Power of integrative perception. An article about promise &
disappointment in genetics (because new discoveries were so limited) by David Dobbs in Slate (Oct 27,2013). catalyzed thinking about resonating ideas in Art & Organism: Tiny fragments (or figments) of
information of slightly more credibility than whatever preceded them
promise huge empires of understanding, building on our love of conspiracy
theories. ("we tell the best story we can with the best evidence we have.") Dobbs was impressed
by conversation with a genetics post-doc at Cambridge over a few pints at
the Eagle. His Michelangelo’s David metaphor struck a responsive
chord (of course confirmation bias always helps). He had only seen
photographs & felt that while some showed a tentative youthfulness in David others showed a
transformative movement … His perceptions differed depending on very slight
differences in perspective, like an optical illusion -- And being in the presence of the masterpiece provided yet another perspective: both
realities could be seen at one: “the flickering microsecond in which a youth
becomes an adult.” For me, this resonated deeply with a half-forgotten experience of mine: after years of seeing pictures, and being appropriately impressed and then bored, I went
to Galleria dell ‘Accademia in
Florence and saw David
in reality. I felt I knew
Michelangelo's work from dozens of comments and photographs encountered as an
art major dutifully including Renaissance history in my studies, but seeing the real thing brought David to
life in a twinkling – the various frozen views of “objective” photos came to
life: the several perspectives converged in my mind. As I approached it,
something new and far better emerged. ... Michelangelo’s Prisoners, "works in progress" arrayed on either side of the corridor leading to David were less
familiar but conveyed a comparable epiphany as in each Prisoner I saw the
artist and his medium as a single holistic entity-- as a process not an object. I have ever since felt the latent potential
in any medium when seen in the right frame of mind. ref: https://www.dana.org/news/braininthenews/archives.aspx Sunday, February 2, 2014
Power of integrative perception.
Power of integrative perception. An article about promise &
disappointment in genetics (because new discoveries were so limited) by David Dobbs in Slate (Oct 27,2013). catalyzed thinking about resonating ideas in Art & Organism: Tiny fragments (or figments) of
information of slightly more credibility than whatever preceded them
promise huge empires of understanding, building on our love of conspiracy
theories. ("we tell the best story we can with the best evidence we have.") Dobbs was impressed
by conversation with a genetics post-doc at Cambridge over a few pints at
the Eagle. His Michelangelo’s David metaphor struck a responsive
chord (of course confirmation bias always helps). He had only seen
photographs & felt that while some showed a tentative youthfulness in David others showed a
transformative movement … His perceptions differed depending on very slight
differences in perspective, like an optical illusion -- And being in the presence of the masterpiece provided yet another perspective: both
realities could be seen at one: “the flickering microsecond in which a youth
becomes an adult.” For me, this resonated deeply with a half-forgotten experience of mine: after years of seeing pictures, and being appropriately impressed and then bored, I went
to Galleria dell ‘Accademia in
Florence and saw David
in reality. I felt I knew
Michelangelo's work from dozens of comments and photographs encountered as an
art major dutifully including Renaissance history in my studies, but seeing the real thing brought David to
life in a twinkling – the various frozen views of “objective” photos came to
life: the several perspectives converged in my mind. As I approached it,
something new and far better emerged. ... Michelangelo’s Prisoners, "works in progress" arrayed on either side of the corridor leading to David were less
familiar but conveyed a comparable epiphany as in each Prisoner I saw the
artist and his medium as a single holistic entity-- as a process not an object. I have ever since felt the latent potential
in any medium when seen in the right frame of mind. ref: https://www.dana.org/news/braininthenews/archives.aspx 
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