I was inspired by an idea for a new new art project the other day whilst watching a wonderful film about nutrition. It was psychology used to best effect for media purposes, and even my daughter, who is resistant to any foods that don’t have sugar, was ready to throw her coco pops into the bin and get a juicing machine.
The project idea was about positive messages in advertising. Of course one immediately thinks that if people know what a diet of pizza will do (image of fat, lethargic, bad skin, and possibly bad teeth) then they will associate pizza with that image and will stop buying it. A second later one realises that people won’t even look at that image for one simple reason. It is the natural state for a human to seek positivity. Negativity requires effort. So no one wants to effort the negative image, rather they just assimilate a positive ‘beautiful’ one. Advertising obviously knows this, so they associate products with positive/beautiful images.
So then I started imagining broccoli being associated with an image of an beautiful happy family picnicking in a beautiful spot, or out riding on bikes – the message -> broccoli means beautiful, happy, normal, safe etc. Yes of course this would work, but there seems like something is intrinsically wrong. Is it that we perceive what is beautiful what we don’t see in ourselves and would most like to be? Looking at ‘beautiful’ is telling us what we think we are not.
For example – The Ferrari is practically worshipped by most men (not all) as the most beautiful car in the world. It represents sex, power, energy, speed, synergy, social strata, good looks, wealth etc. It embodies, all aspects in one way or another of what an individual man might feel they have and don’t have.
If this is true – then true beauty is a feeling not a seeing; it is the feeling of the massive creative force that is this universe of which we are a part; it is the feeling of this powerful creative force inside of us; it is the ‘wow’; it is that moment of total fulfillment, or total connection with the universe; it is the feeling of ‘one’.
What does this mean for making something artistically – I don’t know yet – just sharing 😀
Thinking in the Clouds 
Very interesting points, and love the way you coupled various subjects into a grander scheme.
What you say definite leaves one ruminating. What people find as beautiful has always been something worthy of debate, and its interesting to ponder indeed.
Ironically, used to really love the Ferrari, although it wasn’t my favorite vehicle. This was over a decade ago. However, although it was one of my favorite vehicles, never did see it as beautiful. Believe it or not, would have much preferred space ships myself lol but its not like they have the Jetson’s 3000 Spacecar, so we gotta settle for what’s available 😛
The point was that sometimes people like things but not so much for beauty, but perhaps other reasons. However, definitely agree with you 1000% about it being – or at least spawning – some sort of feeling.
For instance, when the thought of beauty, or beautiful pops in my head its usually a panoramic landscape that leaves me breathless. That FEELING is definitely priceless, and its not something that’s felt by me often.
However, many things are seen as beautiful, but not all leave me breathless, if that makes sense? It’s probably varying degrees of beauty, or something like that!
Apologizes for the long post its just the topic definitely leaves much room for thought. Great post.
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Thx 🙂
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