Some thoughts on William Blake's ..... AUGURIES OF INNOCENCE

‎To see a World in a Grain of Sand 
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, 
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand 
And Eternity in an hour.
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Upon some reflection, one may start developing a sense of empathy for the somewhat romantic and existential character of that perennial plea uttered by humanity, ringing out with a tone of longing, it’s echo reverberating through the Platonic realm, and reflecting back here so softly that only the hearts of poets can hear it.

[...]
Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born,
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.

Some are born to sweet delight,

Some are born to endless night.

[...]

God appears, and God is light,

To those poor souls who dwell in night;

But does a human form display

To those who dwell in realms of day.

I'm sure there may be numerous ways of interpreting this poem, and maybe even some of them could be considered as better than others? But it seems that the content of the poem itself opposes the existence of any hierarchy which should serve as the absolute measure of any interpretation's alleged objective adequacy. This, perhaps could be an interesting direction of inquiry in itself, but not one which I presently wish to pursue. Instead I will share some of my reflections inspired by the poem.
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What I've noticed, prompted by reflections meandering toward the blurry boundaries of the poem's subject matter, is the apparent content-relational continuity between the first, and the last few stanzas, and the message their interplay carries. It's plausible that the author intended this symmetry, if not throughout the entire poem then at least between its first and the last stanzas.
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What it reveals, if one entertains this observation as one not entirely devoid of merit, is the conditioning of one's conceptual repertoire to the attributes (nature) of the "realm" they inhabit and experience.
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Those who are "doomed" - "to endless night", which is some otherworldly-Heavenly domain - and united with God's immanent presence, are perchance privileged having such direct and immediate access to the divine and transcendental nature of reality. Being familiar with that realm, they know too well how it permeates everything, and that it should be evident - "seen" - even in a wildflower - a worldly entity. Sadly, such a particular form of being is absent from the realm of the universal which they dwell in. (Note the mysterious and uncrystallized nature of that which cannot be "seen" i.e. during the "night", and consider the magnitude of that mystery with "endless" predicated of it.)
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As they dream of seeing (a blank concept, although entertainable, yet devoid of any experiencial referent), they imagine seeing that which they only know - "heaven" - in an object (the wild flower) endowed with a particular, grounded yet unique nature. If only they were granted that possibility - to experience, if only an infinitesimal fraction of the "realm of day" - no larger than a grain of sand would suffice.
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But alas! - their gaze invariably transcends the flower's earthly, finite form, failing to appreciate its pure and simple beauty.
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Those who dwell in the "sweet delight", are "blessed" with the clarity offered by the world bathed in the "light of day", and unperturbed by that which cannot be seen, can only relate to the divine in terms of the spatiotemporal boundaries, imposed on them by the "realm" they inhabit, and cannot help but reduce the transcendental to such a conceptual confinement: “Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, and Eternity in an hour”.
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This is also why, despite persistently harbouring hopes and dreams - which resemble restless chimeras that rummage anxiously through the most elusive depths of the soul, where mystery, doubt and wonder seek refuge from the syrupy tentacles of the hedonistic bliss - they occasionally experience fleeting suspicions with regard to the "all revealing" "sweet delight" - whether there may not be some paradoxical, and double edged nature to it.
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Being conditioned to the "explicated", worldly realm, which overwhelms the eyes with demonstrative, verging on obtrusive, clarity (hence a presumed "absolute clarity"), and crystallized, unambiguously delineated finite forms, one experiences God accordingly - in a familiar and non hesitant manner.
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A still further stretched interpretation, on a somewhat relatively deeper reading, would allow seeing those diverse realms, presented in the poem, as analogues of certain attitudes which we're all free to adopt - or maybe not entirely free, hence the somber tone and categorical emphasis on the phrases "born to ..."? 
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Upon adopting, or tentatively veering toward some preferred set of attitudes, we progressively develop, and subsequently reinforce, the positive feedback driven interdependence of our experiential and conceptual repertoire - their character in turn, ultimately presents us with a corresponding manifestation of Being.

Sensless chatter analysis

Average teenager-mid twenties person wpm (words per minute - spoken) = 150.

Average teenager-mid twenties person wpm (words per minute - spoken) with the phrases (and the variations of) "so/and I/he/she/it/we/they am/is/are/was/were like..." = 45.

The Way of a Saint: Beatification of John Paul II

Last Sunday  Karol Wojtyla  subsequently the previous head of the Catholic  Church John Paul  II, has been beatified by his successor, the present Pope Benedict XVI. Beatification is the necessary stage in the canonization (sainthood) process.

Becoming an orphan at the age of twenty, may have contributed to the decision to enter the path of priesthood thus allowing Karol Wojtyla actively embrace all of humanity as his extended family. This had been clearly apparent in his unprecedented reaching out to the peoples of all ethnic and faith backgrounds through over a hundred pastoral journeys he made to 129 countries – an activity surpassing in magnitude and scope any pontiff in history.

On a more personal level an act, exemplifying his compassion and the sincerity of his mission to embrace all humans as his family, can be seen in his attitude toward his would be assassin Mehmet Ali Ağca. After having recovered from the nearly lethal shooting he visited the prison cell of the man that attempted to kill him, and after having spent some time talking in private, his first official words to the world were ‘Pray for my brother, whom I have sincerely forgiven’. 

While still as a Bishop, Karol Wojtyla participated in the Second Vatican Council (an official reform within the Catholic Church), where among his contributions were some of the most historic and influential products of the Council, among them the Decree on Religious Freedom (Lat. Dignitatis Humanae) – where it is declared and emphasized as the official stance of the Church that all persons have a right to religious liberty, a right with its foundation in the essential dignity of each human being.
Becoming the head of the Church certainly facilitated to implement the work he begun as a bishop. This again is marked by unprecedented acts of reaching out and solidarity with other faiths. It seems that in this respect John Paul II made history with every passing year - on the Christian level in his ecumenical work to unite on a common ground all the Christian denominations, and on a broader scale building bridges to other faiths like the pontifex maximus he was intended to be (a term informally adopted by the Catholic Church from ancient Rome, serving as an informal title for Popes – great builder of bridges). The notable acts of this interfaith solidarity were his historical visit and prayer in an Islamic mosque in Syria in 2001, and a similar act during his visit to Jerusalem whereby he was the first pope to visit and pray at the Western Wall – a sacred place of Judaism.

To my surprise however, Buddhism with its unique philosophy of salvation is considered by the Second Vatican Council to be in dissonance with the doctrine our builder of bridges served to implement. John Paul II inevitably adopted an attitude that faithfully reflects the doctrinal status quo of the Second Vatican Council. As a son and servant of the Catholic Church he professed the soteriology which his faith rendered into a conviction – through Christ is the only way to salvation.Hence the kind and declaredly tolerant, yet simultaneously patronizing attitude of the Second Council: ‘The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these [other] religions.’ (Nostra Aetate). This is the attitude which John Paul had, as the Council’s co-author and representative, consequently and inevitably embodied.

Below are relevant excerpts from his ‘Crossing the Threshold of Hope’ illustrating the core dissonance over the doctrinal contrast of salvation between Christianity and Buddhism – a dissonance declared existent by the authors of the Second Vatican Council.

All of the questions raised by the Second Vatican Council are reducible, finally, to this theme [soteriology]. Nevertheless, both the Buddhist tradition and the methods deriving from it have an almost exclusively negative soteriology […] in the conviction that it [the world] is only a source of suffering for man and that he therefore must break away from it […] The fullness of such a detachment is not union with God, but what is called Nirvana, a state of perfect indifference with regard to the world. (John Paul II Crossing the Threshold of Hope, 1994)

[in Christianity] It is in the world that man meets God. Therefore he does not need to attain such an absolute detachment […] The Church is guided by the faith that God the Creator wants to save all humankind in Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man, inasmuch as He is the Redeemer of all humankind. […] Buddhism is in large measure an ‘atheistic’ system. (John Paul II Crossing the Threshold of Hope, 1994)

The consistently respectful, tolerant yet ultimately patronizing attitude, of the Second Vatican Council is echoed in this homily addressed to the people of Thailand:Your Cultural heritage as Thai people is intimately linked to the indigenous Buddhist tradition, which provides a fertile terrain for the seed of God’s word, proclaimed by Jesus Christ to take root and grow. In the practice of Buddhism can be discovered a noble tendency to strive to separate oneself from ‘earthly wisdom’, in order to discover and achieve an interior purification and liberation. This aim is pursued through prayer and meditation, coupled with the practice of moral virtue. As the Second Vatican Council so clearly pointed out, the Church looks with sincere respect upon the religious wisdom contained in non-Christian traditions and rejects nothing that is holy and true in them. (John Paul II, Homily of the Mass for Peace in the World)

It appears from the compassionate, devoted to humanity and radiating with love yet somewhat conservative (i.e. faithful to the Council’s doctrine) attitude of John Paul II that the great builder of bridges is only as good as the guild whose engineering endeavors he is implementing.
In The Roman Triptych he writes ‘Non omnis moriar’ (not all of me will die). Indeed it is up to us to continue and improve upon the art of bridge building.

The Black Swan - A Lyrical Vision of Madness

In this stark and surreal creation Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz through their screenplay weave an intricate analysis of a obsessive compulsive disorder evolving into a fully fledged psychosis, as Darren Aronofsky masterfully gives the viewer the uneasy privilege of experiencing this evolution through the very eyes of the protagonist who is undergoing it.

In her late twenties, frigid, gentle, soft spoken, shy yet determined and ambitious Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), knows only too well that getting the main role of playing both sisters - The White Swan, and her evil twin The Black Swan - in the new adaptation of the Swan Lake choreographed by the renowned Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) may be her last chance at stardom. Thomas eventually, but reluctantly picks Nina. Despite immediately judging her rendition of the White Swan as perfect - which reflects Nina's virgin like nature and personality – his reluctance lingers due to her inability to convincingly portray the evil seductress - The Black Swan. Finally a hint of visceral and wild determination dormant within Nina, convinces Thomas to give her the role with the hope that the "evil" spark will develop into a flame of desire allowing Nina to convincingly portray the evil twin. He doesn't take a passive role in this transformation, and aids Nina with all the possible ways a professional French maestro could offer. He fails to predict however that this flame will grow out of control and eventually engulf entirely the pure spirit of the young dancer.

Witnessing her transformation the viewer may experience frustration and confusion since the boundary between what is a psychotic and delusional vision and what is real slowly dissolves, as Nina progressively develops the required alter ego. Those feelings of cognitive discomfort should be seen as hallmarks of Aronofsky's skill in giving the viewer a glimpse into Nina's world, since undoubtedly confusion and frustration are in the least what she experiences. It eventually becomes apparent that the only way this subtle and gentle young woman can successfully and absolutely embody the Black Swan is through equally absolute madness - effectively splitting her own personality by allowing the alien, dominating and destructive Black Swan alter ego emerge and eventually engulf her.

The technique of offering a subjective vision of a delusional protagonist is not entirely original. However here, strongly intertwined with Tchaikovsky’s powerful musical theme (adopted by Clint Mansell) and suggestive dance sequences the film can be interpreted as an original postmodern rendition of the ballet.

Why I don't like attending exhibition openings

I generally avoid such events, but find myself occasionally obliging a friend and accompanying them with the only consolation being the hope that the experience may prove my convictions inaccurate. Alas those hopes prove to be futile at every such chance attendance.

There's the experiential aspect, which even with the aid of empathy, understanding and careful reflection fails to provide more than painful frustration; during the fake and polite interactions equally ungenuine inquiries arise: "So what do you do?” The frustration emerges primarily from the realization of my cowardice which prevents me from actively defying customary conformity - knowing with certainty the pure formal nature of the inquiry, devoid of no more genuine interest then required to satisfy a curiosity which attempts to avoid boredom and dullness by engaging in mild and superficial intellectual entertainment (the conversation), I find myself pretending that this empty shell of an inquiry is of substance and respond accordingly - with symmetrical pretension. The only way I can withstand the half hour or so of my physical presence at such events is by erecting a hermetic and pseudo philosophical wall around me which relates insincerely to the exhibited pieces, or physically avoiding any interactions by inspecting the exhibited works repeatedly with ostentatious interest that would excuse my lack of socializing. Whilst exercising those evasive tactics I'm always astonished by my paranoia that time has slowed almost to a stop. This behavioral device tends to temporarily fend off those excruciatingly vacuous inquiries into the content of my person.

It would be tempting to at least engage in the consolatory activity of amusing myself by observing the career hungry crowd, seeking mutual attention of only those who in its mind can contribute to the elevation of either the ego or what's more important the factual career status. Sadly I no longer find it amusing. I'm saddened by this and inescapably forced into reflections on the human condition in general - how we will readily crawl, hop or sing in a bad chorus - ready to take those desperate measures if only their performance, no matter how pathetic and degrading, would deliver but a glimmer of a promise of bringing closer the illusory goal that we have chosen to endow with value.

UNSAFE PROFANATION

An artist doesn't need a lecture on the value of art or the creative process in general. It is a blessing of the muses, a charitable gesture of serendipity for which all artists yearn like junkies. Why is that? Because both the creative process and inspiration are what an artist's soul feeds on and is defined by, which makes them sacred. They're sacred gifts whose value largely springs from their ephemeral and inconsistent nature due to the muses' capriciousness.

Therefore it seems natural that to a genuine apprentice of the muses the acquisition of a respect for the value of this gift and the recognition of its instantiations in the form of "perceivable artworks" is inevitable. It follows that the role of an art school should be both to aid the apprentice of the muses to evoke the longing for this gift, and nurture a respect for its instantiations.

It has come to my attention that during a recent social function at the Queensland College of Art (Griffith University), students have been physically tampering with an unfinished sculpture of one of their absent colleagues. This included climbing on the sculpture en masse, and ultimately soiling it with sand and what appears to be alcohol. Whereas such behavior should be generally labeled as disrespectful or thoughtless in the least, within the artistic community it is nothing short of a profanation.

One may be tempted to endorse a more sympathetic stance, and claim that the students deserve a measure of consideration due to their sheer ignorance. As a proof of their naivety serves the fact that by publishing their photos of the function's activities on Facebook, they did not care to exclude those of the sculpture being tampered with. To the contrary, judging by the number of photographs depicting the activity in question, it seems that it was one of the evening's highlights. Imagine the fury of young "Phidias" upon discovering that the profanation of the progeny of his inspiration served as a vehicle of base amusement to a herd of intoxicated morons.

Pleading ignorance, may get the students off the hook, but the story does not end there. A senior  lecturer and a PhD student were present at the function, as evidenced by the published photographs, which makes them passive participants. What is one to say of the ignorance of those senior figures of an artistic and academic institution? Why didn't they react? Did they succumb to a momentary primitive group think? Were they so overwhelmed by the libations as to be completely oblivious of the surrounding goings on? Or maybe their formal statuses are merely empty labels masking equally ignorant individuals? Surely all those alternatives seem equally unthinkable!

The senior academics are denied a plea of ignorance. If that was granted, what would that imply about the school (QCA) which they represent? After all it would be dreadful to permit the thought that the "Art" in QCA is also just an empty label. So let's give the school the benefit of the doubt and suppose there does exist a genuine spirit of art within its walls. But that would seem inconsistent with the described incident!

What went wrong? Consider this. I'm quite sure that once the story surfaces, the highest ranking bureaucrats of Griffith University Inc. who are more concerned with avoiding liability suits, and making a profit then actually focusing on educating the youths would be appalled that such misconduct had occurred: "damaging a piece of art without taking the appropriate safety measures? The photos clearly depict students climbing the sculpture without adequate headgear and goggles! This is an outrage!".