solely BITS OF MEMORY retrieved > and mosaicked by your racy brain as it processes the familiar sound. > KIT > -- Wait. Slow down -- > BREN > -- You think your notion of Cleopatra comes from a bolt shafted down by > Plato or Zeus? > KIT > Slow down! > . . . . > > BREN > If you want to call whatever comes to your mind a "meaning", you can argue > your life has a headful of meaning. But it's your head's meaning, not the > words'.
