Mapping the Sublime

The everyday sublime exists in quiet moments of clarity and magnitude.  When assumed knowledge is peeled back like the rind of an orange, exposing the ripe flesh underneath.

It’s gazing at a mountain and seeing beyond a forest covered mass.  Visualizing each ridge as it emerged from the earth, the strata rising and blistering.  Understanding that its mass doesn’t end with our line of sight.  Its profile dips down, descending deep below the waterline.

Museum aesthetics refers to the visual language employed by museums.  Objects on display are decontextualized and reframed.  Pedestals, prongs, plaques, patching.  These devices offer the illusion of neutrality while conveying a specific perspective. Museum aesthetics are used to guide the viewer through the noise, the rising sea of trees, shifting their gaze to focus in on the mountain’s cross section.  The swelling layers of foliage and soil, strata and magma. 

The two ideas work alongside each other.  The reduced visual language creates a lens to isolate and view the magic in the organic material. They allow the maker to communicate a specific line of sight.