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dshanin's picture

Chairs or blobs?

Dr. Grobstein drew a chair and a strange shape on the board and asked which one people preferred I had no idea there would be debate. Both of the figures contained the same basic elements; less than ten short, straight lines and a bit of shading. What impressed me was how much more the drawing of the chair was able to encompass. The chair has two levels: it can be viewed as a chair or as some other shape. The blob, however, only has one level. I feel like this ability to be both expected and totally new is a key compenent for artistic expression and literature. By containing elements that we can recognize and identify with it pulls us in. Once there we realize that there is a whole world of new connections and perspectives just waiting to be explored. I like the chair; not because it is a chair, but because it can be whatever I want it to be but the person sitting next to me will still agree it is a chair.

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