Tuesday, 30 June 2009
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Greyface vs Plato
Inspired by Kyreles. (Do you really realize what you (assumingly accidentally) do to my head sometimes?)
This section from the Wikipedia entry on Arabesque is nearly identical to the Discordian Curse of Greyface (notto be confused with Xangan (and artist extraordinaire) Curse_of_Greyface):Therefore, for most Muslims, the best artwork that can be created by man for use in the Mosque is artwork that displays the underlying order and unity of nature.
However, the section continues:The order and unity of the material world, they believe, is a mere ghostly approximation of the spiritual world, which for many Muslims is the place where the only true reality exists. Discovered geometric forms, therefore, exemplify this perfect reality because God's creation has been obscured by the sins of man.
Compare to Plato's Realm of the Forms:Suppose a person were to make all kinds of figures of gold...—somebody points to one of them and asks what it is. By far the safest and truest answer is [to say] that it is gold; and not to call the triangle or any other figures which are formed in the gold "these" as though they had existence; and the same argument applies to the universal nature which receives all bodies —that must always be called the same; for, while receiving all things, she never departs at all from her own nature, and never...assumes a form like that of any of the things which enter into her; ... But the forms which enter into and go out of her are the likenesses of real existences modelled after their patterns in a wonderful and inexplicable manner.... (Fowett on Plato, as quoted by Wikipedia)
Do you think that a (not "the") pure, ideal, (possibly nonexistent or unimportant), realm of , upon which all objects in the "reality" of perception exist, requires an aestheic congruent with descriptors such as "order and unity"?
(Reading list: The Curse of Greyface via The Principia Discordia, The Curse of Greyface via Hyperdiscordia, and Discordianism via Wikipedia of course, Plato's Republic, especially The Allegory of the Cave, (or the Wikipedia articles if you're lazy (or Platonic Realism in general), and possibly (although I cetainly haven't) The Whole Fucking Qur'an. If you require inspiration concerning the necessity of such a realm, try the writings of Zeno, or, if you've already read Lewis Carroll (or Newton (I mean Lebnitz (depending on who you ask))), Parmenides, or even spiritualists who describe the Maya or whatever else for a more general argument. Also Gödel should be somewhere in here...)
Friedrich Nietzsche, the anti-Plato, if there is one, of course, believes that "one must have chaos within oneself, to give birth to a dancing star".
(Wait... the arabesque, the most ubiquitous pose in ballet, shares it's name with the artform that is, according to Islam, a Bastion of Order, yet the reflection of True Order in Reality via Islam is equivalent to the philosophy of Plato, whose opposite, Nietzsche, equates dance with Chaos. I'm suddenly remided of Zeno.)Powered by ScribeFire.
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Comments (12)
Interesting. So are you saying the Arabesque is a reflection of order (or disorder)?
@heidenkind - That's what I'm asking YOU!
That was a question?
Well, I think if you're talking purely in the realm of ideas, you could argue that; although you would have to work harder to convince me that the French saw it that way. Subconsciously and several steps removed, the Arabesque in ballet might be construed as a reflection of divinity, but I think it much more likely that it was simply a reference to the curvilinear style of the position. For example, this image shows how much the dancer's spine bends in Arabesque attitude, which is definitely reminiscent of Arabesque art... or at least, the French interpretation of it.
I heart your argument, though. There's the beginnings of an academic paper right there.
@heidenkind - The problem is that I call myself a Discordian whenever people start glorifying order and I call myself a Platonist whenever people start glorifying disorder. Leave it to The Girlfriend to do both at once. She knows me better than I know myself.
That's what girlfriends are for.
@heidenkind - I'm pretty sure that the whisky didn't hurt though.
There was whiskey involved? Was there also a hound dog, or have I been listening to too much country music?
@heidenkind - There's no "e" when it's from Canada! Actually it tasted terrible which is why it was chosen to be mixed 1:5 with coffee. Whiskied coffee is the ultimate drink to accompany blogging.
I'll keep that in mind.
@anaraug - aww i love you too, honey. jajaja
ART IS ORDER FROM CHAOS (as shown here)
Plato is going down baby.... (Thanks for the kind words BTW)
(Wait... the arabesque, the most ubiquitous pose in ballet, shares it's
name with the artform that is, according to Islam, a Bastion of Order,
yet the reflection of True Order in Reality via Islam is equivalent to
the philosophy of Plato, whose opposite, Nietzsche, equates dance with
Chaos. I'm suddenly remided of Zeno.)
Brilliant, really. I love how it all came together - excellent conclusion.
I despise 'chaos' and those who claim to thrive on it, because they only do so under the amount of chaos within their comfort zone. Its really just a different type of order for them.