by Noel Almendras
Discussed Text: Gabriel Marcel, "Introduction," The Mystery of Being
July 25's lecture was unlike most of the others because, in addition to the very entertaining introduction by Dr. Garcia, it was a very personal one. I think that day had one of, if not the most, number of recitations, as people were all sharing personal stories and experiences about the assignment from last Tuesday where they had to go look for a kind of revelation in the Ateneo art gallery. The lecture was also very minimal since it was mostly a review of what was discussed last meeting. So instead of me repeating a lot of the same things said by the previously assigned writers, I would like to start my entry with a story of my own.
I was very fortunate to be able to travel to Europe with my family after I graduated from high school. During our short stay in Paris, we were able to visit the Basilique du Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. It is a huge white beautiful basilica located on the top of a hill. It was really an amazing sight to behold but not as amazing as the elevator on the side when I saw the number of steps I would have needed to climb. Once you get to the top, there is small square to the left of the church. The only way for me to describe it is simply by saying it is the single most "french-y" looking place I have ever seen. Here are some pictures to help. Credit goes to the blogs where I got them from.
The air was filled with the scent of crepe. The square was lined with small cafes where people were drinking their coffee and eating croissants. My mom insisted that one of us had to get our portrait painted as a souvenir. My sister ended up posing for a sketch that cost us an arm and a leg. I was also pretty sure lady who was sketching her was pretty drunk on whatever was in her glass at one in the afternoon. Halfway through the sketch, my mom asked me in Tagalog if the drawing looked like my sister. "Hindi naman niya kamukha eh!" My Mom was already thinking of asking the artist to change certain features of her sketch but I advised against it because the artist might get offended. I said that if she wanted an exact copy then she should have just taken a picture of my sister instead, besides, medyo kahawig pa rin naman. The whole point of having your portrait painted was for it to look like you, but at the same time be different.July 25's lecture was unlike most of the others because, in addition to the very entertaining introduction by Dr. Garcia, it was a very personal one. I think that day had one of, if not the most, number of recitations, as people were all sharing personal stories and experiences about the assignment from last Tuesday where they had to go look for a kind of revelation in the Ateneo art gallery. The lecture was also very minimal since it was mostly a review of what was discussed last meeting. So instead of me repeating a lot of the same things said by the previously assigned writers, I would like to start my entry with a story of my own.
I was very fortunate to be able to travel to Europe with my family after I graduated from high school. During our short stay in Paris, we were able to visit the Basilique du Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. It is a huge white beautiful basilica located on the top of a hill. It was really an amazing sight to behold but not as amazing as the elevator on the side when I saw the number of steps I would have needed to climb. Once you get to the top, there is small square to the left of the church. The only way for me to describe it is simply by saying it is the single most "french-y" looking place I have ever seen. Here are some pictures to help. Credit goes to the blogs where I got them from.
Okay, natapos din yung story. So what is its point? It reminded me of the first question in class that day. The topic of how something could be universal and personal at the same time. In my opinion, art is always about expression. The artist's expression is put into a certain form for the rest of us to experience. The artist's impression of my sister resulted into the final portrait because of a lot of things. What these things are, I am not completely sure of, maybe it was because of all the wine she had been drinking. This is the personal aspect. However, the universal part of it would be due to my sister. Maybe it was because of her darker skin tone. Maybe because of the clothes she was wearing. Maybe it was because of her messy hair due to the strong winds.
I somehow more of remembered the lesson on traveling as a way to decentralize - that we are not the center of the world and we should change this notion of ourselves. Setting philosophy aside, I love traveling. It helps you learn about the different cultures the world has to offer. It also helps you learn to appreciate the uniqueness and beauty that we are surrounded with. Most of all, it gives you the opportunity to be independent, to grow as a person, with the experiences and surprises that life has to offer. In connection to philosophy, this way of thinking might be different from the way others think about traveling. I guess it's a subjective way to look at things. But, universally, we come to find out the only truth that the world doesn't revolve around us. Traveling really is a way to learn and have fun at the same time! :)
ReplyDelete-M. Cua, PH 101 A
We were talking about art, but I was thinking about poetry. It is quite similar, yes? In my literature class, I was taught that poetry is not completely subjective; as a matter of fact, there is a "correct" interpretation, (and whatever that means, I don't really understand). The poet wrote the poem with a specific story in mind, and we ought to see that story the way the poet intended it to be seen. But how do we know for sure what the poet really meant by the poem? I felt dismayed and restricted because I could not let the poem speak to me personally---I had to look at it with an objective eye. It is not that I don't understand the danger of subjectivity, because I do; after all, if we choose to see things as whatever we want them to be, then we might be creating an illusion. We might lose sight of reality. However, there is really a need for intermediary between objectivity and subjectivity... Wait, am I making sense? I'm not so sure.
ReplyDeleteAbi Go Ph101 A
Appreciating visual art and written art are indeed quite similar. In my own experience, I've also been faced with the idea of a "correct" interpretation and an honest desire to question it. In fact, in order to achieve the "correct" reading of a poem, some scholars encourage the formalist way of reading wherein nearly every aspect is drawn out, dissected. I remember this became a problem for me because in struggling to read in-between the lines, I completely missed the point. Similarly, in appreciating visual art, I've become dependent on looking at the title of a piece to pave the path of correct interpretation. As we've discussed in class, this becomes problematic. The title of an artwork tends to restrain our own pure understanding of the convergence of colors, strokes, lines, splatters that make a painting unique, that give it life. We contextualize without first imagining.
DeleteSometimes, in an eagerness to determine the correct interpretation we digress into something completely wrong. Perhaps what we do need is an intermediary way of thinking between the supposed ideal interpretation and our own. We should allow ourselves to imagine and understand with our own creativity, but at the same time we must be aware that the artist's voice still exists. We are entitled to our own revelations in the appreciation of an artwork but we must not disregard that its creator experienced his or her own.
Justine Dinglasan Ph101A
I guess this reminds me of the discussion on objectivism and subjectivism(not sure if those are the correct terms to use). The artist who drew your sister was being both subjective and objective. The fact that it doesn't look exactly like her shows the subjectivism, because the artist wanted to draw HIS (or her) INTERPRETATION of your sister. The objectivism lies in the fact that his interpretation is limited by how your sister actually looks. In a sense, there is always a basis for our interpretation that we must not stray too far away from. Like for example, the artist can't draw an afro on your sister is she obviously has straight hair.
ReplyDelete-Lica Lee PH101 C
This does remind us how different and unique we are as human beings with regards to our views in life. I was thinking the other day, when sir Garcia was discussing this, how free we are to think, to feel and to express ourselves. For me, it was this idea that illustrated the true essence of what Philosophy is all about. We may not notice it sometimes, but it is there. Our opinions, our own perspective and even our likes and dislikes do somehow "make" or "define" who we are as a person. Perhaps, this may be the reason why some people from other countries are culturally different from us. It is because they had experienced events or things that we, possibly, wasn't able to experienced, ( such as historical past events, economical aspects, cultural aspects etc.) making them distinctly different as a nation.
ReplyDelete- Katrina-Anne Balonan
PH 101 A
I once found this quote on Pinterest that said "traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." It got me thinking of other things that make us richer with money- then i remembered Dr. Garcia's story about a Manansala painting that was sold for 4.7million pesos at the Ateneo Art Auction. Why would people invest on art works or paintings rather instead of using such a huge amount of money on traveling? I know for sure that 4.7million pesos can bring you to the richest countries in Europe. I guess it all boils down to the influence of objectivism and subjectivism that makes them choose these tangible art works over the overall experience of travelling. Objectivity in a sense that people do research on the quality and design, reputation of the painter and the overall value of the artwork in years time. And subjectivity in a sense that people experience an emotional connection to the artwork/painting- that they are part of the painting as well.
ReplyDeleteI'd choose traveling any day though. :) I think I'm more of the adventurous type who'd rather be on her feet and out there to experience the richness of cultures first hand.
-Arielle Escalona
PH 101 C
I just remembered something Dr. Garcia asked when I read your comment. He threw a question that goes something like this, "How much are you willing to pay for your desires?" I think that the desire of one's heart costs something, and despite how much, people will want to have it as long as they have the means to get it. It's a matter of what and how much one values something. Yes, 4.7Million can really bring you to places, buy you so much things and whatnot, but instead the person chooses to buy the painting. It just goes to show that all the places he can go to, things he could have and experience combined would still matter less than that single painting. And it wouldn't bring him satisfaction or peace if he chose the latter, despite the fact that maybe other people would find it more practical. So I guess, it has something to do with subjectivity and what really matters to people.
Delete~ Cara Garcia, PH101 - A
"...art is always about expression. The artist's expression is put into a certain form for the rest of us to experience."
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about not telling the artist to change certain features of the portrait because that would mean having to change the artist's style and that defeats the purpose of creating something new. Each artist has their own unique style and techniques and these are what make it personal. It is also personal in that we, as spectators, have our own personal tastes and fancies for art. The experience becomes universal in that it is shared with everyone, the art is displayed for everyone to see. (Now I'm not sure if I'm understanding the concept of the universal and personal correctly, but there. :p )
-Cinta Posadas
PH101 A
Art IS always about expression, which is why there is never a right or wrong interpretation well, for me at least. I think everything about art is personal- the way the artist interprets, the way the artist makes, the way the subject decides to be and the way that the final product will be appreciated. However, this story of yours just reminds us how amazing the human mind is. We're all presented with one thing and we all see a million different things.
ReplyDelete-Bea Antonio
PH101 A
I never got to see what your opinion was on whether to look at a painting first then the painting or the title first then the painting. However, I do agree that art is and always should be about expression. That's the only reason why there is art. Even a mere doodle on the back of a notebook is art because it expresses how we feel at that moment. The pen in this case is an instrument that helps us relay the feeling we want to evoke onto the paper. When we are happy we may feel like drawing the sun, some flowers and grass. When we are sad we may feel like drawing rain and tears. In the end, I agree much to the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words." If you think about it, we save the environment and space by communicating with art. Just some food for thought.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's been a long time since we last discussed art and the revelation one gets from it, I just want to share something I heard today in another one of my classes. We were watching a film about the legendary film director Federico Fellini, and in this film, Fellini, or as many call him, "Il Maestro", mentioned that "Film allows people to think about life". And although he was mostly referring to his own surrealist work when he said this, I began to think that art as well as film allow us to think about life. And the whole experience of taking in on pondering on some sort of art form allows us to think of what was, what is and what could be.
ReplyDelete