Art & Life by Sue Davis

Bits and Pieces

Posted in general by admin on the March 8th, 2008

When you look at the whole in an effort to see everything, you see nothing. That is what one artist explained on the PBS series Art 21. I always wonder what it would be like to dedicate yourself fully to one realm and explore it until there is nothing left to discover. I have always been interested in an agglomeration of things. I can’t pin myself down to one area. Maybe its a touch of postmodern ADD or just a desire to know and experience everything. At times I try to see the big picture and at other moments I zoom in on one aspect. Perhaps it is consistently inconsistent. Well, whether it is holistic or reductionist, I guess it all evens out?

Sue

One Response to 'Bits and Pieces'

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'Bits and Pieces'.

  1. Carrie said,

    on May 10th, 2008 at 10:44 pm

    I can understand where that artist is coming from in stating that: “when you look at the whole in an effort to see everything, you see nothing” - I think that it’s best to take it all in and make a mental note every little thing that makes up that one specific phenomenon. Whether it’s just looking into the sunset or looking at a painting. You need to break it down and simplify it to understand it or form your own theory and to appreciate it.
    I have to admit though, sometimes I just take things as they come and don’t give it much thought but sometimes I also break things down and try to take in as much in as possible.
    For example, when I look at a painting; I wonder what the person was thinking when creating that piece of art, what made them paint, draw or shape that, what music they might have had on, if any. I observe the color(s), the shape(s), the little details. However, even by doing that, I am not able to truly ascertain everything. I also think it would be nice to fully dedicate myself into one specific thing and break it down into it’s most simplest form until there’s nothing left to learn. I don’t think I have the genetic make up to be able to preform such a arduous task though.
    So whether I look at something as a whole or look at it in detail - I’d like to believe that as long as you’re appreciating it…you’re not missing out on much.

Leave a Reply