Yes, I mean "the Matter of...," not "the Matter with..."
Setting aside momentarily the rich play on words offered by "matter" (18 senses of the word appear in one dictionary I consulted), today's theme picks up the thread from July 24's post [Use link in the left margin].
There I highlighted a matter of change which is also a change of matter (i.e., material) -- the surging shift of dictionaries from book to electronic form.
For some people, it is also a change that matters negatively; they bemoan loss of the tactile way they interacted with dictionaries.
Quite the opposite for others. To them, the less solid the material composition, the more solid the advantages they see for using dictionaries -- more flexibility, timelier definitions, more words and information about them, speedier definition-searches -- to name a few.
Which camp are you in?
Reconsidering: Does Art indeed have the last word?
Mainly, this post picks up where July 24th left off, peering deeper into the provocative perspective on the change of matter that artist Brian Dettmer's "book sculpting" reveals.
Yes, the image above (presented courtesy of the artist. Thanks, Brian), titled "Webster's New International Dictionary, 2nd Ed." is a tantalizing example of his large and growing output.
(Visit www.briandettmer.com for more images and some galleries where you can see the real thing, if you are geographically lucky; online just doesn't cut it for fully experiencing such intricately crafted artwork.)
Previously I wrote "Art has the last word," referring to Dettmer’s sculptures as vivid visual messages that "use" language and books, but not in any conventional linear sense.
Since then I've read commentary by Brian, using language conventionally to explain his intended meanings in creating his sculptures. The explanations enrich my experience of the art -- so, does language really have the "last word"? The field of semiotics is the study of meaning, in which language is just a part: body language, clothing style, tone of voice, other symbols -- all convey meaning. But language is “privileged” -- ultimately we can share our comprehension of the non-verbal, whether art or personal presentation, only through language.
Language – Images – Information –Raw materials: A Media Mash-up?
Closing thoughts to ponder, from Dettmer’s May 2008 interview in Lodown Magazine (www.lodownmagazine.com)
“Images can work as words or phrases and language can work as an image or picture.”
And:
“Information is the natural material of our time and the analog shells can be explored like stone, or approached like their original wooden origin. There is a sensual, physical, tactile quality in old books that is becoming lost. When I approach the book as a raw material I am trying to rediscover and re-expose these qualities, highlight the natural qualities of the material.”
Maybe that’s the heart of the matter.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
