Monday, January 28, 2008

"SPATIAL PERCEPTIONS AND MODELS IN AUTHENTIC CULTURES AND NEW MEDIA" by Olga R Ziangirova

Spatial perception in a net "work".
While using the Internet, we are naturally keeping in mind the spatial scales of this communication media. The involvement of a "spatial" awareness can not be abandoned, while we are "pushing out" another web page form the World Wide Web, containing in it an information, which has been produced somewhere far away on another continent.
It is a phenomena of the direct and flexible spatial communication, the case, when not you, who are proposed to use for the communication this or that geographical or topographic area, as in the case, when you are using the conventional media, but you, yourself is making your own choice and virtually "moving" through different zones and interacting with them.
While doing that, you can, in a particular extent, choose as well the quality and quantity of information, which you are going to precept. In any case, we , in most of the cases, are aware, how far away the informational source is, and where is placed a server, which contains
this particular data.
This spatial and informational shift in perception of spatially distanced objects is being definitely recognized by our conscious or at least, unconscious mind. That means, at a particular extent, some new perception reactions are being switched on, and some functional zones of the brain are being activated.
And subconsciously, the feeling of overcoming of a long distances is being invoked. Receiving text from the networks, hypothetically we are moving on a bigger distance, then a distance to the bookshelf, from which we could have taken this or that book or magazine.
Definitely, it brings particular impact on the neuron networks of our brain and nervous system operations. Such perception scaling is increasing due to the interaction with hypothetical macro cyberspace, from which the information is being received. May be, "pulling" of information out of the cyberspace includes the efforts on its "overcoming." In fact, particular involvement of a spatial perception might be supported by any other type of media transmission.
In the case of Internet communication, the possibilities of choice in virtual movement and its trajectory is switching on as well the other type of perceptional and reflective impulses.
Neuropsychological aspects of spatial perception.
According to the recent researches, the harmonious development of spatial notions and perceptions is specially important not only for the collective cultural growth, but as well, for the personal human's development.
They are one of the first, which we are receiving after our birth.
In the beginning of our life we are existing outside the the collective system of symbols and language. Space and its elements are the main areas for communicating and overcoming. It ia the first "communication" with the outer world, which is shaping our character and the world vision.
Normative neuropathology was associating the spatial and imaginary perception with the right brain activity, while the reflective thinking processes were associated with the actualization of the left brain. The latest theories and practical neuropsychological experiments had proved, that the right brain is constantly important not only for the imaginary perception of the information, but for the reflecting of it as well. It is specially important for "scaling" all type
the information and not only the imaginary one.
Along with the imaginary perception, it also supports the processes of its structuring and analyzing of the structure, the abilities for understanding the relations between the structure and its details, for ordering of the both and so-called general perception of the things and events. Spatial notions and perceptions are important not only for the collective cultural grouth, but as well for the personalhuman 's development .
They are one of the first, which we are receiving after our birth.
In the beginning of our lifes we are existing outside the the collective system of symbols and language. Space and its elements are the main areas for communicating and overcoming It ia the first "communication" which is shaping our character and the world vision. According to researches in the area of psychoneurology spatial perception changes according to the type of the deseases. The comparative analyses of the drawings done by chidlren with different neuropathologies the images proves this.
Handicapt children with the right- brain neuropathologies are unable to organise the space of a drawing, to put the objects into order or to regulate them .
Their drawings are disordered and chaotical,or too symplifyed.
They are unable to reproduce the egual forms,keep the wright scale of the picture and its details, to follow the structure of an image. The same symptoms are represented in their behaviour and movements through the space.
That means, the right brain also provides the abilities of discriminating between basic things and secondary.
Previously, it was related to some rudimentary process in our neuron system, as well, as with some archaic background of the humanity, something unnecessary and dark. But in fact, the spatial perception has been playing an important part in the general formation of the humane intelligence, and as well its reflective functions.
Since the humane pasts, spatial interaction and perception has been supporting the most important impulses, which were moving forward the cultural development of different civilizations.
Spatial notions and perceptions in authentic cultures.
Spatial notions are considered to be the basic humane notions through the whole civilization history. In most of authentic cultures special traditional methods have been worked out by many generations, aiming to protect symbolically, the humans from the inner and outer destructive forces and natural collimates. They were based on the special relationships with nature and on very precise ways of perception and organizing of the environment.
These ancient anti entropy measures and methods are manifested in the ancient cultural artifacts of different traditions. Their decorative elements were having an additional symbolical functions, and were aimed to harmonize personal, collective and natural environments.
It was an evolutionary developed symbolical language, which was
used for communicating with the outer world and its elements.
It was not just the language of "order", or the violent shaping methods. May be, more or less, it was the way and the language of respectful communication with the matter itself and the method of shaping the inner and outer environments, according to their own laws, structures, their ordered and harmonized aspects.
According to the tradition, applied artists and architects, being in correspondence with such an essential environmental vision, were associating their work with the activity of the creative and ordering universal forces.
May be, because of this, the ancient cultural inheritance, especially its artifacts, are so attractive and inspiring, comparing to particular de-humanized and symbolic - less, in - significant artificial cultural landscapes and objects of the present time.
In spite of the fact, that these ancient cultural visions were specifically mythological, and were not equipped too much by scientific and technological methodologies and tools, they were connected, in a true way, with the essential aspects of the evolutionary developed matter and existence, with the intuitive and perceptional dimensions of the humane nature.
Inside and outside the cyber -"space".
When we are inside the virtual cyberspace, it does not mean, we are interacting with something imaginary or illusory. In most of the cases, we are quite aware, that through the WWW, we are interacting with real distances, spaces and lands.
In fact, with our mind we are really "going through" the places and lands. This network spatial "cyber- exercising" can be used, as an exercise of imaginary moving through the space and corresponding yourself, your own individual environment with the global one. This "exercise" might stimulate particular brain zones, related to a spatial perception, but the success of such an exercise definitely depends on the intentions and personal qualities of the "user".
Such an extra involvement into the active processes of spatial perception during the "net-work", is as well corresponded with our neuron's network. Both of the networks have similar structural
principles and the basics of their organization.
For understanding this, it is important to stress out, that the processes of distribution of energy and information are basically organized in a hierarchical order, essentially suitable for this particular system.
In any case, for many of the modern recipients of information, who in some of the cases, are trapped by rather "private" ways of spatial perception, could be nice to have sometimes some
positive and concient travels through the "world wide " space.
May be, it will happen once, that the activated "rudimental" spatial perception, will be able to
solve, as well, some actual problems of the present day.
This will happen, if a modern way of concentration on the global environment, or on the "universal" one, in its attitudes will be really resembling some of the healthy ancient authentic cultural practices and "world visions".
Spatial models in authentic artifacts.
In general, the ways of spatial perception in of authentic cultures was different, than the contemporary one.The correspondence with the environment was specially important, and respectful relation with it, was one of the main necessary things in the hard conditions of
existing inside the natural environment.
That's why, most of cultural artifacts, which were created during the particular civilization stages, have been shaped as a micro-cosmic models, imitating the universal space construction. They were constructed as smaller models of environment, in order to interact
with the global one. These artifacts were including, manifesting, resembling, the same with
outer environment, structural principles, temporal and spatial dimensions. These principles and dimensions were included into the ornamental decoration and were supporting the inner concentration of their owners and "users" on the principles of order in the essential
construction of the universe.
Such an artifact, whether it was a pot, a musical instrument, dwelling or a temple, icon or a carpet, has been working itself, as a communicative space, as well as a spatial "harmonizing", ordering agent and mediator, which was invoking the feelings of harmony and
essential eternal order of the outer world and existence.
The concentration on the universal structures, was supposed to be resonating with the inner space of an individual, to welcome into his life the same principles of order and harmony. Along with this, to prevent the outer entropy of the natural forces, catastrophes inside
the natural environment, and may be, to overcome the inner processes of entropy inside the humane mind.
Such rather ordinary objects, which were symbolizing the ordered and harmonized world, functionally, could be compared to a kind of symbolic "computers", which have been helping their owners to communicate and to be in a correspondence with surrounding natural environment and the outer world.
It makes clear, why, the ornamentation and decoration of particular artifacts are so similar in different areas and cultural traditions and, why it has such an obvious basic structural similarity. If we will look at some simple artifacts, decorated with the same
axes, crosses, circles, rhythmic structures, spirals, squatters and other so called "archetypal" forms. In fact, this structures and ornaments were not so much having just a decorative function, but first of all, were intending to prevent the negative influences and the processes of entropy inside and outside personal and natural environment, in the mythological
interpretation, to take away, contro force or put into harmoniouce balance the influences of "evil forces".
Authentic cultural predicates, modern art and technological revolution in the beginning of 20th century. Abstract geometrical structures in the basis of an ancient artifacts, were inspiring the pioneers of modernism, and, in fact, have pushed forward the vanguard movements in the beginning of the twentieth century and inspired the first abstractionists. Sometimes, the routes of abstractionist revolution and the reasons for general change of artistic spatial expression in early twentieths is associated only with the technological development. In fact, it is not remembered enough about some other important dominant impulses, which have been giving birth to contemporary culture.
This hidden force, which was pushing forward vanguard movements, paradoxically, were contained within the authentic art inheritance, ancient artifacts and antiquities. It is well known, that early vanguard artists were collecting and imitating authentic artifacts, some were experimenting with shapes of tribal objects, some, - "deconstructing" traditional iconography and applied art.
It is also known, that this fashion has been widely spread in Europe and in Russia, and radically stimulated the art experiments of Picasso, waked up modernism's pioneers - Goncharova and
Larionov, and has been one of the basic areas for experimenting for such famous artists as Malevich and Candinskyi.
"A search for the structure" was one of the most important for different cultural and scientific areas of that period. It has been manifested in the the issues of structuralists and the research works in the areas of linguistics, anthropology and ethnography.
It was quite a general cultural process, which was based on the attempt to bring to the modern awareness past time cultural inheritance, and at the same time, to withdraw from it. The second, rather formal neglecting part of this process was achieved quite successfully, and gave the birth to different radical vanguards movements. But the first - reflective one, at that time, it seems, has not been completed enough.
Filtered and simplified old cultural inheritance, has become the basis for the new modern visual culture. Lacking necessary reflections, and aesthetically dried, it had lost the main basic traditional connotations and symbolical meanings, which were protecting and ordering the life and development of the ancestors.
On the other hand, an intensive concentration on the basic spatial structures of the authentic art, had helped, in the beginning the 20th century, to break through the traps of realistic forms and material objects, and has opened art and culture to new, multi-dimensional
perceptions.
The same cultural tendencies have left their traces in mathematical and logical fields of science, and later, gave the birth to the applied linguistics and the computer sciences, had started the new wave of technological development, and advanced computer technologies.
Unfortunately, till nowadays, to a particular extent, some of these cultural technological processes are based on the same, pragmatically simplified intentions and "narrow", flat spatial/world visions and perceptions.
The full version of the project is availible at the archive of Academy for Media arts, (KHM), Cologne http://www.khm.de/

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