“Exquisite” happens when parts unite to form a greater whole
Aside from the beauty of the reflections, the image of this motorcycle encourages several lines of contemplation. The first is a deep appreciation for the human capacity to extract elements from the earth and shape them into virtually unlimited forms. Size, shape and surface, even strength of materials and temperature tolerances are a few of the variables that designers and engineers can manipulate—which amazes me!
My father was a toolmaker for the Ford Motor Company. He sometimes said he could make anything from metal. When he heard that I was chipping fossils in creek beds with a hammer and screwdriver, he surprised me with a professional looking pick and hammer that he had made from a single piece of steel. The handle was textured for gripping and the head had a needle point on one end and a flat prong on the other for prying. It was beautiful and it worked.
Having gained the ability to shape the earth into anything we can imagine was certainly a key step in humanity’s ongoing physical and intellectual transformation. By literally having “the whole world in our hands,” the forms we have made, and are continuing to create, are informing us about our values and choices. Do they sustain and build? Make us better? Promote understanding? Lift us up? This particular form, the motorcycle, peaks my aesthetic nerve. I never owned one, but this image helps me appreciate how so much potential power, visually and literally, can be contained in such a relatively small and beautiful vehicle.
Another line of contemplation derives from the observation that many different forms have been organized into a highly functioning whole. A motorcycle is an excellent example of the often misused term, “synergy,” initially used to describe a system where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Indeed, extract any part, no matter how small, and the system will perform differently—or not at all.
There’s also a lesson in diversity here. If all the parts took the same form or performed the same function, they wouldn’t constitute a whole capable of functioning at all. In both physical and social systems, differentiation and diversity are essential for full functioning. Because diversity improves resilience, and therefore adaptability, it’s a survival and growth strategy that bacteria learned about two billion years ago. A common metaphor for demonstrating this is the orchestra, where individual musicians unite to form a whole that exceeds what any of them could do alone. And, being a member of a large group challenges the performers to do their best. It applies to all systems—Broadway plays, business teams and churches. Every part in a machine, and every member of a society has a role to play. And in doing so, their unique performance is enhanced.
What is anything but spirit taking form?
Alex Gray (Artist)
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My other sites—
Love And Light greetings.com: A twice-weekly blog featuring wisdom quotes and perspectives in science and spirituality intended to inspire and empower
David L. Smith Photography Portfolio.com: Black and white and color photography
Ancient Maya Cultural Traits.com: Weekly blog featuring the traits that made this civilization unique
Contemplative Photography 