Page 40 - Studio International - October 1969

Perceptual fields are not experienced as freely through space a few inches above the 3
objects in themselves. Perception is a conti- ground. The intention of this positioning was Photo path 1969, 1 x 21 ft
A path along the floor, of proportions 1 x 21 units.
nuum, a precipitation of event fragments that the triangles should 'come into being' photographed. Photographs printed to actual size of
decaying in time, above all a process. An gradually, in an additive fragmentary fashion, objects and prints stapled to floor so that images are
perfectly congruent with their objects.
object analogue may, however, be posited by as they were approached. Their position with- Photo: Roger Lewis
4
locating points within the perceptual conti- in view of a footpath increased the probability 25 ft two hours 1969
nuum. Two rope triangles placed in Green- of an optimum reading being effected. An 8 x 5 in. file-card container moved, in a straight
line and by 1 ft. stages, through 25 ft. The container
wich park earlier this year represent an The triangles were serially ordered in space- photographed at each of its 25 positions and each
attempt to 'parenthesize' a section ofperceptual time. Invariance in their reading, and there- position identified by means of an index card from
the box. The alphabetical sequence of the cards
experience in time. General instructions for fore the apparent congruence of two actually corresponding to the serial order of the stages.
this work are: dissimilar perceptual fields, was ensured by Photographs printed size 8 x 5 in. and filed in the
box under their respective letters of the alphabet
1. Two units co-exist in time. the familiarity of the equilateral triangle as a 5
2. Spatial separation is such that units may configurational archetype. Encounter with the Memory piece
One of two similar- units 36 x 36 x 36 ft
not simultaneously be directly perceived. first triangle was not particularly notable, the
3. Units isomorphic to degree that encounter materials used are commonplace and the attention would involve a mind 'out of focus',
with second is likely to evoke recollection of handling of them eschewed craft considera- a self-induced suspension of cognition in
first. tions. It is conceivable that the first triangle which experience is emotive but meaningless.
By the above definition the units may be said might enter consciousness at a subliminal To focus, like this, upon pre-objective experi-
to bracket the perceptual data subjectively level (ropes are low in the hierarchy of sen- ence is to be aware of movement, and atten-
experienced between them The 'object', sory experiences offered by Greenwich Park). tion to motion reveals the ephemeral,
therefore may be defined as consisting of Encounter with the second triangle however emphasizes the inconstant: 'The invariant
three elements: First unit. Recollection of emphasized recognition of the first by its in- component in a transformation carries in-
intervening space-time. Second unit. voluntary recall. The intention was that the formation about an object and the variant
The first triangle in Greenwich park was con- recollected image of the first configuration component carries other information, for ex-
structed using about 100 ft of ¼ in. rope held would be mentally brought forward and ample, about the relation of the perceiver to
in tension between three 6 x the object. When an observer attends to cer-
in. wire-
superimposed upon the configuration im-
strainers driven into the ground so that only mediately available to the retina. Conscious- tain invariants he perceives objects; when he
the circular 'eyes' projected above the surface. ness would be sent back through its memory attends to certain variants he has sensations.' 6
The rope was threaded through the eyes, data assembling en route an object analogue If we suppose a consistently non-cognitive
pulled taut, and knotted. A second triangle composed of recalled images, the relation- response to experience by an individual
was constructed in a similar manner on an ships between these fragments to be governed observing only the variant in his perception,
opposite side of the park from the first. The by personal associative propensities. The life of then the only object of that individual's
two triangles were equilateral, both measuring this conceptual element might be brief though attention would be his 'life object' as he pas-
36 ft on each side, and sited so that neither repeated path-tracing between the two cues sively observes the perpetually present modul-
could be seen from the other and so that would probably favour a particular sequence ations in his visual field. Conceptually, the life
neither could be seen from any great distance. of forms and impress them on the memory. object is equivalent to any individual's total
This latter condition was established by the Because of the emphasis placed upon the perceptual experience. However, the notion
selection of gently undulating localities, the perceiver's role in the formation of the of an object assumes an exterior viewpoint.
points of the triangles touching the slopes of a `object' the specific nature of any such 'object' From 'inside', subjective experience is a con-
depression with the ropes between passing is highly subjective. The required mode of text, within which objects are encountered