Page 26 - Studio International - June 1971

Bohm points out the close relationship is relevant in some limited context. Here ICA talk, when he stated 'And I think this
between instrumentation and theory. Bohm's physics begins to meet his linguistics. shows that fragmentation is a bad thing'.)
The lens He points out that the word relevant is derived Verration is the spontaneous act of being
`was indeed one of the key features behind the from an obsolete verb to relevate, which means aware of truth. However, reverration can be
development of modern scientific thought. The `to lift up'. 'We can thus say that in a particular irreverrant, there being no absolute truth or
essential feature of a lens is [as indicated in context that may be under consideration, the untruth. `Reverration is reverrant' would
the diagram] that it forms an image in which general modes of description that belong to a mean 'If we keep on asserting a certain truth
a given point, P, in the object corresponds (in a given theory serve to relevate a certain content, in a certain context, its meaning will harmonize
high degree of approximation) to a point, Q, i.e. to lift it into attention so that it stands out with reality'.
in the image: "in relief". If this content is pertinent in the To ordinate is the action of new order
context under discussion, it is said to be springing to attention. Irreordinant ordination
relevant, and otherwise, irrelevant.' would be, for instance, the application of an
Descriptions involving the analysis of the inappropriate grid to a complex of alleyways.
world into autonomous components do actually Other key verbs in the Rheomode are
work in certain contexts. In broader contexts, coordinate, diordinate, harmonate, metrate,
analytic descriptions cease to be adequate. structate, difinate, formate, marcate, ensemblate,
By thus bringing the correspondence of specified Fragmentation of thought and language implicate, mathemate, ferate, diferate, inferate,
features of object and image into such sharp begins, says Bohm, in early childhood when movate, comovate, contramovate, cyclate, etc.
relief, the lens greatly strengthened man's man is first exposed to abstract thought.3 The Bohm sums up the Rheomode as follows:
awareness of the various parts of the object, and child thinks 'thought' objects are as real as In the Rheomode, it is emphasized that the verb
of the relationships between these parts. In this touchable objects, and only later distinguishes acts, in ordering attention properly for perceiving
way it furthered the tendency to think in terms between real and unreal. But thought is real. the action that the verb indicates or describes.
of analysis and synthesis. Moreover, it made Language is not only about order; language is Thus the Rheomode is a new order of undivided
possible an enormous extension of this classical order, a subtle dynamic moving aspect of wholeness, in which there is no sharp separation
order of analysis and synthesis to objects that reality, and it is the DNA of society. between the action of perception and the action
were too far away, too big, too small, or too `To give a description is also to order of what is perceived.'
rapidly moving to be thus ordered by means of attention, both in the speaker and in the hearer, Professor Bohm intends to publish a book
unordered vision. As a result, scientists were and in this way to emphasize a related order on this subject and my summary of his ideas
encouraged to extrapolate their ideas, and to of movement in perception.' Language as we should be taken only as a personal impression.
think that such an approach would be relevant know it is inadequate because (a) the subject/ It is proposed that a small working party—
and valid, no matter how far one went, in all verb/object structure is inherently including scientists, linguists, psychologists
possible conditions, contexts, and degrees of fragmentary, and (b) language is always calling and artists-should try and experiment with
approximation. attention to anything but itself Bohm proposes the Rheomode in their work. The connexion
But...relativity and quantum theory imply a new mode of language as a tool for enquiry, with many ideas expressed by artists recently
undivided wholeness, in which analysis into the Rheomode (from the Greek word meaning is obvious -John Latham and Victor Burgin
distinct and well-defined parts is no longer `to flow'). The Rheomode emphasizes (a) flow are the names that come first to mind.4 But
relevant. Is there an instrument that can help and wholeness, and (b) language itself as part Bohm's ideas have most relevance to a general
give a certain immediate perceptual insight into of reality. understanding of creativity-making thought
what can be meant by undivided wholeness, as The basic construction is to start from the and language fit with perception. q
the lens did for what is to be meant by analysis verb. Thus relevate means 'to bring to JONATHAN BENTHALL
of a system into parts?' attention again by means of word or thought'.
Bohm suggests that this instrument is the Relevant means 'harmoniously capable of 'David Bohm has published two rather general
laser hologram. I have already described the being brought into attention'. papers: 'Fragmentation in science and in
hologram in this column, and speculated about From the Latin root vid (`see') we derive society', Impact of Science on Society, vol. 20 no. 2,
its implications.2 Bohm's arguments support vidate. This does not mean 'to see', but 'to see, 1970, and 'On creativity', Leonardo, vol. I, 1968.
My sources are his unpublished papers and my own
my contention that holography will eventually while being aware of the ordering of attention notes, and I am grateful to Professor Bohm for
alter our perception of the world as much as involved in the act of seeing'. To revidate permission to quote from him.
Studio International, Feb. and April 1970.
the lens and photography did. means 'to see again, by means of a memory or 3There are clear parallels between Bohm's ideas and
The key feature of the hologram, according thought' (in the mind's eye, as it were). If those of Sartre and Merleau-Ponty, which I do not
to Bohm, is that in each region of space, the the order that is revidated coheres or fits with have the space to explore here.
order of a whole illuminated structure is a perceived context, we say 'To revidate is 4The difficulty I have, in common with others, in
appreciating these artists' work may be because
`folded up' or 'carried' (implicate) in the revident'. A mistake or optical illusion, however, each is confronting the very difficult implications
movement of light. A simpler case than the is irrevident. The nearest we get to a noun of modern science, particularly physics and
hologram is a signal that modulates a radio- would be revidation, signifying a 'continuing perception theory. Bohm's work might help to
provide a grammar for the development of this
wave, where a verbal or visual structure is state of relatively invariant movement, in this kind of art and the verbal speculation associated
carried. Order and measure can also be case the state of revidating. with it.
One reason why I am not convinced by Charles
carried by electron beams, sound and other To di-vidate means 'to see as separate, Harrison's essay 'A very abstract context' (Studio
forms of movement. while attention is called to the ordering International, Nov. 1970), is that he uses partly
`To generalize so as to emphasize undivided involved in the act of seeing as separate'. To art-historical terms of a contentious kind, such as
`abstraction', and partly the vocabulary of modern
wholeness, we shall say that what "carries" an do this again is to redividate. 'To redividate is science, without explicitly re-expressing the former •
implicate order is the holomovement, which is redivident' writes Bohm, 'in a context in in terms of the latter. For instance, I cannot relate
an unbroken and undivided totality. In certain which, in ordinary language, we would say to my knowledge, either of art history or of science,
cases we can abstract particular aspects of the "Division is relevant".' Otherwise, to a sentence as central to his case as the following:
`The change is now being made from a mode of
holomovement (e.g. light, electrons, sound, etc.) redividate is thoroughly irredivident. perception based on given facts in the material
But more generally, all forms of the Irredividation is the same as fragmentation: world to one patterned on the relationship between
holomovement merge and are inseparable.' dividing thought from what is. (Bohm was man's response to these given facts and the general
truths extrapolated from a consideration of all such
Any physical theory will abstract only what given a round of applause at this stage in his responses, remembered or present.'
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