i've been immersing myself in some literature from the late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century... sipping on it purposefully as if it were some precious, vintage wine. it strikes me as incredibly opulent, complex, densely layered, and thorough. the level of intricate detail in works of those earlier times is unmatched in these days of tv show attention spans. of course, the depth of thought is unparalleled... but it's that careful detail that astounds me the most. it's like the rich, art nouveau flourishes of a Klimt painting... or the elaborate precision of an Escher print. i consider the style of my own works (in art, music, etc.) to be fairly detail-intensive... but they certainly pale in comparison with what was produced in those earlier periods.

these qualities can't be found in modern aesthetics: today appears to be all about raw simplicity, quick impressions, superficial glimpses, flashing glances, attempts to capture essence, representation, cut-and-paste, samples, basic summarization. new stylistic phenomena and qualities must be inexorably linked with changes in technology and shifts in our perceptions. as a culture, we don't have time to fully savor and describe. we don't have patience to delve in, ponder and theorize. in a way, its a retrogression to the state of primitive tribes who didn't engage in such purely aesthetic or speculative endeavors as they were too caught up with the daily struggle for survival... we are similarly distracted in that we have our attention fixated on capitalist consumer-driven entertainment and on keeping up with our jobs, daily struggles of living, and "staying afloat" to really afford much effort spent in the areas of philosophy, fine arts & literature. aside from the total commodification of books and music and the relegation of art to marketing, i think we're just too oversaturated with information to really care as much as we once did.

juxtaposing hegel (a fascination partially influenced by my great-uncle), p. d. miller, and my own observations... i'm brought to see an odd amalgamation of images and concepts: screens of televisions and computers, everywhere. people searching, seeking out. spirit becomes conscious of itself; negates itself. dispersed by capitalism, we're more alienated than ever - junkies for material consumption. we take more pills than ever before. advances in technology facilitate communication and we connect and access information ever-faster. as we become increasingly aware of the vastness surrounding us, we become more lonely. the internet simultaneously opens scope and closes it up. i see a seperating-pattern of retracting and cocooning, yet forming this intense interconnecting web of new relation. a new shape forms. our sense of space and time change. sounds, visions, expression - all alter. perceived importance, relevancy, and values are different... it's the ol' paradigm shift.

so anyway, basically i just really enjoyed reading that older "classic" stuff, earlier. there was so much substance to absorb and take in. i could lose myself in it. i could learn so much from it. ...those times when beauty and passion were flourishing, so vivid and real in the collective mind's eye...

so i am hoping for revolution... for a new renaissance. and the blindness of this dark age is not caused by religious dogma but by the opiate of consumerism.

but perhaps it's like a body: if you only feed it bland, tasteless garbage devoid of nutritional value (regardless of any glitzy packaging), it will atrophy and its strength will waste away... but if you can somehow wake it up and remind it of what real food tasted like; if you can give the body tantalizing sips of true sustenance, perhaps it will be demanded. it will then be produced in volume, once more... and the body will be healthy and fully alive.

i just hope i can be someone who contributes to this.

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