Comments on: The Hijacking of Meaning http://artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html a multi-disciplinary dialog Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:32:18 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: birgit http://artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1591 birgit Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:04:02 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html#comment-1591 David, about what I remembered as a 3-week old child: I had the sense that we had gone down into a dark, clammy place at my grandparents' house and that there was fear associated with it. - In Washington, in the mid eighties, I had a massage by a 'body man' who put me into a trance. In one of the session I heard terrifying shrieking noises made airplanes that I had not consciously remembered before. Asking my mother, she told me that we had been in my grandparents' basement. She freaked out when she heard the planes. My grandmother told her that she was tranferring her panic to her baby in her arms. Before that, my mother had lived in Wilhelmshaven, a submarine navel base that was decimated in WWII. My mother had never been as afraid as in my grandparents house because in WHV, everyone spent the nights protected in safe air raid shelters. - I have only quickly gone through your air plane series so far because I am still only in internet cafes. From my first impression, I do find the planes flying at me somewhat frightening. However, I do love watching acrobatics made by air shows where I know that it is just for fun. David, about what I remembered as a 3-week old child: I had the sense that we had gone down into a dark, clammy place at my grandparents’ house and that there was fear associated with it. – In Washington, in the mid eighties, I had a massage by a ‘body man’ who put me into a trance. In one of the session I heard terrifying shrieking noises made airplanes that I had not consciously remembered before. Asking my mother, she told me that we had been in my grandparents’ basement. She freaked out when she heard the planes. My grandmother told her that she was tranferring her panic to her baby in her arms. Before that, my mother had lived in Wilhelmshaven, a submarine navel base that was decimated in WWII. My mother had never been as afraid as in my grandparents house because in WHV, everyone spent the nights protected in safe air raid shelters. – I have only quickly gone through your air plane series so far because I am still only in internet cafes. From my first impression, I do find the planes flying at me somewhat frightening. However, I do love watching acrobatics made by air shows where I know that it is just for fun.

]]> By: David http://artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1589 David Tue, 21 Nov 2006 06:01:08 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html#comment-1589 Rex, what an eloquent response to these paintings and my post. Thank you. I'm of course quite honored to to share a paragraph w/ Monet. You picked up quite exactly on the Haystack nature of the series, and also on the fact that I wasn't exploring lighting differences but rather something else. In this case the colors were invented, of course, and what I was working with was varying them to see how color affected the psychological and iconic impact of the images. I also like to approach art (including films and books) with as little pre-knowledge as possible. It's only <i>afterwards</i>, when I find something that resonates with me, that I want to find out more about what was behind its creation, what the artist has to say, etc. Rex, what an eloquent response to these paintings and my post. Thank you.

I’m of course quite honored to to share a paragraph w/ Monet. You picked up quite exactly on the Haystack nature of the series, and also on the fact that I wasn’t exploring lighting differences but rather something else. In this case the colors were invented, of course, and what I was working with was varying them to see how color affected the psychological and iconic impact of the images.

I also like to approach art (including films and books) with as little pre-knowledge as possible. It’s only afterwards, when I find something that resonates with me, that I want to find out more about what was behind its creation, what the artist has to say, etc.

]]> By: Rex Crockett http://artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1585 Rex Crockett Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:49:32 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html#comment-1585 David, I have looked at this series several times on your <a href="http://www.davidpalmerstudio.com" rel="nofollow">website</a>. The way it's set up, once the pictures all load, one can flip through them slowly or quickly, and I have done both several times. My very first impression was that you were doing the "Haystack" thing. Monet did not invent the "series" form, but he sure made it famous, and if you don't mind appearing in the same paragraph as Monet, I am quite sure he would have enjoyed your very modern take on this. The artist selects a simple object or objects, and then makes a bunch of paintings to show various kinds of change. Usually the theme is light and it's effect on color, but here you've capitalized on, in addition to light and color, changes in space. Your theme is well selected. It can be tough to find things sufficiently <i>simple</i> while at the same time sufficiently <i>interesting</i>, and you have accomplished both. The 9/11 reference would never have occurred to me had you not mentioned it, and had I gone to your show, I would probably asked if there was a quiet time in which I could come back to enjoy these paintings without that terror buzz in the nous-sphere, so I guess you could say that to this series I do bring an understanding of this kind of thing as well as a certain insistence that my mind not be interfered with by "significances" like 9/11. I like, when I look at art, to strive for an empty mind. I try and tune myself receptivity. Arthur, on his blog's <a href="http://thethinkingi.blogspot.com/2006/02/eye-opening.html" rel="nofollow">opening remarks</a> said something not identical but similar, and he said it well, so I'm quoting him here. <blockquote>... I believe that art is something that should be experienced directly (without excessive mediation) whenever possible.</blockquote> I do strive to experience whatever the artist may have intended without preconceived notions, but of course, how perfectly possible is that? Ever? I consider that empty mind to be an ideal but not practically achievable in reality, yet we have to hold to ideals in order to have data of magnitude to make our comparisons. And speaking of relevant ideals, once again, I am reminded of the Platonic sense of <i>dialog</i> in the purest sense of his meaning — <i>between the words</i>. An idea goes out from the artist and is met by a returning idea, the result is a combination, a meeting of minds, and it's a <i>new thing</i> which requires at least two minds to exist. I find this thrilling. David,

I have looked at this series several times on your website. The way it’s set up, once the pictures all load, one can flip through them slowly or quickly, and I have done both several times.

My very first impression was that you were doing the “Haystack” thing. Monet did not invent the “series” form, but he sure made it famous, and if you don’t mind appearing in the same paragraph as Monet, I am quite sure he would have enjoyed your very modern take on this. The artist selects a simple object or objects, and then makes a bunch of paintings to show various kinds of change. Usually the theme is light and it’s effect on color, but here you’ve capitalized on, in addition to light and color, changes in space. Your theme is well selected. It can be tough to find things sufficiently simple while at the same time sufficiently interesting, and you have accomplished both.

The 9/11 reference would never have occurred to me had you not mentioned it, and had I gone to your show, I would probably asked if there was a quiet time in which I could come back to enjoy these paintings without that terror buzz in the nous-sphere, so I guess you could say that to this series I do bring an understanding of this kind of thing as well as a certain insistence that my mind not be interfered with by “significances” like 9/11.

I like, when I look at art, to strive for an empty mind. I try and tune myself receptivity. Arthur, on his blog’s opening remarks said something not identical but similar, and he said it well, so I’m quoting him here.

… I believe that art is something that should be experienced directly (without excessive mediation) whenever possible.

I do strive to experience whatever the artist may have intended without preconceived notions, but of course, how perfectly possible is that? Ever? I consider that empty mind to be an ideal but not practically achievable in reality, yet we have to hold to ideals in order to have data of magnitude to make our comparisons.

And speaking of relevant ideals, once again, I am reminded of the Platonic sense of dialog in the purest sense of his meaning — between the words. An idea goes out from the artist and is met by a returning idea, the result is a combination, a meeting of minds, and it’s a new thing which requires at least two minds to exist.

I find this thrilling.

]]> By: David http://artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1578 David Mon, 20 Nov 2006 21:09:16 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html#comment-1578 Colin, if you ever come to L.A., we'll go to the park next to LAX and watch the planes. No need to sit in traffic. I don't know if the experience of seeing them is art or not, but it's pretty impressive. Colin, if you ever come to L.A., we’ll go to the park next to LAX and watch the planes. No need to sit in traffic. I don’t know if the experience of seeing them is art or not, but it’s pretty impressive.

]]> By: Colin Jago http://artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1577 Colin Jago Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:45:30 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html#comment-1577 David, <i> I loved watching them appear at the horizon, tiny and barely visible, get almost imperceptibly larger as they approached, and then finally come roaring over, really close.</i> The road that circles London is known as the M25. The traffic is frequently stationary. There is one spot right under the landing path for Heathrow. Often one can see six planes on the descent - in a stack - from the road. More at night (because of the lights). The one at the front you feel that you can touch. The one at the back is tiny and you are unsure whether it is real. It briefly makes the M25 bearable. David,

I loved watching them appear at the horizon, tiny and barely visible, get almost imperceptibly larger as they approached, and then finally come roaring over, really close.

The road that circles London is known as the M25. The traffic is frequently stationary. There is one spot right under the landing path for Heathrow. Often one can see six planes on the descent – in a stack – from the road. More at night (because of the lights). The one at the front you feel that you can touch. The one at the back is tiny and you are unsure whether it is real. It briefly makes the M25 bearable.

]]> By: David http://artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1566 David Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:40:46 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html#comment-1566 Leslie, thanks for the kind words about the paintings, and for mentioning them in the same paragraph as Gerhard Richter's :) I basically <i>always</i> work in a series, which can span a couple of months or many years. The LAX series came about because of work I did creating digital planes for the movie Air Force One. There's an In And Out burger place on the corner of Lincoln and Sepulveda, right across the street from LAX and directly under the flight path of incoming planes. Our effects crew used to go down there for lunch. We'd eat in the little park next to the burger place and watch the planes come in over our heads. I loved watching them appear at the horizon, tiny and barely visible, get almost imperceptibly larger as they approached, and then finally come roaring over, really close. After the film was released I ended up going back down there repeatedly with my camera, standing with my back against the runway wall, and shooting hundreds of photos (I doubt they'd let me do that now). The paintings weren't meant to be realistic, but iconic. Both in my studio and in the exhibition they hung on one wall, arranged in a loose grid several paintings high. Leslie, thanks for the kind words about the paintings, and for mentioning them in the same paragraph as Gerhard Richter’s :)

I basically always work in a series, which can span a couple of months or many years. The LAX series came about because of work I did creating digital planes for the movie Air Force One. There’s an In And Out burger place on the corner of Lincoln and Sepulveda, right across the street from LAX and directly under the flight path of incoming planes. Our effects crew used to go down there for lunch. We’d eat in the little park next to the burger place and watch the planes come in over our heads. I loved watching them appear at the horizon, tiny and barely visible, get almost imperceptibly larger as they approached, and then finally come roaring over, really close.

After the film was released I ended up going back down there repeatedly with my camera, standing with my back against the runway wall, and shooting hundreds of photos (I doubt they’d let me do that now). The paintings weren’t meant to be realistic, but iconic. Both in my studio and in the exhibition they hung on one wall, arranged in a loose grid several paintings high.

]]> By: Leslie http://artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1563 Leslie Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:03:51 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/11/the-hijacking-of-meaning.html#comment-1563 David, Sure, I will give it a whirl - probably next week as I am leaving town for awhile. It seems we are jammed with posts at the moment - it is hard to keep up! I forgot to say that I love this series of paintings. Both visually and conceptually. The colors are rich and the "barely there" sense of the planes in some of them is very evocative and reads as memory to me. In the same way some Gerhard Richter paintings do. I am fond of works in series, as they feed off eachother. I would be curious as to how they were displayed. I can picture them on one big wall. David,

Sure, I will give it a whirl – probably next week as I am leaving town for awhile. It seems we are jammed with posts at the moment – it is hard to keep up!

I forgot to say that I love this series of paintings. Both visually and conceptually. The colors are rich and the “barely there” sense of the planes in some of them is very evocative and reads as memory to me. In the same way some Gerhard Richter paintings do. I am fond of works in series, as they feed off eachother. I would be curious as to how they were displayed. I can picture them on one big wall.

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