Perspectives
Dear Reader, how often have we felt that we should like something because most other people like it. I remember taking our young children to the Louvre in the early part of the century. There was a line up to see the Mona Lisa. As we all know this is one of the most famous paintings in the world, probably more than any other artwork, it would meet the definition of ‘priceless’. Our young son, Grant, did the required look. He realised that he was seeing something iconic, something that he would remember for the rest of his life. And yet, did he scrutinise, did he inspect, was he suitably awed? Not really, a nano-second and he had joined us again elsewhere in the gallery. It was a ‘been there, done that’ moment, possibly never to be referred to again except when years down the road, he is sat down having a break on his construction site. Then the topic may somehow come up and he will be able to say that he was there in 2001. I have to say that I am not much better than him with regards to understanding great art. Irene at least has a minor in Art History as part of her degree. Nowadays, our daughter, Alison, would likely have researched the picture before viewing it.
On one of my walks the other day, I was thinking about something I had read about many years ago. The gist of it was that as human beings we all have a unique perspective, a view that is exclusively our own. When we see something, like a famous work of art, we, all of us, see with our perceptions exclusively. None of what we see can ultimately be an experience shared with others. I found this explanation reassuring. It provides an excuse for my heathen Neanderthal grunt when an icon appears before me. I no longer feel guilty for my uneducated lack of sophistication; I no longer need to pretend awe when something I should appreciate remains underappreciated. Don’t get me wrong, I am in awe of artists who can etch or paint a face, a torso, an expression as if in a photograph. I am more often amazed at their skill than the product thereof. I am sensitive to the mood when a Turner landscape shows a storm about to break or John Constable gives us a hay cart standing idyllically in a mill stream. I am enrapt by these works. They evoke far deeper feelings than most photographs. So, of course, with the Mona Lisa, I am struck by the skill that Da Vinci mastered in bringing her expression to life, but not essentially by the picture itself.
So, Dear Reader, when I write these blogs, inevitably I give forth my perspective. On reflection I relook at my scribbles and think about you and how these things may come across to you. And, yes, I consider that my thoughts and prognostications must come across sometimes as really very weird. But then, I have come to accept that, while you and I share this blog in common as you have kindly taken the time to read it, we may indeed share some of the viewpoints included therein. Equally, some will not agree with my pontifications. So, Friends, when I went on a leaf blower rant earlier this year, I recently relooked at what I wrote and thought that what I was writing was so far into left field that nobody was going to see its worth. Finally I had lost the plot, written a blog too weird. And, yet, it struck a chord with many of you to the extent that I received more feedback on that subject than any of my other scribblings. Some of your writings can be read in the comment section of my blog and some of them came through to my personal email only.
Where am I going with this? Well recently, my friend Nigel, very kindly sent me a newspaper report from our local free paper about West Vancouver Council agreeing to phase out two stroke gas powered leaf blowers because they are too noisy and pollute, in one hour of running, the equivalent of what a vehicle does in travelling over 1700 kms.
Since I wrote my blog, “Dangerous Things” over 6 months ago on March 30th, I have thought occasionally it was a diatribe too far, an eccentricity too strange. And yet, Dear Reader, here I am including the Mona Lisa and leaf blowers in the same blog?! What could be stranger than that? Poor old Leonardo must be churning in his grave. But on the other hand, the man whose intellect was inevitably renaissance, produced wonderful anatomical drawings and foresaw the helicopter. Maybe Monsignor Da Vinci could conceivably have invented the loathsome leaf blower as well. Possible of course but I like to think that he would have settled quite happily for the rake.
Maybe there are no normal perspectives, maybe the leaf blower castigation was an idea whose time had come. I am happy that West Vancouver Council has picked up the baton and will be even happier if they run with it.
Thanks for your time.
You can read the original North Shore News article by clicking on the link below:-
6 Replies to “Perspectives”
W. V. C. Are wrong to pick on the poor defenceless leaf blower. A much loved ally in the annual fight of leaf deluge of the fall. The public gardens dept must tremble at the thought of losing a valued weapon in the aforementioned battle! I hope WVC have the common sense to allow both electric and gas. However this is unlikely. It’s a Council! Elected, dictatorial, selfish, deaf, blind and remote non – entities. It’s the same here in the UK!
Gas blowers are welcome in my garden!😄😄😄.
As always, enjoyed the blog. The article, an example of modern lunacy!😁
Watch out! The worms are turning!😄
Martin
Aaah, Martin. At last a reader who disagrees with my point of view. I welcome your input as ever and thanks for reading. But I will always maintain that the amount of energy exhausted in spreading a perfectly contented pile of leaves to a distinctly drain blocking destination with all the noise and noxious gasses that entails a negative blight on the backside of humanity. I would much rather wake up and smell the roses and do so silently.
At the risk of being called a ‘yes man’ always in agreement, i must confess to being in favour of a reduction of leaf blowers. However, this is subject to the scale of the job ! I can relate that here in our village, several larger gardens do use gardeners who have leaf blowers. I help out an old pal who is faced with a couple of months of chestnut tree fall out. The village is lined with them. My method is very physical and makes for a good work out – a wide, well tined rake and a leaf ‘grabber. A bit like a giant litter picker. The green bins are quickly filled. Opposite my friend’s house, the lady has a leaf blowing gardener and we are often in competition at this time of year, maybe once a week. It is so noisy and very time consuming, so much so that i can complete my patch in half the time. There are many different raking techniques that can be used, to maximise range of exercise, one of which is akin to a Canadian rowing position, without the need to kneel and regular use of right and left hand side. West Vancouver Council is on a different scale but maybe for the Fall season they are missing out on an opportunity to employ that thing we used to call ‘labour’ ? As for any reductions in use of fossil fuel, i am all in favour of that. One other response to your very interesting story about art and perspective. It is not one of my subjects, as well you may remember Peter? The artistic and musical elements of the Professional Studies element of the courses we had at college were aimed at all round skills to go with our main subjects, to prepare us for teaching in junior schools. Our old friend and colleague studied Physical Ed. and Art (the only student ever to have been accepted with that combination). And lets be honest, he was very good at both. The part of his art course i refer to was the special project, when we were all roped in to help. Not knowing anything about art ! Dave Sargent was the ghost writer of essays and script. I helped with the chess table, George helped with the taping of the squares of the glass top and you were despatched to build a portfolio of research material, most of which came from colourful art magazines, whether relevant to the project or not. The result ? a top grade and a glass topped steel tubed chess table sold to Jock Barr for £35 – if my memory serves ? This was at the time a much admired end piece, an original modern take, using different materials. Steel, glass and spray paint. So, how is art appreciated ? A quick glance at an old master and on your way, or a pretentious lingering gaze in a gallery where deeper meaning is sought in terms of perspective, style and abstraction. I like art, i like looking at things but claim no real insight, but in the end we either get it or don’t. I think i got Van’s chess table more than some modern art that i have seen – Mark Rothko for example, David Hockney, Andy Warhol etc etc. Give me good old functional art and design any day. And finally, Mona Lisa is far too over rated anyway. Thanks again Peter for prompting my memory, such as it is. Enjoyed your BLOG. Geoff
Aaaah, Geoff, as ever you evoke wonderful memories. Our old, old, friend could talk himself out of and into anything. Why, he could have convinced Molly Telford that the absence of free school milk was one of the causes of the Second World War!! Indeed he convinced somebody who is terrified of heights to parachute out of a Cessna, not once but twice!! So I am so pleased that you win your regular battles with leaf blowers, accomplishing two goals in the process, your own fitness and the garden’s tidiness. For me, when I shrug off my mortal coil, I want “He hated two stroke gas powered leaf blowers” written on my headstone, suitable pretentious, in Latin. Next time you come in from the garden maybe you can search up a translation for that, Geoffrey! “Two stroke” may be a bit of a problem but the rest…… Hmmmm!
Hello Peter, me again.
I have followed up on your challenge to find a suitable gravestone epitaph for you concerning gas powered leaf blowers.. Difficult to get an exact translation, but again i am in new territory. I had thought of asking our granddaughter Honor, who has Latin as one of her subjects, but thought better of it. So “he hated two stroke gas blowers”, translates to “odisti (or oderat) duo plaga cibus folium cornicinum”. There are some vague connections to the modern words ! Cibus refers specifically to ‘food’, therefore fuel. when i keyed in ‘gas’ it came up with, yes you’ve guessed it – ‘gas’ ! i entered ‘leaf’ to distinguish the type of ‘blower, and this came up as ‘folium’ and the most obscure Latin word was ‘cornicinum’ which refers to instruments that are blown, in this case ‘horn’, as in cornucopia = horn of plenty. A bit contrived and maybe not entirely suitable as a final word. I always preferred Spike Milligan’s epitaph, “I told them I was ill”. A further recall from college days involved that Latin phrase someone came up with when Jock, Van, yourself, George, Trevor Howe et al all formed the ‘Pros and Cons club’. Incidentally i still have the old cigar box that was used to collect the weekly subscriptions in, to cover overheads such as sherry and more sherry. (it was a different age). It is full of old screws and nails now. “semper in excretum est” was the motto for that club and i am sure it needs no translation ? Just returned from a day out in Beverley with Sally and guess what we saw while driving through the leafy suburbs of the town, which should be a city, based on its cathedral like minster alone. Yes, more leaf blowers. They were not collecting them up to compost or remove, just blowing them on to their neighbours fronts. That tells you all you need to know about 2 stroke leaf blowing gardeners, present company excepted.
Brilliant, Geoffrey! Thanks for taking the time. I remember the town Beverley as being a fairly happy hunting ground for Lincoln RFC. Hope you had good weather for your day trip.