Appreciation

BluErf · 22nd July 2010, 04:00 PM

Would appreciation not have its root in how we value things? We appreciate an object because we assign a high value to it. We would never appreciate anything that we feel is useless, cheap or not beautiful - in effect anything that is of no worth to us.

If we appreciate something, perhaps we would do more to affirm that value we see in the object. That could include collecting, protecting, singing praises, consuming, ensure the continued transmission of that object, etc etc.

Then going back to question of why do we value things - how about evolutionary effects? If something we appreciate is good for us and helps us survive, then, wouldn't a well-honed sense of understanding what is good for us help us survive better? With much of the human race no longer concerned with finding food on a day-to-day basis, and with the new 'unnatural' pressures arising from our social circumstance, perhaps that sense of appreciation has moved from basic necessities to more unusual things like art and kerises. Things that help us handle modern life better.

Perhaps the world is becoming so literal and visual, and the mysterious world is no longer that mysterious, we appreciate objects that help us feel that sense of mystery and wonder; something that allows us to hold on to the hope that the world is more than it seems; there are more possibilities; I can break out of this tired and shrinking world!!! This is something that helps us bear with our present world.

Rick · 22nd July 2010, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluErf

Perhaps the world is becoming so literal and visual, and the mysterious world is no longer that mysterious, we appreciate objects that help us feel that sense of mystery and wonder; something that allows us to hold on to the hope that the world is more than it seems; there are more possibilities; I can break out of this tired and shrinking world!!! This is something that helps us bear with our present world.

This . ^^^^
Hammer; meet nail .

sirek · 22nd July 2010, 10:22 PM

I can go along with the idea:
“Collecting is an instinctual behaviour and is genetically fixed.”

You can enumerate several reasons why someone collected:

-it gives respect and appreciation
-pleasure, sensory pleasure and aesthetic pleasure
-the excitement of the search for specific things and the hunt for more
-a combination of passion and pleasure
-greed, some collectors simply want more and more
-trade or investment funds, just for financial gain
-distinguish you, profiling, collecting art shows good taste
-attention and respect, image building prestige, ambition,

Add something to your collection works as a kind of antidepressant:
your body will reward you with a brief shot happiness.

Collection is also rewarded by a social component:
that of community life. (As in this forum).
A collector with a nice keris can make no impression on his neighbour, but he can during a keris-meeting. (Or the neighbour must also be a keris collector

)

But the question still remains: Why collect a keris ? And not an other form of artwork?
Why I bought as a child at a flea market among a thousand other things a keris? Or perhaps was it because the seller had a good story? And I also bought a story with emotion?

I have unfortunately no answer. I live in Europe and have no keris culture but I'm still interested in the keris, appreciate the craftsmanship, respect the culture. Therefore I believe that it is a form of instinct.

Rick · 24th July 2010, 09:04 PM

I think many of us may accumulate other works of art or something else beside only the keris .

In the past I, like David, was a bottle digger .
That was almost more of a sport than a hobby .

Original marine art is another of my interests; ties in nicely with the whole draw of the keris for me as does my interest in Asian art .
When I enjoy these I can plug in to that peaceful place .

You could almost call it a form of self-medication .

A. G. Maisey · 31st July 2010, 02:46 AM

Well, it seems as if during the past week, nobody has had any further thoughts on the matter under discussion here.

Perhaps we have exhausted the subject.

I've read through all of the posts more than a few times, and the message that I am getting seems to come down to this:-

1) --- our appreciation of anything can never take place except against the background of previous experience

2) --- this previous experience creates a matrix that we use either consciously or sub-consciously to evaluate the subject of our appreciation

3) --- the way in which the item that we evaluate is appreciated has an effect upon our emotional state

4) --- the effect upon our emotional state is beneficial to our overall well-being.

If this is so, then it is certain that we can never evaluate, nor consider an object in a purely subjective fashion. We are, if you will, unavoidably locked into evaluation of the object against everything that has previously entered our experience. We may try to be subjective, but our subjectivity is inevitably expressed in an objective fashion.

In other words, we're all hooked on "the story".

As I think is clear from the postings to this thread, that "story" is a little bit different for each of us.

But what is the purpose of this arguably self delusionary process?

Maybe Rick has summed it up very precisely as "self medication".

Does anybody have any further thoughts on this matter?

22nd July 2010, 04:00 PM	#1
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	Would appreciation not have its root in how we value things? We appreciate an object because we assign a high value to it. We would never appreciate anything that we feel is useless, cheap or not beautiful - in effect anything that is of no worth to us. If we appreciate something, perhaps we would do more to affirm that value we see in the object. That could include collecting, protecting, singing praises, consuming, ensure the continued transmission of that object, etc etc. Then going back to question of why do we value things - how about evolutionary effects? If something we appreciate is good for us and helps us survive, then, wouldn't a well-honed sense of understanding what is good for us help us survive better? With much of the human race no longer concerned with finding food on a day-to-day basis, and with the new 'unnatural' pressures arising from our social circumstance, perhaps that sense of appreciation has moved from basic necessities to more unusual things like art and kerises. Things that help us handle modern life better. Perhaps the world is becoming so literal and visual, and the mysterious world is no longer that mysterious, we appreciate objects that help us feel that sense of mystery and wonder; something that allows us to hold on to the hope that the world is more than it seems; there are more possibilities; I can break out of this tired and shrinking world!!! This is something that helps us bear with our present world. Last edited by BluErf; 22nd July 2010 at 04:26 PM.

22nd July 2010, 10:22 PM	#3
sirek Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 171	I can go along with the idea: “Collecting is an instinctual behaviour and is genetically fixed.” You can enumerate several reasons why someone collected: -it gives respect and appreciation -pleasure, sensory pleasure and aesthetic pleasure -the excitement of the search for specific things and the hunt for more -a combination of passion and pleasure -greed, some collectors simply want more and more -trade or investment funds, just for financial gain -distinguish you, profiling, collecting art shows good taste -attention and respect, image building prestige, ambition, Add something to your collection works as a kind of antidepressant: your body will reward you with a brief shot happiness. Collection is also rewarded by a social component: that of community life. (As in this forum). A collector with a nice keris can make no impression on his neighbour, but he can during a keris-meeting. (Or the neighbour must also be a keris collector ) But the question still remains: Why collect a keris ? And not an other form of artwork? Why I bought as a child at a flea market among a thousand other things a keris? Or perhaps was it because the seller had a good story? And I also bought a story with emotion? I have unfortunately no answer. I live in Europe and have no keris culture but I'm still interested in the keris, appreciate the craftsmanship, respect the culture. Therefore I believe that it is a form of instinct.

24th July 2010, 09:04 PM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,376	I think many of us may accumulate other works of art or something else beside only the keris . In the past I, like David, was a bottle digger . That was almost more of a sport than a hobby . Original marine art is another of my interests; ties in nicely with the whole draw of the keris for me as does my interest in Asian art . When I enjoy these I can plug in to that peaceful place . You could almost call it a form of self-medication .

31st July 2010, 02:46 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,085	Well, it seems as if during the past week, nobody has had any further thoughts on the matter under discussion here. Perhaps we have exhausted the subject. I've read through all of the posts more than a few times, and the message that I am getting seems to come down to this:- 1) --- our appreciation of anything can never take place except against the background of previous experience 2) --- this previous experience creates a matrix that we use either consciously or sub-consciously to evaluate the subject of our appreciation 3) --- the way in which the item that we evaluate is appreciated has an effect upon our emotional state 4) --- the effect upon our emotional state is beneficial to our overall well-being. If this is so, then it is certain that we can never evaluate, nor consider an object in a purely subjective fashion. We are, if you will, unavoidably locked into evaluation of the object against everything that has previously entered our experience. We may try to be subjective, but our subjectivity is inevitably expressed in an objective fashion. In other words, we're all hooked on "the story". As I think is clear from the postings to this thread, that "story" is a little bit different for each of us. But what is the purpose of this arguably self delusionary process? Maybe Rick has summed it up very precisely as "self medication". Does anybody have any further thoughts on this matter?