Objects and Novelty

Very often, that ‘past’, is treated as an object – of appraisal, appreciation, romanticism or hatred. Similarly, people may give similar reactions to the ‘object’ conveying the idea of ‘future’. Very briefly, I wish to state some observations regarding this tendency to ‘objectify’ things:

Why do we objectify things/ people/ situations? In objectifying, we indicate bracketing and labeling a phenomenon into some kind of a compartment which we may or may not refer to. Labelling/ bracketing indicates “exclusion” of events from the idea of “us”. The event appears unrelated to my existence and probably it does not bother me if the event exists or not. In other words, I seem to believe that the event and me are completely independent of each other and therefore I can choose to say/do/handle it in whatever fashion that I wish to consume. 

Related to the above tendency is the tendency of fragmenting everything into bits and pieces. Why this happens is a complex thing to understand – but definitely, the tendency of fragmentation is on the rise with increasing exposure to virtual environment and reduction of personal time for reviewing our own deeper selves. 

If we do not seem to consider how “experiences” or thoughts get informed by situations/ people/ time/ context, anything and everything starts to appear data/ information to be consumed or discarded or surfed or only commented or spoken about….Where is the emotional connect? We refer back to the need of being grounded and anchored in experiences – how are these experiences formed? It is ironical that this question begs to be asked! 

If we attempt to see the ‘past’ (of an object/ people/architecture/space/context/landscape) as a “value” that indicates a relation to the environment, and which informs our thinking and conception of a form, then we do not see objects as having set boundaries of place and time – they become fluid and contextual. That is the process of decoding objects/situations, so the interrelationships are understood and expressed in ways befitting the contemporary situation. Important therefore, it is to realize the link of geography to history and philosophy. 

As with situations, so is with people. How much can you empathise with me? Have you made an effort to know how my thoughts and values are shaped by the environment? Have you made an effort to know that somewhere my thoughts are a mirror to your questions and answers? In this way, have you realized that we are all connected in terms of thinking and responding to primordial desires of existence and transcendence? In my pain, do you see your pain? In my happiness, do you feel your happiness? Or are my problems and accomplishments different that yours? 

Students exhibit a tendency to consider everything as a “wow” factor – something thrilling or different – if Past is something of a thrill to them, then it demonstrates a complete disconnect in them and whatever conveys the idea of Past. 

Should the painting (Warli or anything), or the waffle and daub or the cow dung be seen as objects of mere appreciation and reassembled to just make something different? And what do you end up mixing bits and pieces of one context with another? What do you create as a product – assemblage of all contexts? Is that what is designing? Is it so easy to manipulate emotions? 

By objectifying, plucking/ distorting something as humble and sensitive as a cultural-social work of art/architecture, unfortunately we somehow disrespect its value.