Chapter9.Punto: Exploring Relative Fundamentalism


Chapter 9. Punto: Exploring Relative Fundamentalism

Punto

Copyright © 2005 by Dan Giordan

You can't appreciate the power of being anchored until you've experienced the disorientation of being set adrift. Punto contrasts these two extremes, as it explores the concepts of relativism, reality, and absolute truth. It's a fair question to ask how such simple and humble objects can have such heady aspirations.

The repetitive and circular pattern on the left side conveys enough detail and specificity to keep you looking and exploring. The symmetry is evident to the point that you keep looking for more, trying to piece together clues to completely define the pattern. And yet the complete logic of the system is elusive, remaining just out of reach.

On the other side of the image, the bench is solid and absolute. It provides a visual counterpoint to the texture because it is easily recognizable as a object and is solidly presented in full contrast. In addition, the bench is an obvious place to sit and orient one's self with the surroundings in the room. There is also the streaming light, a metaphor for enlightenment, that attends the anchored point of orientation.

By definition, relativism implies a lack of anchor. Absolute truth suggests that there are immovable, solid facts, and that what we know informs what we don't understand. These two polarities, presented in tandem, represent the current age of postmodern fundamentalism. Punto means "point" and suggests that a point can be both fixed and fluid, informative and useless.




The Art of Photoshop for Digital Photographers
The Art of Photoshop for Digital Photographers
ISBN: 0672327139
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 141

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