Skip to main content

Modern Day Creativity

When I look at ruins or significant works of cultural art I notice that each is qualified with the word 'ancient'.

Does that mean that as a society humans have ceased to leave behind anything significant for generations to come? Does that bode ill for our grand grand grand children where the only concept of history may be clunky touch screen devices that were all the rage during the 21st century?

Today we seem to be in awe of former kings and emperors and even are willing to spend significant time and money to go understand their cultures, imbibe their food and stare at what are admittedly ugliest stones ever (think ruins of any fortress or old dwellings that have survived and acknowledge them as a feat of engineering).

What has man done in the recent decades that compares to the Incan and Egyptian pyramids; Notre Dame or the Taj Mahal or even the Brooklyn bridge in recent history, that can withstand the test of time?

Are there new Mona Lisa's or Sistine Chapel's waiting to be discovered by a kid studying art or anthropology in 2315? Do we think the Burj Khalifa or the Petronas Towers will inspire awe in the year 2400? Or will kids gawk at what could be described as fast elevators that could whisk you up to 1 mile in the sky in 20 seconds?

Would the humans even be around in 2200?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Of Jims and Johns

Here is another essay on the subject of first names. As in birth names. Or names provided to an offspring at birth. While the developed world tends to shy away from the exotic like Refrigerator or Coca Cola for their new production there is a plethora of Jims and Johns and Bobs or Robs. Speaking of which I do not think there is a categoric decision point at the time of birth if a child will be hereafter called as Bob. I mean have not yet met a toddler called Bob or Rob for that matter. At some point though the parental instinct to mouth out multiple syllables runs out and they switch from calling the crawler Robert to simply Robbie to Rob. Now speaking of - it is strange that the name sounds like something you would not want Rob to do - i.e. Rob anyone. Then why call someone that? After all Rob Peter to Pay Paul is not exactly a maxim to live a young life? Is it? Perhaps Peter or Paul might want to have a say in it? Then there is this matter of going to the John. Why degrad...
2 comments
Read more

But What If We're Wrong?

I attempted to read this book by author Chuck Klosterman backward to forward but it started hurting my brain so I decided to stop and do it like any other publication in the English language.  Start from page 1 and move to the right. Witty, caustic and thought provoking this is a book you want to read if you believe that the status quo might, just might be wrong. At times bordering on being contrarian about most things around us it tries to zero in on the notion of what makes anything believable and certain in our minds.  The fact that there is a fact itself is ironic.  Something analogous to the idea that you can never predict the future because there is no future. Many books and movies have tried to play on this concept - best that I recollect (I think I am) was 'The Truman Show'.  This book by Klosterman attempts to provoke the reader to at least contemplate that what they think they know may be wrong. He uses examples like concept of gravity, and how it ...
2 comments
Read more

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...
2 comments
Read more