retrocast.net

“The sudden view of things from their reverse, usually unnoticed side, comes upon us as a revelation, and such revelations are precisely those of Art. In this most general sense, Distance is a factor in all Art.

(This) Distance is obtained by separating the object and its appeal from one’s self, by putting it out of gear with practical needs and ends. Thereby the ‘contemplation’ of the object alone becomes possible.

(However) Distance does not imply an impersonal, purely intellectually interested relation of such a kind. On the contrary, it describes a personal relation, often highly emotionally colored, but of a peculiar character. Its peculiarity lies in that the personal character of the relation has been , so to speak, filtered. It has been cleared of the practical, concrete nature of its appeal….”

Edward Bullough, Psychical Distance as a Factor in Art, The Problems of Aesthetics, Vivas & Krieger ed., 1953

“The fact that one may misunderstand the content of a picture is of no concern to the picture, which leads its own life independent of our interpretations.”

John Szarkowski, former Curator of Photography, the Museum of Modern Art, from Looking at Photographs, 1973, MOMA

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned to make a living but not a life. We write more but learn less. We plan more but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information but we communicate less and less.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin