Tuesday 29 March 2016

Equivalent to Equivalent VIII

When it was first acquired and displayed by the Tate Gallery in London, Carl Andre's 'Equivalent VIII' (below) caused quite a stir. The merits or otherwise of the work - and the amount of money paid for it - are a matter of debate which does not concern me here. Instead, what I've wondered about is whether any of the night security staff on duty while the Tate was closed ever re-arranged the bricks. It would be very easy to do without anybody noticing what had happened.

The corollary to this is, if none of them thought of doing so, why didn't it occur to them? And if it did occur to them and they didn't actually do it, why didn't they? I would have done it. After all, in those days there were few, if any, CCTV cameras to catch one in the (artistic? - creative? - despicable?) act.

 
For other images see the page about 'Equivalent VIII' at the Tate Gallery.


Wednesday 23 March 2016

Rectilinear video

In the past, I have blogged about my interest/fascination with squares, rectangles, right angles etc. (Click the label 'Right Angles etc' below to see what I mean.) Here is a video upon that theme: The Fall's 'Repetition'. (If you don't like the music - and I can't say that I'm a fan of the band - watch the video with the sound off, as I do.)




Thursday 17 March 2016

Epictetus - 12

From: The Golden Sayings of Epictetus (translated by Hastings Crossley) - from Project Gutenberg.

CXXI
If any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone. For God hath made all men to enjoy felicity and constancy of good.


Friday 11 March 2016

Various quotes


"Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it."
Buddha

"The value of something is not in who said it or in its intention but in how it is read, understood and acted upon." 
Unattributed

"Education is what is left when you forget all the facts you learned at school."
Unattributed

"What a good book does is take you to where Google cannot."
Unattributed

"The last thing one discovers in writing a book is what to put first"
Blaise Pascal

"If Earth were perfect, where would souls go to learn."
Unattributed

 

Saturday 5 March 2016