Imagination vs. Critical thought (not a competition)

Rick Knight (rknight@platinum.com)
Wed, 18 Jun 97 09:54:06 CST


How interesting to see a seemingly harmless comment of mine mushroom
into a debate about who is and isn't artistically inclined, the
measure of contributions from the liberal arts as opposed to the
sciences. Calm yourselves. Turn down the ego potentiometers and
understand, without a need to defend, that your contributions are
viable, artistic, scientific, mathematic, literary ad infitum.

One of the most intriguing visions I ever had was a very, very
intricate line drawing, the likes of which would've confounded even
M.C. Escher I think (I was tripping...). My mind, full of wonder, at
this very beautiful and extraordinarily intricate image wondered how
it could've been made. I immediately zoomed in on the most
infinitessimal little lines of the much larger picture. It became
what appeared to be a freeway viewed from the air with mathematical
equations relaying back and forth.

I hope my point is clear. Art and Science synergize continually. It
is not a competition. Though there are clearly different ways of
perceiving by the art-dominant or science-dominant mind, it is an
ongoing dance of the fanciful imagination supplying the seed for the
mineral-rich and grounded soil. (like the metaphor?)

Rick