meditation on the exotic
what is exotic ? this note intends to ruminate and express a sentiment towards this concept it does not intend to provide answers only a meditation on one of my favorite ideas.
the word Exotic is well poised to describe its effect. it can be used to disseminate something that is outside a native environment in a physical as-well as a metaphysical sense. it is used to explain certain particle effects and cultural differences. it possess neither negative or positive connotations but can hold in the mind of the perceiver a sensation of something external to themselves.
the abject quality of the exotic can been manipulated into the genre of horror. the antagonist is often not understood, or in some circumstances completely unknown to the audience. certain film commentators often describe symbolic meaning of the films as sexual antagonism. with the underlying symbols often well understood by certain film makers. scream(1996) is good example of this. I believe a better example of the Exotic utilized by horror is the 1979 film Alien. its nature of explicit physical effects of chest burster's and face hungers, alien ships and alien reproduction carry the implicit horror of our own nature.
in our culture we can confuse the exotic and the erotic, and in some circumstances the words can be interchanged. in the west, especially in the the Protestant world. the sensual appreciation for objects could be seen as unchristian, due to adherence to Lutheran aesthetic sensibility. couple this with a boiling resentment of Catholicism and its fetishistic relationship with images its no wounder we have problems relating to these notions. i would of loved to existed when the European nations starting meeting living cultures with no qualms of combining the sacred with the erotic.
human nature is attracted and repulsed by the exotic. great moments of invention and inspiration can be achieved when new cultures are unearthed or found , the renaissance , ancient Egyptian revival during the late 19th and early 20th century and the contemporary process of customer profiling, but alternatively a easy well spring of hate can be roused up from the interaction with cultures we don't fully understand.
what we do understand is the basis of human needs. food, water, shelter etc how a culture deals with these problems is anyones guess but the facts of survival remain. but to survive do all humans share concepts like fairness? i wish to end this note on a string like thought so it dangles like a bauble
the separation of parts of our own culture might not be able to be achieved in ways we understand in others. the wests notion of the exotic might not be universal.
thank you for reading
Eric blair
the word Exotic is well poised to describe its effect. it can be used to disseminate something that is outside a native environment in a physical as-well as a metaphysical sense. it is used to explain certain particle effects and cultural differences. it possess neither negative or positive connotations but can hold in the mind of the perceiver a sensation of something external to themselves.
the abject quality of the exotic can been manipulated into the genre of horror. the antagonist is often not understood, or in some circumstances completely unknown to the audience. certain film commentators often describe symbolic meaning of the films as sexual antagonism. with the underlying symbols often well understood by certain film makers. scream(1996) is good example of this. I believe a better example of the Exotic utilized by horror is the 1979 film Alien. its nature of explicit physical effects of chest burster's and face hungers, alien ships and alien reproduction carry the implicit horror of our own nature.
in our culture we can confuse the exotic and the erotic, and in some circumstances the words can be interchanged. in the west, especially in the the Protestant world. the sensual appreciation for objects could be seen as unchristian, due to adherence to Lutheran aesthetic sensibility. couple this with a boiling resentment of Catholicism and its fetishistic relationship with images its no wounder we have problems relating to these notions. i would of loved to existed when the European nations starting meeting living cultures with no qualms of combining the sacred with the erotic.
human nature is attracted and repulsed by the exotic. great moments of invention and inspiration can be achieved when new cultures are unearthed or found , the renaissance , ancient Egyptian revival during the late 19th and early 20th century and the contemporary process of customer profiling, but alternatively a easy well spring of hate can be roused up from the interaction with cultures we don't fully understand.
what we do understand is the basis of human needs. food, water, shelter etc how a culture deals with these problems is anyones guess but the facts of survival remain. but to survive do all humans share concepts like fairness? i wish to end this note on a string like thought so it dangles like a bauble
the separation of parts of our own culture might not be able to be achieved in ways we understand in others. the wests notion of the exotic might not be universal.
thank you for reading
Eric blair
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