Do you ever stumble by something and then it sticks with you? That is the power of art, but an idea can hit you unexpectedly in other ways via various media. I term this the art of the stumbling think -- something that engages your mind and forces you to process the idea into your own mental existing structures and frameworks. Books are a form of a stumbling think, because you ramble mentally and get hit with an unexpecteded idea that makes you mull. They can take you to imaginary places beyond your own environment. The art of living requires active engagement. The art of a stumbling think is not rambling through tv channels to find something that is passively engaging.
Memories are made with a tie to emotion and new ideas require mental processing. The public artwork of powerful graffiti artists therefore, sticks in your mind because it engages your thinking about norms. TV or radio talking heads might engage you but ideas are passed to you full and complete, even though they may - even subliminally or overtly engage your emotions. Stumbling thinks require unexpected mental processing and that is the art of it - the surprise that you have to take your mind and wrap it outside of your own box of ideas of reality.
Banksy, an anonymous graffiti street artist, makes public statements with his work and is an artistic example of the idea of the stumbling think. He reminds me of Shepard Fairey who most recently did the Obama posters that were used for street punctuation. We don't have the walkable cities as much for the platform. Santa Fe's most walkable areas are the plaza and Canyon Road, both featuring art but most are struck with the stumbling think of the cultural statements everywhere here -- architecture, art, and beauty. Travel can give you stumbling thinks galore as it gets you out of your normal routine and thrusts you into spaces and places that make you encounter and absorb with all senses different cultural approaches and creations.
Think of rambling by Banksy's work on various street walls... you couldn't help but notice... and think. Imagine if this surprise hit you on your normal everyday errands in your own habitual ramblings. These children, at top right on a London wall, are raising the flag to Tesco, a store. A statement of patriotism to consumerism it is, this. The flag as an idea is not what you would expect. Check out Banksy's site for other works.
The stumbling think is something that is so available via links that an online ramble will engage as well. You don't have to leave your computer to encounter variation from your humdrum routine. I could take this philosophically deeper but masticate, please if you will, on the idea of the stumbling think.
Your writing not only causes me to stumble, but flat out fall down. I love it!
Posted by: allison | April 03, 2008 at 08:21 AM
There's much to be said for your stumbling think and you do stimulate some here.
Posted by: joared | April 03, 2008 at 08:36 AM