Archive for Art Freak Culture
February 22, 2008 at 1:44 pm · Filed under Art Freak Culture + Science & Skepticism
Professor Ken Miller, who is famous for being the lead expert witness against Intelligent Design at the Dover Trial, has recently proposed that scientists reclaim the word “Design” from the ID movement (ie., the Creationists).
You can listen yourself to his argument for semantic reclamation here in a short discussion he had with James Randerson. I’ve also transcribed a couple of the most relevant quotes here:
ID proponents argue that we can see the hint of design in nature and they use that as evidence against evolution. And that puts scientists in a position of arguing that there is no design in nature — that nature is somehow capricious, arbitrary, random, pointless. Well there is design in nature and we should take that word away from the ID movement and define it in a scientific sense….
Yes design is real but that design emerges from the evolutionary process and the laws of physics and chemistry.
Personally, I couldn’t agree more. I really like the sound of Emergent Design. Others in comments on PZ Myer’s post have suggested Natural Design or Evolutionary Design or the longer Evolutionary Emergent Design which may work too. However, I prefer the term Emergent Design because I think it sounds better and it can contain more meaning: Emergent Design can also cover such emergent patterns such as evolutionary programming, fractals, Mandelbrot, etc.
PZ Myers, of the ScienceBlog Pharyngula, doesn’t agree with Ken Miller on this:
Look at all the flailings about over the word “theory”; lay people will hear that word being used by scientists and conclude that the creationists must have been right all along long before they get around to remapping their mental connections to design.
Another problem is of even greater concern. The word “design” carries other implications: purpose, planning, calculation. These are not present in evolution!
PZ Myer’s first argument is that it will just give creationists another means to twist our words. And his second argument is that this new use of design differs from current usage. Neither of these arguments are really valid when discussing the pros and cons of semantic reclamation.
Every time a word is reclaimed it is always the dirty word that everyone shies away from. The words are purposefully being twisted from their traditional meanings. Of course, some terms are not so much reclaimed as empowered such as Black and Gay; however, there are several examples of successful semantic reclamations:
- Punk, something or someone worthless or unimportant; a young hoodlum, becomes the proud Punk rock; and now gets transformed further to a suffix that means a style or movement characterized by the adoption of aggressively unconventional and often bizarre or shocking in both fashion and attitude.
- Queer, disparaging term for homosexuals in the sense of effeminate or unmanly, becomes the proud Queer embracing all who deviate from sexual/gender stereotypes; to now transform and mainstream even further with “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”
- Dyke, used disparagingly by many, but like Punk and Queer it is now used proudly by the many of the same people it meant to insult.
Of course, one could point out that the hip hop cultural use of nigger, bitch, and ho haven’t really been all that successfully reclaimed. However, those terms are still also used negatively within the hip hop culture, which makes it hard for these terms to ever take on a new positive meaning.
What does this all have to do with Intelligent Design you might say? Well in this instance, Design isn’t used exactly as an insult, but it is being used as a means of attack. As a result, it has become the dirty word that scientists must shy away from. By being afraid to use the word Design, we are reinforcing the meaning that ID proponents want it to mean. We are empowering it for them not us.
Ken Miller is right. Anyone who looks at nature can plainly see pattern and design. By allowing the ID camp a monopoly on the word Design we are allowing all perceived design to be a win for the creationists. By instead reclaiming Design as Emergent Design we are reclaiming it and empowering it for ourselves.
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February 13, 2008 at 4:29 pm · Filed under Art Freak Culture + Politics
Yesterday, Danish authorities recently arrested three people allegedly plotting a “terror-related assassination” of Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist behind the drawing shown below — one of several printed controversially in September of 2005. Today, newspapers across Europe have reprinted the cartoon to show support for Westergaard and for freedom of speech.
Representatives for the Danish newspaper, Berlingske Tidende, stated, “We are [reprinting the cartoon] to document what is at stake in this case, and to unambiguously back and support the freedom of speech that we as a newspaper always will defend.”
Sadly, Westergaard’s life has been completely disrupted by this simple little drawing. He states, “I could not possibly know for how long I have to live under police protection; I think, however, that the impact of the insane response to my cartoon will last for the rest of my life,” he said. “It is sad indeed, but it has become a fact of my life.”
I thought I’d show my own support by posting the cartoon and add a bit of equal opportunity blasphemy with this classic by Serrano Andres.
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December 21, 2007 at 1:39 pm · Filed under Minds, Brains, & inbetween + Art Freak Culture
Read an interesting review of Jonah Lehrer’s book Proust was a Neuroscientist by Greta Munger of the blog Cognitive Daily (which in my opinion is one of the best ScienceBlogs.com blogs).
In her review, Greta mentions that in her classes “[students] have to write a few paragraphs to earn ‘culture points.’ They must consider how psychology connects to art…” In response her assignment, some of her students offer unique perspectives; however, most students tend not to get far beyond the visual aspects of the work: “I get a lot of discussion of the Gestalt grouping principles with paintings.”
As I’ve been going back to school for psychology myself, this intersection between psychology and art is fascinating for me. There are some interesting books, papers, and discussions out there on the topic, but often I find that psychologists often fall into the same trap as Greta Munger’s students do. Ramachandran may have some fascinating things to say about the Cognitive Science of Art but he too fails to get past the surface visual nature of the art.
This sorta thing happens a lot with people lacking knowledge of the arts. I’m speaking mostly of those whose only experience of art is the art history museum where contemporary art means having a couple pop art paintings. If they were introduced to a wider expanse of art — especially some of the rich history of performance art — they would realize that symbols, language, meaning, ritual, emotions, relationships, human nature, communication, sociology, politics, and fun are all part of the artistic palette.
I find the easiest way to break people out of their tired purely formalist perspective is to tell them to approach art like a it’s a form of communication. Often the artist is attempting to communicate something to the viewer; sometimes they are selective with the type of viewer and sometimes they are just talking to themselves (as most of the abstract expressionists were in my opinion). Alternately, they may not be communicating themselves but rather creating a space or moment to engender communication or connection between members of the audience.
The palette that the artist uses — color, shape, size, movement, position, symbols, emotion, words, beauty, shock, humor — are all tools for creating a communication that falls outside of what we typically recognize as language. All of which is ripe for discovery and criticism from a psychological perspective and it is in these intersections where my fascination dilates my pupils.
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December 14, 2007 at 1:32 am · Filed under Art Freak Culture
Every year, the townsfolk of Arkham decorate their yule trees with Flying Spaghetti Monsters and Cthuthlu. What you didn’t know that the Flying Spaghetti Monster and Cthulhu were part of Christmas!?!
Everyone should know the tale of the Great Arkham Christmas Tree Disappearance! Here it is as imparted to me by my great uncle Sir Colin Arbuthnot…
It was a cold and blistery morning in Arkham. The snow was almost gray and it whipped through the streets like angry ghosts blown by a wind so fierce it felt like the houses couldn’t stand much more. That morning every citizen in Arkham awoke to an emptiness where their joyful Christmas tree should have been. If it had just been one family’s tree it would have been sad, if their neighbor’s trees were gone too it would have been tragic, but it was not just one tree or a dozen trees, every single christmas tree in Arkham was missing—and that is enough to chill any man or woman to the bone!
Even more horrifying was what the town residents didn’t know. All the trees had been stolen in the middle of the night by members of an insane cult. The cult members snuck into every home in Arkham and hauled the trees to their secret lair. The trees and the joy they contained were set to be burned in a great bonfire in order to call forth their great god Cthulhu.
Then with the stars shining down, as the cultists began thier great rite, a great tentacled mass came swooping down from the Heavens. It was the Flying Spaghetti Monster! And he was here to save the day! The tentacles whipped out and snatched each and every evil cultist before they could run away. Pirates then came out of nowhere, chained the cultists in leg irons and carted them off.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster wasn’t done however for Arkham’s homes were still missing their trees. So with just the flick of a spaghetti tentacle, a tree materialized in every home in Arkham, and every tree was even bigger and more beautiful than before!
You too can decorate your yule tree like the townsfolk in Arkham! NifNaks makes Traditional wool Flying Spaghetti Monsters and Chuthlu Ornaments.
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December 13, 2007 at 2:56 pm · Filed under Art Freak Culture
You asked for it! So we’re doing it again! From the creators of Urban Golf, the $25,000 Pyramid Scheme, the Buzzed Bee and other notorious wastes of time and talent comes What’s Your Answer?!
We don’t care if you have the right answer, only the funniest answer will do!
I’ll be the scorekeeper again (what me take bribes? never!)
Answer the write-in question for a FREE DRINK
Visit the What’s Your Answer promo page and answer the question at the bottom. The person with the funniest answer will get a free drink the night of the show.
Winner’s Choice Charity Donation!
A portion of the door will go to a local charity chosen by the funniest team! A contract to write the next Dane Cook movie awaits the least funny team!
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December 16th; doors 7pm, show 8pm
12 Galaxies – $5 (no one turned away for lack of funds or tact)
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November 26, 2007 at 3:25 pm · Filed under Art Freak Culture
Come out tonight and join us for What’s Your Answer?!!
From the same people who’ve chosen to accept the BLAME (and some limited legal responsibility) for such FAMOUS travesties as URBAN Golf, The BUZZED BEE, The $25,000 Pyramid Scheme, and Crackhouses For Humanity comes the most COMPELLING underground entertainment EVENT of the first part of this week:
“WHAT’S YOUR ANSWER?” - the Pub Quiz night where the most humorous answer wins!
At “What’s Your Answer?” we don’t care how many obscure historical facts you’ve memorized, or which team has kept up to date on the latest dirt about Britney Lohiltonhan, or who knows which rogue nation just now broke off all diplomatic ties with the U.S. and is threatening an imminent nuclear attack. Well, okay, we might care a little bit about that last one. But ONLY if your answer is funny.
That’s right. The answer that gets the most LAUGHS will also get the most points, as awarded by our panel of celebrity judges. At “What’s Your Answer?” there’s NO NEED to actually KNOW ANYTHING, just so long as you and your team can crack wise. Or crack stupid. We really DON’T care. But at the end of the night, the team with the most points will win some fabulously crass PRIZES, and bragging rights (or “street cred”) redeemable within a laughably small and hopelessly ESOTERIC local sub-culture!!!
This NOT-TO-BE-MISSED show will DEBUT at 9pm on MONDAY the 26th at renowned Mission Street hotspot 12 GALAXIES.
$5 dollars admission, no one turned away for lack of funds, taste, timing or tact.
More details at the “What’s Your Answer?” Web Experience
As seen on LAUGHING SQUID
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