Senses Assignment - Reading

More than just tree lights

"Consideration of eye is not enough"

Personally, I would be more in line with the Russian philosophy, "we ascertain data about the world by means of the body, hand, or fingers coming into contact with physical matters". We don't just 'see', we touch, feel, observe, breathe in and make a part of ourselves, the environment. It's holistic. I feel what I see and think upon Serres' words, "The skin is where the body meets itself and everything else."  I often used the expression, 'felt like my skin was off' when feeling exposed/vulnerable, as if all my senses were hyper-tuned and now wonder if Serres' explanation above explains why that is how it seemed to me. I have always felt the body is the conduit of the senses, and as was discussed in the article by some of the 'thinkers' we cannot really separate or break apart our senses. For example: smell influences your taste buds. Try burning a scented candle and have it next to your meal, while eating...it will flavour whatever foods you are eating. You will not be able to taste your food independently of the smell of the candle---smell affected taste. I am always taking photos of what affects me, not just for the visuals, but for my senses. This lighted Christmas tree is an example. I was in the dark, and my eye was appreciated the fibre optics, and different colour ranges. There was also a calm I was feeling, and an appreciation of colour. I wanted the blues in this shot... so took the time to pick them out of the variety that came up. There is movement here, nothing static, and a coolness of the colours, and the lines.The blurriness provides an affect of movement and combined with the blocked-in effect of blackness provides mystery and an experience for my senses and thoughts. For these reasons, I feel this shot is a really good example of what Paul Duncum was saying as he brought out the different thoughts of philosophers on our multiple senses and how senses are intertwined and cannot be separate. In conclusion, when it comes to art, Duncum alludes to the conclusion of the matter with his statement, "Approaching art not as a primarily visual phenomenon but as a sensory phenomenon, with the visual more or less regarded as engaged on a work-by-work basis, reinforces the efforts of art educators concerned with performance installations, women's, and indigenous art."