As I was researching for my story about how humans could be the ones who are aliens to the planet, I came accross the ever so intriguing phenomenon of crop circles. And not too late in the research I came accross this website created by the, oh so mysterious crop circle makers. Yes, that's right. They are works of art. (I recently saw a documentary on the National Geographic channel that did not cover this aspect of crop circles)
http://www.circlemakers.org/case_history.html
They even have a beginner's guide to making crop circles. Although, at some level, I am disappointed that no one from other planets is interested in meeting us.
Enjoy!
This blog has been inspired by the word uttered by Woody Allen in the movie Annie Hall. It refers to pretentiousness, I think. And we encounter it everyday... The "Heaviosity" that is. I thought that the name was perfect for media items that pretend to be one thing but really mean something else. I also tend to include certain items to simply voice my opinion about them. © Copyright. Swapnali T.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Art or No Art
Yesterday I visited the Queen West Art Crawl -- a street festival where artists from different disciplines exhibit their art-work and hope to sell some. This led me back to a thought that appears occasionally in my mind. What is art and why does something, that might appeal to me may not have the same effect on someone else and vice-versa?
I have been also mulling over the question of what is “abstract art”. There are some modern artists whose work produces an inexplicable effect and there are others whose work I hesitate to call “art”.
I once saw a documentary about a 5 year old prodigy who paints abstract art:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3701484.stm
The documentary clearly showed two schools of thought: Artists who go to great lengths and details for realistic painting and the other that find expression of a feeling through a bunch of what may seem like scribbles to an untrained eye (scribbles that even a 5 year old is capable of). (I am no “art guru”, hence the humility in the choice of words. :))
I was once visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) that has some interesting pieces and one of them was by Yoko Ono. I couldn’t understand it. It was a needle mounted on a glass pedestal. It was supposed to express anti-war or peace sentiment. I was confused.
There are things that pretend to be art and there are some that are clearly traditionally artistic. This led me to do some research in this subject and I came across a website for “fluxus” art. I like how they don’t hide behind the heaviosity. Please read:
http://www.artnotart.com/fluxus/
http://www.artnotart.com/fluxus/dhiggins-childshistory.html
Here are some abstracts that one may find debatable:
http://www.abstractmodernart.com/AA_Site/pages/misc/gallery.html
To summarize, I think all art is an expression or an impression of the artist’s mind. However, some seem to be planned, purposeful pieces and others seem more like accidents and yet others could be what they call “happy” accidents – they are accidents but they create a dramatic effect.
And some are nothing but scribbles pretending to be “art”.
These are my thought anyways. I would love a good debate over this and sort things out.
I have been also mulling over the question of what is “abstract art”. There are some modern artists whose work produces an inexplicable effect and there are others whose work I hesitate to call “art”.
I once saw a documentary about a 5 year old prodigy who paints abstract art:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3701484.stm
The documentary clearly showed two schools of thought: Artists who go to great lengths and details for realistic painting and the other that find expression of a feeling through a bunch of what may seem like scribbles to an untrained eye (scribbles that even a 5 year old is capable of). (I am no “art guru”, hence the humility in the choice of words. :))
I was once visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) that has some interesting pieces and one of them was by Yoko Ono. I couldn’t understand it. It was a needle mounted on a glass pedestal. It was supposed to express anti-war or peace sentiment. I was confused.
There are things that pretend to be art and there are some that are clearly traditionally artistic. This led me to do some research in this subject and I came across a website for “fluxus” art. I like how they don’t hide behind the heaviosity. Please read:
http://www.artnotart.com/fluxus/
http://www.artnotart.com/fluxus/dhiggins-childshistory.html
Here are some abstracts that one may find debatable:
http://www.abstractmodernart.com/AA_Site/pages/misc/gallery.html
To summarize, I think all art is an expression or an impression of the artist’s mind. However, some seem to be planned, purposeful pieces and others seem more like accidents and yet others could be what they call “happy” accidents – they are accidents but they create a dramatic effect.
And some are nothing but scribbles pretending to be “art”.
These are my thought anyways. I would love a good debate over this and sort things out.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Maybe WE are aliens!
I have been thinking about aliens and other galaxies and strange planets recently (District 9 may have been a reason).
And I wonder:
Would it be in fact that humans are the ones who are “alien” to this planet, we call Earth?
After all:
1. We are the only animals who can smile
2. We are the only animals who are intelligent enough to manufacture using earth’s resources
3. We are the only animals who can stand erect on our hind limbs.
4. We are the only beings on earth who cook food
5. We are the only beings on earth who drink milk of other animals.
6. And possibly many more differences.
The fact that humans have to struggle so hard to make the best use of available natural resources, to find the necessity to discover new ways of manufacture and to not care much about what we are doing to this planet, makes me think that may be this earth isn’t our home. Maybe we just dropped by to say hi and lost our ship and were forced to be a part of this planet.
The fact that all other animals seem to fair much better and without stress, makes me think that, that is the way it is supposed to be – all they have to worry about is food. Hunt it and eat it. And even their hunting is part of the ecological balance. We are the only animals that seem like outsiders.
Maybe on the planet we really belong all animals are intelligent and can smile and cook their food and fire is found naturally.Maybe all animals walk on their hind limbs and the products of intelligence of these animals together creates an ecological balance on that planet.
If you thought I were coming to some environmental message. I am not! :)
And I wonder:
Would it be in fact that humans are the ones who are “alien” to this planet, we call Earth?
After all:
1. We are the only animals who can smile
2. We are the only animals who are intelligent enough to manufacture using earth’s resources
3. We are the only animals who can stand erect on our hind limbs.
4. We are the only beings on earth who cook food
5. We are the only beings on earth who drink milk of other animals.
6. And possibly many more differences.
The fact that humans have to struggle so hard to make the best use of available natural resources, to find the necessity to discover new ways of manufacture and to not care much about what we are doing to this planet, makes me think that may be this earth isn’t our home. Maybe we just dropped by to say hi and lost our ship and were forced to be a part of this planet.
The fact that all other animals seem to fair much better and without stress, makes me think that, that is the way it is supposed to be – all they have to worry about is food. Hunt it and eat it. And even their hunting is part of the ecological balance. We are the only animals that seem like outsiders.
Maybe on the planet we really belong all animals are intelligent and can smile and cook their food and fire is found naturally.Maybe all animals walk on their hind limbs and the products of intelligence of these animals together creates an ecological balance on that planet.
If you thought I were coming to some environmental message. I am not! :)
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