Momentary respite from politics

[muckefuck]

androkles recently asked readers of his LJ:

What do you think is beautiful? Tell me.

I've been mulling over an answer to him, but I'm finding it very difficult to talk about beauty in a satisfying way. Many times, I've been struck by the loveliness of something and considered sharing that experience here, but I couldn't think of a way to do it that didn't sound sappy, babbly, or otherwise moronic. I love language, but it distorts and obscures more than it reveals; some things really aren't communicated well by it. For that reason, I often envy androkles and bitterlawngnome, who can present these moments visually.

Some people responded to the question with lists, but that doesn't work for me. As caitalainn put it, "nearly anything, aside from hatred, can be beautiful if you're open to it." Why do some things strike me that way at certain times and other things--or even the selfsame things at other times--don't? A lot can be explained by my emotional state at the time; sometimes, I'm just not open to appreciating beauty. But I'm always looking for patterns and I like to think that there are at least one or two aesthetic principles I could abstract out of all these moments of appreciation.

monshu once expressed to me that two important principles of the Japanese Buddhist aesthetic are "impermenence" and "patina". (He used Japanese terms, but, the more I've read about them, the less sure I am that these translations do them justice.) There is something about the fleeting nature of certain forms of beauty that heightens the pleasure in experiencing them. Nature furnishes a lot of the best examples. The first thunderstorm, the first snow, the last moments of St. Martin's summer warmth, the full foliage of summer, the bare branches of winter--all of these would lose some of their allure if they were constantly around. It's partly why I like living in a temperate zone. I've often thought how proper it is that sunsets are so transient, since otherwise how could you not stare at them forever?

"Patina" is a bit harder to explain. It's why a rusty manhole cover is more interesting to look at than a brand new one, why a rounded river pebble is more appealing than a chunk of concrete, why Scots is infinitely more attractive than Esperanto. Perhaps I should weigh in on this another time. (I've already gone on long enough to ensure that spookyfruit will never read this.)

Comments

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

What lovely concepts, both of them! And I find them to be very useful as well. Transience and decay ...

[princeofcairo.livejournal.com]

For me, the two keys are "design" and "color." Design can be natural, of course -- lattices of ice on the water, or the dendritic patterns in leaves or veins, or Kate Winslet -- but I respond very strongly to artificial designs, too, especially architecture.

Mondrian is almost the only abstract artist I can really appreciate, because for him design and color were paramount.

"Color" I apply to not just visual color (especially light effects, like the amber Renaissance-Florentine light we get on Indiana limestone buildings here many afternoons), but dramatic color, emotional color, etc. It's what I like most about opera, even though as you know, I'm not much of an opera aficionado.

"Black and white" is a color, as anyone who's seen The Third Man knows, but I think I especially like it because it forced directors to design shots.

[gopower.livejournal.com]

As a friend noted after a trek to the sadly-departed Law School Films, if The Third Man is one of the 10 greatest films ever, it is not one of the nine greatest films. Not all that beautiful, IMHO.

:>

[vokzal.livejournal.com]

Some of us would much rather that Washington vanish.

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

a way to do it that didn't sound sappy, babbly, or otherwise moronic

I think when you share your experience of beauty with people you necessarily open yourself up, make yourself vulnerable. How hard it is to expose to an unsympathetic listener that I find bearded, furry, fat old men to be beautiful. Or broken glass, or bits of trash, or a rotting fish carcass. I think you have to be prepared for (some) people to think you're sappy or moronic, or even sick, (some of the time,) and just not be too concerned with it.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is, I have a much easier time sharing my non-standard perceptions of beauty. Even if they arouse disgust or pity, they at least have the advantage of novelty value. But how to find a way to say "I like sunsets!" without making yourself sound like a trite personals ad?

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

This is one of those "dancing in public" things, isn't it ... at some point you decide, this is who I am, I know some people are going to be critical, but unless they come up with some kind of objective reason why I should not be this way, they can just fuck off. Throw off the shackles of "more recherche than thou" tyranny! There are enough truly unusual things about you to make you unique without worrying about those areas where you're like most other people. Or put another way, what the fuck is wrong with liking some stuff other people like? we're alienated enough as it is.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Nothing, but I don't like to read "oooh kitties so CUTE!" entries in other people's journals, so why should I expect them to want to read those in mine? I know, I know, this is my journal and I should write whatever the fuck I want to. But if I'm not writing for an audience, why have an LJ at all? Why not write directly to disc?

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

Can you think of anyone who matters to you, who reads your journal, who would ditch you because you liked something ordinary? I mean, you know, we're bombarded with messages of hate and dissatisfaction and angst, really I enjoy a bit of I like and I enjoy. And you never know, when they see you enjoyng it it may be like getting permission to enjoy it themselves :)