terms of interment

Notes for 8/28/09

Romanticism

many applications of the term

-writing in a romantic language

in the middle ages the romance languages started seperating themselves from Latin (around 1000-1200) and forming their own identities, becoming more gestural and emotional - outside of the traditional system of Latin.

"Language starts misbehaving"

-dramatic

-overtly emotional

-gestural

-exotic/foreign

-nature ...true to nature, recognizing our human nature

the romantic implulse - yearning - nonconformity

Nonconformity / Conformity

-pivotal relationship between the two

-the two are not in balance or ever in synthesis, always one or the other, or..the pivot

-constant state of imbalance and pivoting

-cultural dynamics - culture & counter culture

"A civilization is most creative when its pivoting" (also individuals)

-dichotomy, coexistence of different aspects of itself which are constantly at odds

-the pivot is the creative part, once you land on one side or the other you establish what you've created.

Avant-garde

military term (french) - the soldier who's assignment was to go ahead to check out the terrain & come back with information on how and where to proceed next.

-experimental. searching, trial and error. makes you an outsider.

-the origins of this are in nonconformity

-dynamicism, the nature of the pivot. cannot define, cannot be sure where you are.

definite/indefinite universal/particular shape/shapeless

clarity/confusion madness/insanity science/pseudoscience

The &. & & & & & & & NOT either/or, but AND. Not one or the other but BOTH, but they are distinguished as contradictory forces, dichotomies (rather than dualisms). MULTIPLICITY and coexistence, not harmony.

*book: The Boundary Between Madness & Insanity

thoughts:

Tesla: accepted at first, but later rejected because he kept experimenting and pushing boundaries even after 'substantial' discoveries had already been made. (note to self: research Tesla)