Ooo... pretty...

Do you think that there's such a thing as intrinsic beauty? Is there a beauty out there somewhere that all humanity would be able to agree is beautiful?

I'm not sure.

When you look at art history, you find out in a hurry that standards of beauty change not only from culture to culture but from time period to time period. All it takes is an image search for rubenesque, for example, to discover that what once was considered beautiful in a woman's form is today considered grotesque by most... well, I was going to say people, but maybe the truth there is more by most advertisers and fashion designers.

Incidentally, I more or less misused the word grotesque there. Poor thing's becoming synonymous with gross in everyday conversation, which is a shame. It's a perfectly good word on its own, you know. It originally just referred to art inspired by the art found in excavated Roman rooms that became known as the Grottoes... oh, but you can google it for yourself if you're interested in that sort of thing. I'm too lazy today.

I think about aesthetics probably more than I should, but the whole area fascinates me. In particular, I've been trying to figure out how my own personal ideas of what's beautiful have developed over the years. My tastes are, I think, a little unusual by some peoples' standards, so the figuring out part is occasionally very entertaining.

For me, anyway. You're probably already bored out of your skull with this line of blather.

Too bad. My house, my rules.

My idea of what's beautiful relies pretty heavily on shape, pattern, and functionality. That last generally takes a bit of explaining, but the short version is that I find beauty in well-put-together forms that suit their jobs perfectly. Big fan of the elegant solution, yes. And comparative anatomy.

Yeah, don't all shout FREAK! at once. I know it's a little weird. It does, however, explain the number of pointless invertebrate photos you see here. There are few better examples of form following function. Insects and spiders are truly amazing machines, as you find when you take the time to really watch them work.

The pattern and shape thing is a little harder to figure out. I mean, everyone has certain shapes and patterns that they find pleasing, but the why of it isn't the easiest thing to come by.

I think a large part of it may be familiarity. Our brains are hardwired to recognise patterns. It's how we work; how we navigate. A recognisable pattern, then, may create a feeling of well-being because it helps the brain confirm to itself that... oh hell, let's go with the cliché and say that all's well with the world. That shape computes. It must be good, then. Carry on.

The more obsessive brains out there (e.g. mine) might depend upon pattern recognition to keep from going into an insecure panic. In that case, pattern becomes something more than familiar. It's comfort. It's something to hold on to in order to stop the world from becoming overwhelming.

It becomes beautiful out of necessity.

Or not. I'm really just taking out of my pseudophilosophic arse this morning, in case you hadn't noticed.

Still, I think it's worthwhile to take a little time and think about what's beautiful to you (and why). I've been talking about looks here, but there's so much more to beauty than just looks. And, like it or not, we as a species attach a lot of importance to beauty. Examine what's beautiful to you and you just may learn a thing or two about your values that you didn't realise before.

We'll (me and alllll of the voices, yep) end on a slightly less highfalutin' note, I think. Yesterday the weather was kind of crummy, and I didn't get a chance to take the usual weekly quota of pointless yard photos. Expect photo dregs for this next little while.

I also didn't take the cat out on his leash, and he certainly let me know it every time I passed the door. You'll have to imagine this (the annual Max shot take through the back door's screen) with a soundtrack of indignant howling at the stupid human who doesn't seem to be able to figure out that the CAT WANTS OUT no matter how many ways he tries to translate it for her.

Humans. Who'd have 'em?