In the traditional Japanese art of arranging flowers - ikebana, "living flowers", or kado, "the way of flowers" - special attention is paid to the so-called negative space. How can a gap, an empty space be important, valuable, and even beautiful? With its history of more than 1,500 years, ikebana, unlike Western flower arrangement practices, … Continue reading Importance of Gaps
Obligation to Be Clear
In this passage from his 1953 book "The Captive Mind", Czeslaw Milosz tells us about the experiences of artists in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries that came under its influence. In particular, the effects of the dictatorship of the one Method manifest in individual self-censorship and the gradually sedimenting conviction that things cannot … Continue reading Obligation to Be Clear
What Is Philosophy – Part 3
Last week, I wrote about ‘the way of art’, the second post in a series exploring the question ‘what is philosophy’. The series follows a recently published academic article by philosopher Kuzin Vasily*. In case you missed it, I recommend you start with part one and part two before continuing with this post (it will … Continue reading What Is Philosophy – Part 3
What Is Philosophy – Part 2
Last week, I introduced a series of posts exploring the question ‘what is philosophy’. It follows a recently published academic article of the same title by philosopher Kuzin Vasily*. In case you missed it, I recommend you start with part one before continuing with this post (it will make more sense that way). Here, in … Continue reading What Is Philosophy – Part 2
Postmodernism in a Quote
While modernism was based on idealism and reason, postmodernism was born of scepticism and a suspicion of reason. It challenged the notion that there are universal certainties or truths. Postmodern art drew on philosophy of the mid to late twentieth century, and advocated that individual experience and interpretation of our experience was more concrete than … Continue reading Postmodernism in a Quote
Spreading the Word: Longest Art Gallery
Are we ready to prioritise cultural heritage over commercial interest? It is a question of values. More specifically - it is a matter of deciding how to resolve a clash between an intrinsic and instrumental value. Pondering this may reveal the values we live by, perhaps without fully recognising them. In today's post, I share … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Longest Art Gallery
Spreading the Word: Philosophy of Art
What can we learn about art from philosophy? What does the concept of 'aesthetics' mean? How can we evaluate art, compare different artworks to each other, and should we do it at all? Philosophers have engaged with the question of beauty for centuries. Earlier this week, I posted a selection of beautiful lines from some … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Philosophy of Art
Spreading the Word: Art of Close Looking
What is visual literacy? What is the value of close looking? In her recent article for Psyche, writer and art historian Grace Linden explores the idea of visual literacy as a skill that needs to be learned (and taught). We do not just see what is out there, fully and objectively. We see what we … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Art of Close Looking
Spreading the Word: Art, Understanding, Meaning
Can art be a channel of understanding? Does it have a claim to truth, to knowledge? What comes first, understanding or knowing? Does art have a part to play in our processes of meaning-making? These are just some of the fascinating and stimulating questions explored in the video I share with you today. It is … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Art, Understanding, Meaning
Spreading the Word: Connecting Art and Science
What connects art, science, education, and nature? Watch this video where a visual artist, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, and an educator discuss what I would call the human experience. Perhaps unsurprisingly, communication in its various forms is at the heart of our meaning-making. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R11FofCPoQ4 Keeping up the "Spreading the Word" tradition, I hope to … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Connecting Art and Science
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