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Philosophical Diamond Signs |
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Using the format of diamond signs that provide alerts
and warnings about the road ahead, this series of works
on canvas shows philosophical alerts, imperatives, and
thoughts about the path past and future.
Edward Tufte, Road Never Ends, print on matte canvas,
29 ¼" x 29 ¼", edition of 3
This all started with real diamond signs made by a traffic
sign company. I placed them along a curved road leading
to my sculpture fields. The words are those of Ad Reinhardt
and suggest the wonders of the pure domain of art-as-art.
Then, 3 prints on canvas:
Edward Tufte, Art is Art And Everything Else Is Everything Else, 3 prints on canvas, 29 ¼" x 29
¼", edition of 3
Below, from The Whole Earth Catalog, and, later, in
the conclusion to Steve Jobs' commencement address
at Stanford University. A good thought for some,
but inappropriate advice for all the 22 year-old
graduates who seek to become investment bankers:
Edward Tufte, Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, 2 prints on canvas, each print 29 ¼" x 29 ¼", edition of 3
Stevie Smith, from her poem, Not waving but drowning.
Edward Tufte, Stevie Smith, Not Waving But Drowning, print on canvas, 29 ¼" x 29 ¼", edition of 3
Below, there are many variants of the
just-show-up advice. While making
a movie, Woody Allen reportedly wears
these words on a tee-shirt:
Edward Tufte, Just Show Up, print on canvas, 29 ¼" x 29 ¼", edition of 3
Below, a more optimistic play on "Road Never Ends."
From a rowdy bar song by Robert Earl Keen, a Texas
bluegrass singer and song-writer:
Edward Tufte, Forever Road/Party, 2 prints on canvas,
29 ¼" x 29 ¼", edition of 3
Among the galleries in Chelsea, about one-third
show amazing works of great artists, another third
show new artists, and the last third show
art that looks like art (or sophisticated kitsch).
Below, from Dwight Macdonald's essay
"A Theory of Mass Culture:"
Edward Tufte, Sophisticated Kitsch, print on canvas,
29 ¼" x 60", edition of 3
There are more philosophical diamond signs
to come. Until then:
Edward Tufte, Nothing is More Important, print on canvas, 29 ¼" x 29 ¼", edition of 3
-- Edward Tufte, October 13, 2011
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Beautiful!
-- Kenny (email), October 14, 2011
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The juxtaposed signs, "Nothing is more vulgar" and "Than Sophisticated Kitsch" present a playful oxymoron. The flip sides of both of these signs may present the snake biting its tail to become a wheel. The wheels of Progress and Change are fueled by emulation, which become vulgar and kitsch in their wake. I have always enjoyed the play of words, especially when framed in signs, graphics, prose or thought bubbles. It must be a sign!
-- Elizabeth (email), October 15, 2011
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And from Woody Guthrie: As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.
see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Land_Is_Your_Land
-- Michael Kearney (email), October 17, 2011
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It's More Complicated Than That: More Philosophical Diamond Signs
Here are drafts of some new diamond signs,
with extended format possibilities.
Edward Tufte
-- Edward Tufte, October 17, 2011
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Statistical Philosophical Diamond Signs
Probably the shortest true statement that can be made about causality
and correlation is "Empirically observed covariation is a necessary
but not sufficient condition for causality." Or possibly "Correlation
is not causality but it sure is a hint." Or possibly this:
-- Edward Tufte, October 19, 2011
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Real philosophical diamond signs: New installations
Near the beginning of a 3/4 mile farm road winding up a hill:
Then the ART-IS-ART sign sequence appears
on a curve in the road at Hogpen Hill Farms,
a tree farm and sculpture field in Connecticut.
Here are 3 real diamond signs in action:
-- Edward Tufte, October 23, 2011
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-- Edward Tufte, November 7, 2011
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-- Edward Tufte, November 7, 2011
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Warning, you should know
Eric DeFazio's comments are very thoughtful. For now I'll probably stay with diamond (warning) signs, although the green sign message is promising. My
warped and oddly-colored signs are the beginning deviations from the tradtional square yellow/black diamond
signs.
-- Edward Tufte, November 15, 2011
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Regarding the 'Art Is Art' sequence along the sculpture field road, I wonder if NASA would ever consider
posting Feynman's admonition from the Challenger Report ("For a successful technology, reality must take
place over public relations, for Nature can it be fooled") along the access roads to their facilities in such a
format.
-- Michael Cusack (email), November 19, 2011
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Like this?
-- Edward Tufte, November 28, 2011
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Indeed. Perhaps most engineers would benefit from reading this sequence on the way to work every day (myself included!).
-- Michael Cusack (email), November 28, 2011
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It may be the difference between US and British English, but I don't think the three diamonds capture the essence of
Feynman's admonition. I have always interpreted his statement as: "For a technology to be successful, public relations
must take second place to reality, because nature cannot be fooled." The diamonds seem (to me) to say something
slightly different: "A successful technology makes public relations irrelevant because nature cannot be fooled." The
problem to me is the word "trumps": it does not carry the full weight of the phrase "must take place over."
-- Martin Ternouth (email), November 29, 2011
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Reality Precedes Public Relations
-- Mary Beth Sanders (email), March 26, 2012
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Another Philosophical Diamond Sign
If I remember correctly, the following quote is from James Michener. I looked for an authoritative reference, but I couldn’t find one. It is insightful, pithy, and perfect for a philosophical diamond sign:
“History Tailgates”
-- Jon Gross (email), March 31, 2012
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Back in about 1968 friends of mine painted the phrase thusly "This is the way the world ends" on the surface of a rather flat
bolder in Cascadilla Creek on the Cornell campus. This rock was virtually always covered by flowing water, crisp and always
clear, except in midsummers on in full droughts (very infrequent). So it was located directly beneath one rail of the heavily traveled campus foot, bus and car trafficked Triphammer Road bridge
- clearly visible to thousands every day, should they look down into the gorge (about 200 feet from bridge to water at that
point), and many did so. Its appearance was simply 'perfect' in its simplicity and unpretentiousness. Located at the bottom of an unprotected fall of
hundreds of feet, to many viewers it would have evoked a visceral lump in the throat as the cognitive process elicited a
physical response. Covered by what everyone knew was alway cold mostly spring-fed water, it also elicited some mental
confusion: how could anyone have created this - it was NOT THERE last night! - in the absolute dark at the bottom of a
narrow, deep gorge; how paint it underwater, how could it dry before the water was allowed to cover it by daylight, or was it
made from some kind of very special 'paint' so it required no protection from the flow at all? etc. etc. Ah, college campus pranks - amazing bursts of unbridled creativity ! ... and this one done in secret subsequently revealed to
us, his friends, by our fellow architecture classmates, class of '69. What fun the world is!!! P.S. I could not find it image on the web, and can't reach its primary author (who might have an old scanned photo handy) due
to his traveling.
-- Bill Marston LEED AP (email), May 3, 2012
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