ANDREAN VIEWING POINT
The stages of the development of Art (2025)
Hegel said that all of human history is a journey towards a final product. When applying the same discourse to the history of art, its evolving definition and parameter seems to be progressing towards a final, purest form.
1st paradigm shift
Renaissance brought forth humanism, and the corresponding slow death of religion as the behemoth that binds society together. This forced art to grow out of its original purpose of devotion and worship, and via the lens of natural realism, begin to depict our human ideals, embracing the many dimensions of human life.
Painting come to life as we marvel, and gods stand as their archetypes.
Art became about exploration.
2nd paradigm shift
The impressionist movement is related to the invention of camera. When one no longer have to pay an artist trained in photorealistic lighting techniques for a portrait, This forced the shift of focus from technical expertise and craftsmanship as seen in academic paintings and sculptures, to expressive movements that convey original ideas, behold the birth of modern art.
Music has always utilised the same language (harmonic scale, rhythms) . What has changed is its accessibility due to technology. One can pay an artist who spent years practising their instrument to replicate the symphony, or buy a record player. This proliferation inspires variation and experimentation.
Art became about innovation.
3rd paradigm shift
In 2025, AI are now able to innovate and express at unprecedented level, producing art products at times indistinguishable from the works of humans. This terrifies the society of artists over the lost of purpose, and once again we are forced to confront the timeless question: What can be considered art? What fulfil the purpose of art?
Reflection from visiting Glastonbury - UK (2024)
The purported spiritual capital of the British isles, where the heart chakra of planet earth is found; the final resting place of King Arthur, and a gateway into the fae's home realm.
Such are the legends of this little somerset town, legends which are sustained by a community of witches and shamans, occultists and gurus, artist and philosophers, believers and preachers alike.
This is where you can find mural painters adorning the streets with mandalas while preaching about eco-friendly anarchism. This is also where you can find the supposed reincarnation of christ, with healing crystals for sale at 200£.
They each live in their own realities, not necessarily a bad thing - for all we know, reality may be manifold.
As the lady at the Chalice Well has advised me, one ought not to grow reliant on cold analytical logic; in order to attain a comprehensive view of life and self, the exercise of reason should be accompanied by nurturing and attending to one's intuition, where the mind entertains a different dimension of senses.
The tripod model to a relationship (2024)
Of the billions of soul on the planet, it is truly precious to find somebody that you can entrust yourself with, whose presence turns life into pleasure. And it is truly crushing when those relationship falls apart, became a pale imitation of its former self, or even fallen to the bitter antagonistic end.
From personal experience there are 3 pillars that sustain a loving stable relationship:
1) Romantic attraction
- By its name sake it involves romanticising; fantasise about the person, seeing ALL of their qualities as lovable and endearing, in their presence everything about life seems better. Succinctly, liking the idea of the person.
2) Platonic affiliation
- Able to see their strength and flaws objectively, gaining an understanding of their character over time, and appreciate their positive influence and emotional significance in your life.
Succinctly, liking the actual person.
3) Compatibility
- A general alignment in ideas, goals and worldviews. It reflects a matching of timing where two people are in similar stages of emotional growth as well as in things they desire in life.
Succinctly, liking the same thing as the other person.
Each of the 3 pillars pull their own weight; without compatibility, two would grow bitter and despising; without platonic love, two would burn in short-lived passion; without romantic love, two would feel stuck and constantly yearn for more.
Thoughts on categorising cultural variation (2023)
As I continue to gain exposure and interact with people from various different cultures, I find challenges in reconciling what I personally see, with the classroom categories of "East vs West culture" or "Global south". All cultures are products of millenias of interaction and mixing with others, and expressed themselves in their unique ways. That being said, I did identify some metrics of which a culture may be classified, I hope they can be a more valid assessment than simply "Oh its just collectivism Vs. individualism" or other strawman statements of kind.
The temperature - rigidity scale (by me)
Social temperature
A warm culture (ie. Italy, Gulf Arab, Cambodia) has a strong sense of "loudness" in its citizens, eager to approach people and open in their affairs. They favour expressive styles and strong, loud emotions; whilst extraversion is a performative sensibility to avoid seeming as rude.
Whilst a cold culture (ie. Norway, Japan) favours subdued moderation, preferring to keep to polite formality or within closed social circles. They respect boundary and distance between individuals, favouring concise, straight-to-point communications within utilitarian reasons.
Social rigidity
A rigid culture (ie. Saudi Arabia, both Korea) has steep, stratified pyramid of hierarchy; in political authority as well as in social interactions, those on top will stay on top. They also tend to faithfully abide by existing rules and customs, naturally skeptical to changes, anxious at ambiguity.
Whilst a flexible culture (ie. Netherlands, Brazil) has a more egalitarian structure, with authority being highly mobile and transferable. They are tolerant to the bending of rules, and are more open to social progress and heterogeneity, adaptive to innovation.
The position on these 2 spectrum can be inferred by asking the following:
How does its people treats those in a higher social position (reverence / envy / competition ?)
How does its peope treats those who are less fortunate (apathy / mercy / communal obligation ?)
This can be a useful framework for when you interact with people of a different culture. identify the ideal approach to communication / diplomacy / relationship building.
Thoughts on origins of cultural variation (2023)
This is me attempting to plot a roadmap from the past to the present.
What is the reasoning behind a society's cultural orientation? If a society has these characteristics, they are likely to also exhibit corresponding traits on the Temperature - Rigidity Scale.
Guilt vs Shame vs Fear
The means of control against transgression within the society. (in ascending order of rigidity)
Guilt culture: (reined by oneself)
- Via civic morality / conscience, which may involve a religion.
- Question whether committing an act is wrong / unfair.
Shame culture: (reined by other people)
- Via notion of honour, and threat of ostracism from immediate circles to greater community.
- Question what would people think if an act is committed.
Fear culture: (reined by big brother - tangible authority)
- Via legitimate threat of retribution, could be interpersonal or institutional.
- Question what form of punishment / oppression would ensue the committing of an act.
Nomadic vs Urban culture
Historically nomadic / steppe people such as Mongolian, Scandinavian, Turkic, Arabian
- A harsh living condition contributes to either (1) a pragmatic survivalist spirit or (2) a dynamic leadership structure, or both (cold and flexible)
Contrasted with sedentary residents that were trader-farmers: China, Rome, India:
- Ability to afford time and energy in development of cultures, philosophy, art
- Well established schools of morality
Monolithic vs Pluralistic culture
Whether a civilisation is experienced in managing diversity, corelates to flexibility and expressiveness.
Homogenous society: One land, one tribe. This is the majority of European nation states post-Westphalia, and majority of Asian nation states post-colonialism.
Heterogenous society: One land, several tribes. Civilisations with great landmass and large population i.e. China, India, Russia, are accustomed to being crossroads of regional communities.
Cosmopolitan societies: One land, for every tribes. Everyone is welcome to settle, such is English speaking countries due to it being THE global language.
Thoughts on basic ingredient of a religion (2023)
To me there are 3 components to every religions of the world, their defining functions, if you will.
- Ceremony
Through participation, one connects with a lineage of history, appreciates the body of art and philosphy inspired by said faith, manifesting the abstract into the infrastructures of society.
- Community
Through participation, one come into the social circles of their kindred united by common faith, a source of material and spiritual spirit in times of need, and also informing one's identity.
- Creed
Through participation, one acquires a transcendental perspective: breaks away from the temporal mundane or hardships of life, and is assured of one's divine purpose or eventual afterlife bliss, rising above any existential dread.
Thoughts on religion (2023) - extended thoughts on the purpose of theology
The last of the 3 elements of religion, Creed;
refers to the confidence in an all-knowing, all-powerful force above and beyond our comprehension; and to look upon it/ them / him for answers.
1) Answers to our questions
The metaphysical mysteries concerning the creation of the cosmos (how are things formed?) are gradually being explained by science, instead of mythologies. What question remains unanswered, are the existential (Why are we here?), and the moral (How should we live?)
2) Answers to our prayers
For when all that is within human capacity is done, there is nothing left to do for the desperate, but to hold faith in a salvation from the divine hand. Either to lead us to our triumph, or to comfort us in our tragedies.
Thoughts inspired by late night opera on TV (2024)
Richard Wagner's magnum opus "The Ring Cycle", is a 4 part operatic odyssey totalling 14 hours on the expression of greed, independence, struggle and longing, under the Norse mythological narrative frame. The name of the last opera of the series, "Gotter-Dämmerung", is a direct translation of the famed Ragnarøkkr narrative, "Twilight of the gods".
Dämmerung is the German word for Sunset, the world's fade into darkness. But it is simultaneously the word for Dawn, the emergence of light. The naming reflects the nordic belief of a new cycle post-Ragnarøkkr: as all of the nine realms will be plunged into fiery chaos, perishing mortals and gods alike; earth razed into ashes, grains of sand rolled into the mother sea, cleansing the world of its sin and nurturing new beautiful beginnings, redeemed, renewed.
Thoughts after coming home from a rave (2024)
Techno is music in its purest, rawest form. This genre, in its bare-naked essence, are beats, rhythm, syncopation, the same can be said for the beating of the human heart; for the drops of rain into the infinite ocean; for the eternal cycle of genesis and entropy of the universe.
The space between the notes, the build up and the release, it is a depiction of respiration. Life itself.
When you allow yourself to fall into a state of trance, when you surrender, your body and mind become one with the music, and by extension, one with the cosmic harmony.
It is a religious experience in this regard.