a brief thought after reading a blog post I highlighted last night
i began wondering about ‘going back’ -does post-modernism revisit the past? perhaps this conclusion is wrong for it is based on a movement within post-modernism – deconstruction. what little i have read on deconstruction makes me think destruction: – form, frame – our objective. does that mean that post-modern goes backward? honestly, i don’t really know, but it made me write this analogy:
We eventually do, don’t we, try to deconstruct as we self-destruct? An essay regarding a puppets movement vs the movement of an animal in the wild made me think of my current research on minimalist running. We have destroyed our innate, natural stride by man’s obsession to master the running shoe which was propelled as much by consumerism as knowledge. Yet, this has finally caused the runner to self-destruct. The runner no longer remembers how the body should perform naturally. Technology on our feet has caused a certain type of laziness in the mind. It is only now, at the hight of technology/knowledge, the we are ready to deconstruct in order to retrain our mind/body. We find that our natural state of running ‘barefoot’ is how to ‘go back’ to nature. We hope that this ‘purity’ will lead us back to the grace we once knew in the wild before our feet were tamed with knowledge. ~
peculiaritiesandreticences
/ 2013/02/17I agree with the sentiment – I think it’s exactly in point- but I pronate so bad I would hurt myself running barefoot. I have to have motion-controlled consumerist running shoes to run.
angela
/ 2013/02/17Yes, but you pronate because of weak biomechanics that are only weak because we allow shoes to do the work instead of our muscles/ligaments/bones. Pronation has more to do with weak ankels – knees- hips. Trust me, I speak from experience (as I type this my foot is on ice for PF – a reoccurrence because I got lazy with stretches and strength training)
peculiaritiesandreticences
/ 2013/02/19Good point! I have to deal with PF too, in part because of a neurofibroma on one foot that messes up the mechanics of the foot- and doesn’t help the mechanics of the foot any. As I get older, and the demands of work and parenthood get older, it only gets harder- and I don;t have time to run like I used to
angela
/ 2013/02/19Sorry to read – ergo, you could tell me to buzz off with my analogy since your biomechanics have a hiccup in the connect!
I don’t run that much milage anymore – flares up too many chronic issues from over use. I did just order a pair of minimalist shoes to see if I can retrain my body – we shall see… personally, I can run for miles (if PF free) in a pair of Keen sandals!
peculiaritiesandreticences
/ 2013/02/20I’d never tell you to buzz off! I value your opinion too highly
. I also happen to agree with the sentiment- though I have to admit that I have to make accommodations to age and life demands- particularly raising children.
By the way- thanks again for the inspiration!
http://peculiaritiesandreticences.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/867/
peculiaritiesandreticences
/ 2013/02/20I don’t dream much, but I did have one of those heavy symbolic dreams last night- and one of the most salient symbols was I was out running barefoot. Thought you’d appreciate that. (It only got weirder and more intense from there).
angela
/ 2013/02/20dreams are an amazing thing — they flit in and out of my vision too often, though – just today my unconscious kept teasing me with scenes, but i could never recall the actual dream contents ~
peculiaritiesandreticences
/ 2013/02/20Mine were quite vivid- which was unusual for me.
Mark Kerstetter
/ 2013/02/17This sounds really interesting. Has your research resulted in an essay? I’d like to read it. Recently my partner told me that she read an article about this; I’m guessing you’ve researched it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_earthing
I read recently (for the life of me can’t remember any details) that a study indicated that our bodies are designed for optimal thinking while walking.
angela
/ 2013/02/17If I do write anything more extensive, Mark, will let you know. Thank you for the link for I was unaware of that concept. While I am not versed on magnetic fields, it makes sense on several levels for I do believe our bodies react to nature. I practice yoga (more for stretching these days) and notice a vast difference when I practice outside (my preferred spot) vs inside. My body is more responsive, dynamic and grounded when I am outside be it on concrete or grass. It is rather amazing, too, the sense of clarity and vision of the sky/trees/horizon – never do I experience the same calm inside. I think this is one of the great risk of children being less exposed to nature – always inside, always receiving digital signal of an unnatural rhythm… there is no natural reconnect/recalibration.
I think I’ve read that as well — think about it, though, how many of the great thinkers, writers, artists do we read about who ‘on their daily walk’ received inspiration for X?
Susan Scheid
/ 2013/02/18Hmmm, maybe I should have taken that Modernism course after all! Today marked a second visit Inventing Abstraction at MOMA, then came home to e review of a concert featuring young composers in Vienna, almost the first line of which was this: “Having no high-modernist clampdown against which to rebel, this generation seems largely free of the trickery of post-modernism.” As I don’t know the composers or their music, I can’t determine what this might mean, but I thought of the discussions you and Mark K. have been having on the definitions of these terms. The review is here, if you’re curious:
http://www.icareifyoulisten.com/2013/02/impuls-2013-opening-yields-mixed-results-from-young-composers/
angela
/ 2013/02/19Jealous that you can just pop over to the MOMA! Thank you so much for the link, I shall check it tomorrow. MK inspires me to dig further into defining the terms and applying the concepts. It is funny, though, for I have read chapters on modernism and post-modern, yet it never sticks! You could always join the class and take what you like from it, btw. It is interesting to delve into a bit of cross-over for I now have no idea what came first – philosophy’s use of the terms or the arts!
angela
/ 2013/02/19Just visited the link..it is interesting because she starts with that commentary, yet the first review is nothing but a criticism of the artist’s insincerity which to me is trickery of a kind. I’ve not a lot of time tonight, but did not find any links to the music…did you?
Susan Scheid
/ 2013/02/19I have exactly the same problem with these definitions not sticking! So glad I’m not alone, though, in my case, a little more reading might help, who knows? For now, though, I’m reluctant to derail myself from reading poetry and about it and listening to music, letting the mind “wander around” . . . Which of course is soon to lead me to your latest post! But first, off to the Surrealist exhibit at the Morgan (we’re down in NYC for the Edu-Mate’s winter break, which is what occasions the ability to do these things). Are you in the Midwest somewhere, BTW? I hale from there.
angela
/ 2013/02/19jealous jealous jealous … enjoy!
peculiaritiesandreticences
/ 2013/02/20What she said.
Susan Scheid
/ 2013/02/20Angela: no music links–This site doesn’t typically provide them in posts. (Often, and I’m sure in this case, audio is not publicly available.) I did drop a comment to encourage her to write more on this issue. I agree with you that the comment on its own seemed a sort of trickery and felt she ought to be called upon to say more. Thomas Deneuville, whose site it is, advised that he hoped she would write an opinion article for him down the road. I’ll keep an eye out, and if there’s anything of interest, will let you know.
Now, as for Iowa, I lived there for 6 years, first in Iowa City for law school, then traveling around the state organizing public employees (including the wonderful librarians in Iowa City–I’m still in touch with one of them, though of course she’s now long-since retired).
As for daily walks and what you note in response to Mark K., of course Wallace Stevens immediately came to mind. In Hartford (I’ve not seen this,just read about it), they’ve actually sign-posted his walk from his home to the Hartford with sections from Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. http://www.stevenspoetry.org/stevenswalk.htm
angela
/ 2013/02/20Well, hopefully she will offer more insight in the future, Susan.
Iowa ~ sigh ~ yes, but I never could figure the financial leap to leave… it is not bad, but it is not the metropolitan I forever told myself I would someday inhabit. I didn’t know you were a lawyer! Funny thing, I am a first generation college student, ergo, no understanding of advanced edu. Went to community college and my comp teacher encouraged me to look into writing program at Iowa – didn’t even consider for I thought it was a silly idea! Oy – little did I know it is the best program in the country (or used to be!) That said, I am at least able to see all the politics when they come calling every 4, lol!
Will visit that link, thank you!