sábado, 29 de junio de 2013

Cells




"Cells"

Watercolor on paper, 7 Jan. 2006



According to Psychology, intelligence is an abstract faculty that includes the capabilities of learning and adaptation, distinct motivational behavior or instinctive reactions. Although the definitions of intelligence are very diverse, theorists agree that it is a capacity or potential rather than a fully developed achievement, and has a biological basis.

 It is believed that intelligence as a whole is a combination of the innate characteristics of the central nervous system of an individual -which are inherited genetically-, and developed intelligence -which is molded through experience and learning. 

  Summarizing the different existing definitions, we could therefore define intelligence as the ability of an organism or system to achieve a goal, avoid an obstacle or solve a need, in the most efficient way in terms of time and energy invested.





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sábado, 22 de junio de 2013

There is no stupid life



"Canary head"

Washed pen, 2005




  If we shed usual anthropocentric prejudices, we must recognize that the intelligent phenomenon manifests itself in any place where there is life. There is no "stupid life": Animals, plants, even subatomic particles denote a behavior that can be described as intelligent, and somewhat aware, in their relations with their environment. Stupidity is only found in human behavior, and perhaps not so stupid after all.

  If intelligence is an exclusively human faculty, how is that the world has developed so intelligently during billions of years? Does intelligence have other forms of operating, in addition to the, say, rational mode? What does it actually mean when we talk about intelligence

  In next posts we will explore possible answers to this all-important question. Keep tuned!





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sábado, 15 de junio de 2013

Marc's hidden images



"The Dream", Franz Marc, 1912


  Franz Marc was a German painter of the early 20th century, and he was one of the main promoters of the changes that were taking place in Art in those years. He founded the movement "The Blue Knight" along Kandinsky and Macke, attempting to declare new values, forms and intentions to move away from obsolete academicist rules and traditions. Unfortunately he died at the Verdum front in 1916.

  "The Dream" is one of the most popular Marc's works. I have a fridge magnet with this image. One day, while looking from some distance to it, I realized that there were two faces hidden in this painting. 

The first one I saw is the face of a woman looking left, eyes closed and open mouth.




  The other face is that of a man looking right:



  Thinking that I would be possibly confused by just an interesting series of coincidences, I checked other Marc's works looking for hidden images. I was shocked to find at least 10 other painitings in which there were images more or less hidden, some of them in sarcastic or ironic moods.


  The one that shocked me most was "The Waterfall"-





 There are two faces yielling and menacing to each other. On the left there is a face with hat, bluish skin and closed fist, while on the right there's a red-skinned face with a dagger in his right hand ready to strike. 




  The fact is that Marc's real message was not in the dream-like scenes. Actually he was expressing his deep beliefs, fears or emotions through those images that for some reason he buried behind a beautiful sight. I dare to think that he wanted to express in this last painting the deep differences, and even hate, between social classes, a very important political and social issue in those days in the Western world, and that finally would drag him too and take his life.




  There's a long tradition of hidden images on pictorial art in Europe. Marc probaby knew about it and decided to use this technique in quite a number of his works. Here's some examples of all-time hidden images, where a somewhat innocent appearence hides a much deeper meanning...


















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viernes, 7 de junio de 2013

Vivo, ergo sum


"Darkness hit by light" 

Ink and watercolor on paper, 20 Aug. 2010



  René Descartes, in his "Discourse on the Method" published back in 1637, laid the foundations of modern rational thinking and scientific method. Doubting of his perception of reality, he had come to the conclusion that he existed because he thought, as he was aware of the doubts in his mind. (Je pense, donc je suis)

  His uncertainty about the truth brought him to the rational conclusion that he existed. In other words, having lost confidence on the delusive sensorial perceptions of reality, he refuged in his conscious mind as the ultimate certainty. He made doubt the basis of rational thinking, which is correct in itself. The price we paid, though, is that we in Occident made doubt the basis of our very existence.

 However, there is another angle. Descartes came to his conclusion because he was alive, and because he was conscious of it. He then could have written: "I live, then I can think, and therefore I am". Or to make it short: "I live, therefore I am". Life comes before thinking.

If I identify "Me" with my mind, then I am in trouble as there's no certainty in my mind, only ellusive perceptions and models in constant change. However, if I identify myself with my biological essence, which is what gives meaning to my mind and thoughts, then I'm safe, since I locate myself into something true and out of the doubt. I'm not more or less alive, or just sometimes: I know that I live, therefore I am. (Je vis, donc je suis)




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sábado, 1 de junio de 2013

The way we are


"Mosaic"

Markers, pen and washed ink on paper, 26 Sept. 1977




  Why we think the way we think? Where do thoughts originate?

Basically concepts derivate from sensorial perceptions combined with language and other cultural learnings. Through time, concepts tend to combine and ellaborate complex cultures that condition decisively the way we think. 

Please check the image above. If you guys try to describe it to another person, some of you will say that it's a landscape seen through a net or wall of undescribable nature. Others, however, will describe it as a mosaic of coloured pieces laid on a floor. Who is right? Hmmm.... 

 Now consider that we are talking about more abstract issues, like the nature of the soul, spirituality, or mystic experiences. Even though those experiences can be (and most probably are) very similar in essence, the way those experiences are shared with other people will vary tremendously, depending of how they were percieved by each individual...

Is it worth to fight a war because some perceived a mosaic, and others a network? Surely you can answer to yourself.


"Mosaic" has been one of my few paintings that "hit" the canvas. The original above is just 9 x 9 cm, the version below is 60 x 60 cm. I still like more the one I made 36 years ago.






"Mosaic"

Acrylic on canvas, June 2012




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(Version in Spanish, see artefuturo.blogspot.com)