Philosophical Diamond Signs

When visitors come up the long road to the sculpture fields, on the way they encounter this undiplomatic diamond sign.

Here’s why:

“The great, big thing is to try to devote most of one’s brain-processing power to the seeing. Studies of cell phones and driving automobiles demonstrate that people don’t do very well in seeing where they’re going when they’re talking. Intense seeing, intense focus requires a self-serenity and also serene environment. And in that way, all the brain’s processing power can be into seeing.

“I had this experience, almost a magical experience. Out walking on our farm by a long stone wall, I said to my friend, let’s not talk. And after about five minutes, you first hear the internal sounds produced by the inner ear. And then, after a while, you hear things, just the slightly rustle of leaves. But what happened to seeing after 10 to 12 minutes of just seeing – not talking, not doing anything else – was the ambient light became nearly perfect. That perfect light for photography, filtered light from the sun, and shadows under the trees now didn’t blow out to dark, and the brights from the snow don’t blow out to white.

“The ambient light hadn’t changed, but rather the seeing had changed. Because all brain power was devoted to seeing, it was if you were creating your own improved light.”

Edited from NPR – Edward Tufte wants you to see better

In addition to the blunt “Shut up and look” instruction, most subtle prompts are being deployed. For example, a series of 30 megaliths are called “Continuous Silent Megaliths: Structures of Unknown Significance,” to suggest to viewers that they should be as silent as the stones. And, some more subtle diamond signs will show up at our Fourth annual open house late this September at Hogpen Hill Farms:

PHILOSOPHICAL DIAMOND SIGNS

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 canvas, 29 ½” x 29 ½”, 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 ½” x 29
½”, 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 ½” x 29 ½”, edition of 3

Stevie Smith, from her poem, Not waving but drowning.

Edward Tufte, Stevie Smith, Not Waving But Drowning, print on canvas, 29 ½” x 29 ½”, 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 ½” x 29 ½”, 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 ½” x 29 ½”, 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 esay “A Theory of Mass Culture:”

Edward Tufte, Sophisticated Kitsch, print on canvas, 60″ x 29 ½”, edition of 3

There are more philosophical diamond signs to come.
Until then:

Edward Tufte, Nothing is More Important, print on canvas, 29 ½” x 29 ½”, edition of 3