The Conceptual Age

I am reading a great book at the moment called A Whole new Mind by D. H. Pink. Basically, he is putting forward the idea that we are now in the Conceptual Age, no longer the Information Age, where success was mainly found in Left (brain) directed thinking. We still need that, of course, but we need to engage the right part of our brains in equal measure, something that has been largely missing in the Information Age. The future, he says, belongs to the Creators and Empathisers. Obviously, as an artist, good news for me. But also really important as an educator endeavouring to equip young people with what they need for their lives. This amounts to more support of the idea that the arts need to be fundamental in education: my mantra for some years now.

 

Interestingly, he cites a case in the UK where Yale medical students (rather well known for their left-brainedness) are required to study paintings at the British Art Museum because it teaches them to look for detail and consequently makes them better diagnosticians and more user friendly doctors. I so wish that here in Oz there could be less banging on by bureaucrats re education and some more actual research into what is happening globally. 

 

Anyhoo, this is the book. I'll probably share more as I read. My link below is to Amazon, but undoubtedly it is available in 'all good book stores' and possibly in your local library.

 

 

A chair of my own

Have been feeling in a bit of a rut, lately, and over the Christmas break I indulged in a Boxing Day Sale purchase...MY chair. Its so cool to have MY chair. All I have to do if someone is sitting in it is arch my eyebrow a bit and presto...message received. I have always wanted a chair like this and long felt that I deserved MY chair as much as anyone else in the household! When I look at it, it makes me happy. No doubt it will become the seat of higher learning, of creativity, and of course the vegetative state. It is probably weird to be so attached to an inanimate object, but I really do love it. So far, Tildy doesn't, so I don't even have to worry about it growing a layer of cat fur!

 

 

 

Clean up

I know it still looks like it is full of junk, and it is - that's what I do, but the junk is now organised somewhat thanks to a couple of days sorting and cleaning. Now I can actually work in my studio!

Studio Sale

It has begun! You can find the link to bid at http://www.32auctions.com/annrussellstudiosale, make a free, no obligation account and you are good to go. Remember that your purchase will support the good work of the RSPCA. Some of what is on offer at bargain prices (bids start as low as $10) below:

 

 

Studio Sale Coming Soon

Bunya Buzz

Been at the Bunya Mountains again, for what has become an annual pilgrimage. We were there for a week which was peaceful and blessed, but woefully short, I have to say. Not even close to being ready to re-enter the fray.

Anyway, lots of wildlife encounters as usual - pics below; including a bandicoot, countless different species of birds and one that I could have done without. I was reclining under a tree, struggling to care about the aesthetic philosophies I was reading, and I heard a noise behind me. Assuming it was a wallaby (which are everywhere all the time) I didn't investigate. When I did turn around it was to discover a pair of amorous brown snakes a few metres away - both of them a metre and a half at least. Fortunately for me, their minds were elsewhere, and I managed to control my urge to flee long enough to get a couple of good photos. On reflection, they are quite beautiful, really. When they had enough of each other, both went to ground.

I also got in a spot of painting. Nothing major, but below is something I dabbled with during the week. Now that I am back, it is right back into study and other less desirable tasks, so bird watching is pretty much off the agenda. Oh well.

Theory for Therapy

Am beavering away at the Masters and mostly enjoying it, but in case you were wondering, that's the reason that blogging has taken a back seat. This semester we are thinking about thinking and been reading Plato, and Aristotle and various other philosophers. I love Plato's cave story, including the irony that he wrote it to illustrate how dangerous art is because it deludes us into thinking that the 'shadow' world of imitation is 'reality', when everyone knows 'truth' is only possible via rational thought. Being a 'parable' or 'metaphor' it is clearly relying on art to convey the message that art conveys a dangerous message. That aside, it is a perfect analogy of what we fondly call 'reality' television - a phenomenon that is driving me further and further up the wall.

Obviously (least I hope it is) it is portraying what is actually a highly engineered, artificial, circumstance as reality. I feel very sorry for those gullible enough to be involved in the various shows and who are terribly exploited. For those of you who like to watch these shows, for heavens sake, read Ben Elton's Dead Famous, and wise up! One day, reality TV will undoubtedly lose favour and hopefully disappear to a large extent. I just hope they don't kill someone before that happens.

Anyway, I'm putting in a link to an animation of Plato's Cave, which you might like to watch in the interest of your cerebral nourishment! Enjoy.

Plato's Cave Animation