6.10.08

Bend me shape me anyway you want me.

In what way is art a mirror? Previously, we examined “the mirror stage” and the crucial moment when a child is able to create a whole image from the fragments of his body. This realization impacts greatly the way in which we as humans regard not only ourselves but also others. What, then, does this have to do with art? In Adorno’s Aesthetic Theory, it is established that “art is what it has become” and that “it […] refers to what it does not contain” (3). In some ways, our sense of self is what we in fact become, and not what we truly contain. Viewing ourselves in a mirror, we see what we see, whereas others, outside our scope, might see something entirely different. This distinction is important because art, in its many forms, is easily manipulated to tell whatever story of life the artist desires. How can we manipulate ourselves to tell our stories? In which ways must the mirror of our own presentation mimic art?

I've included the link because I think it's a pretty interesting point to consider as it sort of causes one to revert to their fragmented state. And presented art, it forces us to come to terms with a period in our lives that is familiar, yet hard to grasp (uncanny anyone?).

http://medhum.med.nyu.edu/blog/?p=130

No comments: