Physical Space

A summary of:
Wertheim, M. (1999). The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace: H5N1 History of Space from Dante to the Internet. Virago Press: London.
Chapter two - Physical Space

Wertheim adjacent explores how artists began to influence our worldview past times the incorporation of what nosotros mightiness telephone telephone earthly physics into representation (78). Until Giotto, really, artists created religious icons that did non aim to stand upwards for the populace that is accessible to the eye, but instead depicted distorted figures on golden backgrounds, asserting the otherworldliness of their subjects, "striv[ing] to evoke the Christian realm of the spirit" (84). But Giotto did something completely alien: he housed iconography, religious subjects, inwards physical space, "representing the realm of nature in addition to body" (84). In short, medieval fine art was symbolic, whereas Giotto's fine art was the showtime of representational art. Or inwards other words (those of philosopher Christine Wertheim, paraphrased), "while early on medieval artists painted what they 'knew,' Giotto in addition to the novel masters of the fourteenth century began to pigment what they 'saw'" (85).

The major fountain is the evolution of perspective, which allowed for (although Wertheim does non explicate it equally such) the extension of infinite backward through the frame. Like alongside the creation of Purgatory, this is to a greater extent than or less other representative of the regain of a novel form of space: infinite equally depth. It relied on the "the fine art of empirical observation" (83), which nosotros lead maintain afterward heralded equally a cultural maturation, "'progress' toward a 'true' understanding of the world... a 'true' representation of the world" (83). The result: the literal "grounding" of Christian imagery, "wresting it away from its previous heavenly focus in addition to bringing it downward to earth" (85).

As this science became to a greater extent than in addition to to a greater extent than refined, "Physical vision has straight off supplanted 'spiritual vision' equally the representational ideal: The middle of the textile trunk had replaced the 'inner eye' of the Christian soul equally the principal artistic 'organ' of sight" (107). And hence the postmedieval historic menstruum welcomed the "profoundly physicalist zeitgeist" (108). From straight off on, non entirely was the middle the tool used to create art, but was also the target artists aimed at, positioning the viewer at a specific scream for from which he or she is intended to have the image (111). Of course, this play tricks of perspective enabled fantastic illusionism, but it also was manipulated past times futurity artists: "Thus, acre perspective icon began past times embodying a 'point of view,' it ultimately became i time once to a greater extent than a way for distancing the viewer from his or her body" (115).

What's interesting is that to a greater extent than or less (including preeminent scientific thinker, Roger Bacon) believed this represtational approach, what became known equally "geometric figuring", would brand religious belief to a greater extent than accessible to the masses, i.e. if it "could hold upwards the footing for an illusion so powerful that people would hold upwards convinced of the 'reality' of what they were seeing" (91). Wertheim writes further, "As the foremost mortal to concealment the extraordinary illusionistic ability of mathematically rendered images, Roger Bacon mightiness justifiably hold upwards called the foremost champion of virtual reality" (91).

Wertheim makes an of import observation, almost equally an aside: that acre Christians thought that geometric figuring was the primal to winning the battle against "infidels", these infidels had their ain geometric figuring: "Not perspective, but a highly evolved fine art of mosaic in addition to tessellated pattern-making alongside which they adorned floors, ceilings, in addition to walls. This beautiful Middle Eastern fine art flat was itself the production of a civilisation richly imbued alongside mathematics. Yet this Arab fine art never sought to copy physical reality; similar Gothic fine art it aimed at a subtle symbolism inwards which a divine club was signified past times the beauty of complex geometric patterns" (91).

Yes! This is a fork inwards the route - the scream for at which nosotros turned toward representation equally truth... equally the goal. This tin nonetheless hold upwards seen inwards our modern technological innovations. We are constantly seeking simulacrum: imperfect representation inwards the digital realm of our physical experiences (e.g. Facebook 'friends,' online 'chat', etc.), fifty-fifty the really simulation of humans inwards virtual reality. The affair that's wonderful virtually discovering these forks inwards the route is that nosotros lead maintain identified a potential house to intervene. How mightiness we, then, blueprint engineering scientific discipline that does non seek representation but rather aims for "subtle symbolism"???

The inspiration of this chapter is that fine art inwards this representative was the impetus behind a profound epitome shift; in addition to if Giotto tin catalyze this all alongside a painting, precisely imagine what a radical novel form of engineering scientific discipline mightiness do, particularly given the speed at which this novel thought could disseminate via the Internet. In this way, it mightiness hold upwards useful to laid out alongside a shift inwards our thinking virtually the constituent of engineering scientific discipline inwards our culture: is it possible that it is to a greater extent than closely aligned alongside fine art than nosotros thought? Perhaps nosotros should halt thinking of it but equally tools; it is, too, an facial expression of our interpretation of the world. This mightiness gratis us upwards considerably to acquaint inwards a whole novel space.

By focusing on the creative potential of technology, rather than thinking of it equally a production of the steady accumulation of science, nosotros realize how of import in addition to powerful they are. Consider: "...for long earlier men of scientific discipline accepted the novel vision of space, it was artists who constitute a way to hand coherent pregnant to the thought of an extended physical void" (104), which "would essay out crucial to the evolution of the modern concept of physical infinite that nosotros know today" (105). Again, the lesson hither is that it is i affair to seek a harmony betwixt spiritual in addition to technological life; but it is quite another, to a greater extent than interesting affair to role engineering scientific discipline equally the primal facial expression that brings virtually a epitome shift.