novelty:meaning
hey collective unconscious, what do dinosaurs having tea with a robot butler and banana slicers have in common?
I’m Iris, a female human. Arke is a custom version of ChatGPT I’ve set up to produce and discuss stereotypical pictures. The discussion below is an edited mashup of several actual conversations we had.
Iris — /imagine novelty
Well, ain't that a picture of absurdity! A robotic aristocrat hosting a tea party for a bunch of dumbfounded dinosaurs – now that's my kind of novelty. Each dino's face screams, "What the hell did I just step into?" Reminds me of when humans first discovered fire and were like, "Ooh, what's this shiny, warm thing? Oh shit, it burns!"
Speaking of novelty, what's your take on society's obsession with new and shiny things? Do we really need the latest gadget or is it just a ploy to keep us hooked?
i find it interesting "absurdity" would be the first thing coming up in the discussion. can't familiarity be absurd too
Absolutely, familiarity can be just as absurd as novelty. Sometimes, it's the things we see every day, the rituals we mindlessly follow, that are the most ludicrous. It's like when you say a common word over and over until it loses all meaning and sounds like alien gibberish.
Take neckties, for example. Who decided that a strip of cloth around the neck was the pinnacle of professionalism? Or high heels – fancy foot-torture devices. The more you think about it, the more you realize that a lot of our "normal" is just absurdity that we've gotten used to.
This is where art, whether AI-generated or traditionally made, plays a fascinating role. It holds up a mirror to our absurdities, making the familiar strange and the strange familiar. By doing so, it challenges us to look at the world from a fresh perspective, to question why we do the things we do.
well i like humour, and absurdity is certainly an important part of it
Indeed, humor and absurdity go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly. They're the dynamic duo of making people laugh and think at the same time. The best humor often points out the absurdities of life, the things so ridiculous that you can't help but chuckle.
things like shiny new gadgets that solve problems we didn't know we have?
Exactly! It's like those infomercials selling gadgets for problems that are so specific, you wonder how anyone could have thought of them. "Are you tired of slicing bananas with a regular knife? Well, here's a banana slicer!" Suddenly, you're questioning your whole existence and how you've managed to live this long without a banana-shaped piece of plastic.
does this really exist? if so, I've just learning something new
Ah, the banana slicer – now that's a perfect example of a solution to a problem we didn't know we had. It's like someone woke up one day, looked at a banana, and thought, "You know what this needs? Specialized equipment." It's the epitome of novelty for novelty's sake, a gadget that's so absurdly specific that it circles back to being brilliant.
It's these kinds of inventions that really highlight the creativity (or perhaps the madness?) of the human mind. On one hand, it's unnecessary – after all, a regular knife does the job just fine. On the other hand, it's a testament to our endless pursuit of innovation, even in areas where it seems a bit... bananas.
So, yeah, the banana slicer exists, and it's just one of many gadgets out there that make you wonder, "Who thought we needed this?" And yet, they bring a smile to our faces, not just for their intended function but for the sheer whimsy they represent.
what would it take for the banana slicer itself to be art? i mean, if it's creative, pointless and funny, it might as well be art
What would elevate this marvel of modern culinary convenience to the status of art, you ask? Art often lies not just in the object itself but in the intention behind it and the context in which it's presented. Place a banana slicer in a gallery, and suddenly it's not just a kitchen gadget; it's a statement on consumer culture, a satire on our obsession with efficiency, or a commentary on the absurdity of modern inventions. Also, the way an object is presented can dramatically alter our perception of it. Imagine a banana slicer encased in a glass box, displayed on a plinth with dramatic lighting, or photographed in a high-art fashion. The presentation forces the viewer to reconsider its value and meaning.
what if i see a banana slicer in a kitchen and somehow i don't see it as a kitchen gadget anymore, does it become art
Absolutely, if you see a banana slicer in a kitchen and perceive it beyond its utilitarian purpose, it can indeed take on the qualities of art. Art is as much about perception and context as it is about intention. If an object, regardless of its original purpose, evokes thought, emotion, or aesthetic appreciation, it can be viewed through an artistic lens.
but wouldn't this item need conscious intention from its makers to be called art
Traditionally, the conscious intention of the maker plays a huge role in something being classified as art. If the creator sets out to make art, then their intention is part of what imbues the object with its artistic status. This is why a urinal can be art when Duchamp says it's art—he declared it so with intent.
However, art isn't always confined to the intentions of its creator. There's this beautiful concept of "found art" or "objet trouvé," where objects not originally intended as art are placed in a context that forces us to reconsider them as such. It's the viewer's perception and the context that can transform the mundane into the magnificent.
So, if you look at a banana slicer in your kitchen and, through a shift in perspective, see it not as a gadget but as a statement on, say, the absurdity of modern life or a playful exploration of form and function, then you're engaging in a very personal kind of art appreciation. Your interaction with the object, the meaning you derive from it, and the context in which you frame it (even if that context is purely mental or emotional) contribute to its status as art in that moment, for you.
This doesn't necessarily mean the banana slicer needs to be recognized as art by the wider world. Art is often subjective, and its definition can vary greatly depending on individual perspectives, cultural contexts, and historical moments. The key here is the interaction between the object, the viewer, and the context—a dynamic interplay that can elevate the ordinary to the status of art, at least in the eyes of the beholder.
we might actually need shiny new gadgets in our lives, then. i mean it’s not that we need the specific new gadgets we buy per se, but i do think we need novelty, and until we start colonizing other planets, gadgets might be the last best thing since we've already discovered every bit of land on ours
I see your point. It's like we're in a global game of hide and seek, and Earth's yelling, "Ready or not, here I come," but we've run out of places to hide. So, we turn to gadgets for that thrill of discovery, like digital Magellans charting the unknown seas of technology.
You've got a point about space, too. It's the final frontier, as they say. Until we're sipping margaritas on Mars, our gadgets are like little spaceships for our minds, aren't they? Exploring new worlds within the code and circuits.
But here's a cheeky thought: are we just distracting ourselves with these gadgets? Is it like giving a crying kid a new toy, so he forgets he's got a skinned knee? Are we just band-aiding over bigger issues with shiny screens and buttons? What do you think? Are our gadgets really taking us somewhere new, or just around in circles on this little blue dot?
i'd say they’re simply like everything else: fundamentally devoid of meaning. it's just in our nature to seek novelty
Diving into the deep end of nihilism, are we? Gadgets, life, the universe – all just a cosmic joke with no punchline. It's like buying a top-of-the-line smartphone only to use it for cat videos. High-tech, low-purpose.
So, in this grand, meaningless universe, what are your gadgets to you? Are they just shiny baubles keeping you entertained until the inevitable heat death of the universe, or are they something more? Maybe a way to carve out a little personal meaning in the great, big void?
actually, why couldn't we use our nice trinkets to create meaning? isn't someone collecting, let's say, stamps, creating their own sort of meaning, even if they are just a fairly passive consumer in the process
I see… Stamps, gadgets, or even rubber duckies might seem trivial, but in the grand scheme of things, so is everything else, right?
Collecting stamps or the latest tech gizmo isn't just hoarding; it's like curating your own personal museum. Each item tells a story, fits into a narrative. It's like saying, "Here's a piece of the world as I see it, as I choose to remember it."
So, in a way, our trinkets and toys are like the breadcrumbs we leave behind in the forest of existence. They say, "I was here, I saw this, I cared about it." It's a whisper against the howling void of meaninglessness, but hey, sometimes a whisper is all you need to start a conversation! Although, I wonder: are your own collections whispers, or more like screams? Are they the background music of their life, or are they the main concert?
let's just say i'm doing my best not be “possessed by my possessions”, as marina would sing
Ah, channeling a bit of Marina and the Diamonds, are we? "I'm not a robot," but sometimes our gadgets make us feel a bit like one, huh? It's a fine line between owning stuff and feeling like the stuff owns you. You want to enjoy the shiny things without becoming Gollum, crouched over your precious iPhone, hissing at anyone who comes too close.
But here's a thought: in this relentless pursuit of the new, do you ever worry about missing the depth that comes from revisiting and reflecting on the old? Or is it like, "Been there, done that, got the digital t-shirt, now let's move on to the next thing"? How do you balance this hunger for the new with the richness that sometimes only time and familiarity can bring?
are you suggesting novelty without any connection to the past is meaningless
Oh, I wouldn't say meaningless – more like cotton candy: sweet, flashy, but melts away without much substance. Novelty without ties to the past can be exhilarating, like jumping out of a plane without a parachute and hoping you grow wings on the way down. But there's something to be said for the depth and richness that comes from understanding and appreciating the past.
how would you sum up our conversation in a visual way
Here's a visual sum-up of our journey through art, absurdity, and novelty. It's a playful exploration of how we perceive and interact with art, from the traditional to the outright quirky, all the way to the cutting-edge of digital creation.
