Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Reading Over and Over

From page 41 of "basic design: systems, elements, applications" by John Adkins Richardson, Floyd W. Coleman and Michael J. Smith, (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 1984).

Designer and critic Roy R. Behrens (b. 1946), in his book "Art and Camouflage" apparently "analyzed the roles of contrast in nature and in art, using the raft of concealment as a clue to the nature of creativity in art. The camofleur deals in delusions and tries to obliterate our awareness of a 'thing' that is being hidden. For a creative act to occur, a 'framing' of the act (by actual picture frames, placement in museums, theatrical stages, religious edifices, scientific laboratories, or tones of voice that imply jokes) is essential. Framing 'separates acts of creation (which are labeled deviant acts) from such phenomena as madness which are unframed deviant acts."

At first I thought it meant human action motivated by intention, i.e. "framing", is required to bring to the fore camouflaged stuff hidden stuff in nature, but the more times I read it, the more I get confused. Delusions and obliterations? So framing (critics and museums' actions) make the deviant act of creating OK and sane???

1 comment:

  1. In a perverse way, "making things is madness" feels right to me. You?

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