The random arrangement of visual elements juxtaposing lights and darks in this image comes near to creating abstraction because the subject matter is easily “read.” Another aesthetic feature here is the number of visual elements, each tonal change representing one of them. The more there are, the more complex the image, so there’s increased potential […]
Although this weld bead is not a good one from the perspective of a welder, it caught my attention as a potentially abstract image, rich with color, texture and highlights. When I came across the image, the word “joining” came to mind, eliciting some observations for contemplation. Some of the metaphoric implications are obvious, others […]
What we see depends on where we stand In a film script, Point of View (POV) can indicate the camera position or the viewpoint of a character. In a screening of an episode of “24,” the TV series featuring Kiefer Sutherland, the President of the United States and the Vice-president vehemently disagreed on whether or […]
Through coherence, parts unite to form whole systems For me, part of the appeal of this image is that it at once evokes the sensibility of living cells and astronomical bodies—the “innerverse” viewed under a microscope and the universe viewed through a telescope. At both extremes we observe diverse parts that join together to make […]
Awakening to the truth of who we are and what we can become together About two-thousand years ago a radical idea was born, presaged by a star that guided some wise men to a cave in Bethlehem. That idea, “Love they neighbor,” is a simple admonition admired by many but so challenging that, after all […]
A deeper perspective Philosopher Ken Wilber’s perspective on art in The Eye of Spirit: An Integral Vision For a World Gone Slightly Mad beautifully expresses what I believe is its highest potential—that everything is art. My philosopher friend, Beatrice Bruteau, made it explicit. “Since the divine Artist has chosen to create, we cannot love the […]
They don’t really “fall” of their own accord, they’re evicted Function Leaves serve as solar collectors for a tree, gathering carbon dioxide and water from the atmosphere to create energy—sugar—through photosynthesis. In the process, they release oxygen into the air. For a tree to stand tall and survive the ravages of wind, rain, snow and […]
Qualities and behaviors that inhibit entropy These retired coin-operated newspaper boxes call to mind two fundamental principals in the science of whole systems. The first is “entropy,” a term borrowed from the second law of thermodynamics in physics. It describes the process whereby matter gradually dissipates or declines into a state of disorder. Throughout the […]
An art style that sheds light on the value of choice In a dream, I walked around an art gallery where all the large black and white photographs were made in “high key”—white subjects on white backgrounds with some grey values but no blacks. Attempting to achieve this with film was challenging because it required […]
They apply to everything, not just families This image conjures for me an imagined family, perhaps two or three generations of farmers. The decaying barn speaks of a generation when the field was plowed with horses that, along with feed, seed, tools and machines required a shelter that didn’t require plumbing or heating. And wood was […]
