From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Fri Mar 28 2003 - 14:20:03 GMT
Hi Steve, Rick, All:
STEVE:
> I think it was Steve Martin who said something like "Talking about art is
> like dancing about poetry."
Nice. Thanks for the quote.
> As for putting art on a level or defining art, I think it is interesting
> that part of art is to ask the question, "Is this art?" The minimalist
> movement exemplifies this aspect of art. (e.g. If I just paint a canvas
> white and fram it, "is this art?" What if I just make one blue line across
> the canvas?)
>
> "Is this art?" could be translated as, "does this have quality?" or "what
> is Quality?" It may be an attempt at defining the undefinable.
Agree. Another question to ask of art, borrowed from teenage
vernacular, "Did it blow me away?"
> Art is aimed at DQ--at transcending static patterns, though it could only
> ever fall short. In this way, art may be a "high quality endeavor" and
> simultaneously a degenerate activity.
Pirsig doesn't say as much about the arts as he might have. The reason
may be contained in the following passage from Lila, Chap. 13:
"Third, there were moral codes that established the supremacy of the
intellectual order over the -social order-democracy, trial by jury, freedom
of speech, freedom of the press. Finally there's a fourth Dynamic
morality which isn't a code. He supposed you could call it a "code of
Art" or something like that, but art is usually thought of as such a frill
that that title undercuts its importance."
There's a hint here that art might be an unrealized fifth level, an idea I've
argued for in the past. It seems to me that if evolution is headed in any
direction it is toward beauty rather than ever increasing physical
comforts, freedoms and longevity. Of course, a world where beauty is
universally recognized as the highest value and is pursued with the
same vigor as fame and fortune are pursued today lies far in the future.
But, art points the way.
RICK:
What level do "aesthetic patterns" belong to in the MoQ?
They may belong in an unrealized fifth level. That's where I'd like to put
them. But, I can't find much encouragement from Pirsig. What do you
think?
Platt
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