Triangulation

I want to share an interesting experience with you.

This evening I was reading a series of essays by Milan Kundera The Curtain: An Essay in Seven Parts I read this:

"While History (mankind's History) might have the poor taste itself, the history of an art Will not stand for repetitions."

David Byrne comments on his blog in a similar way:

Oddly, in the fashion megaverse and some other retail areas, a brand, design or image accepted and successful amongst a tiny (usually wealthy) social demographic means that it will inevitably be desired by those lower down on the social and economic ladder, either via logo imprinted items, knockoffs, counterfeits or copies. The fact that the hoi polloi will now be interested in the item makes it naturally less interesting to the elite. It will go out of favor, and becomes last year’s model, soon to be relegated to the closet or the giveaway pile. If it’s too popular, it can’t be cool anymore. As a result, the creative folks, the designers, feel pressure to come up with a new and different line to appeal to these elites, and as quickly as possible. That’s why it’s called fashion.

Read his entire post

The final point of the triangle was Hamish Keith's reference to painted (rather than carved) Maori whare (houses). That the art form was held in place by a romantic or paternalistic Pakeha impression while Maori themselves pushed on to develop their art with new ideas and technologies (Which reminded me of the story we did in Idealog Issue 3 on George Nuku the Maori artist who carved a meeting house from Perspex).

Curious coincidence? Apparently the human mind works by seeing patterns and 'joining the dots'. I talked about the phenomenon of apophenia before…