Friday, February 21, 2003

Tripartite Form and Metaphor The last two days we looked at containers for special objects and noted how many of them had distinct base, middle, and top. In my mind, the base refers to the profane, ordinary, animal, desires, reality. The top refers to the ideal, reason, sacred, super or supra natural. The middle is a transitioning area between the two- a place for the human. Another way would be to see it as feet, trunk, and head. The base holds the container up. The base is in contact with the physical. The physical, could be a table, the earth, a person's hand, a string around one's neck. The base refers to that sort of physical reality. It is a root. It also adds an idea of physical permanence, and stability. However, the base lifts, or frames, the rest of the container out of that reality. (A pedestal or picture frame does the same.) On a piece worn on the neck or hung, it is the attachment that would be considered the 'base'. The top refers to the greater, non-physical aspects of the object. The top is a pointer outwards to the super or supra natural. The decoration of the cover carries one's eyes outward, beyond the physical aspects of the object and container. A cover also offers safety for the object, and a corresponding feeling of preciousness. However, the lack of a cover can also be understood as appropriate. The lack of a cover allows for the display and/or access to the object not only those physical beings around it, but the super natural beyond it. The lack of cover can also be understood to allow the special object unhindered access outward. The middle is often where the special object is held. We see the special object as being an item of transitioning between the physical reality of the base and the super/supra natural reality of the top. The middle is void that holds the special object. Its purpose is to hold the object. The middle refers to the object inside. I would say that decoration is primarily internally focused, or concerned about the object within. There may even be a window for display. By formally understanding the possible metaphors for the base, middle, and top, artists are able to tap into those understandings in others. The tripartite division of from helps convey the specialness of the object contained. Next on the list...containers for special objects are often highly decorated (...and then again, some are almost blank.) 10:44:04 PM