(9) Puzzles III

[cramschoolgod]

[Phone, standard filter:]

Residents of Mayfield...

What is your definition of art, and do you believe it is important?

Comments

[wise_king]

The Crimson Moon once said my works were exquisite pieces of art.

[cramschoolgod]

Who is the Crimson Moon, and what are your works?

[wise_king]

My creator. And my works are the human imagination.

[cramschoolgod]

Ahh, yes, of course. What is this Crimson Moon like? Is it a sentient being of a similar sort to humanity, or on a higher level?

In any case, that cannot be much of a surprise, as the human imagination is necessarily the source of human art.

[wise_king]

A much higher level than humanity. If one could build the perfect human and give it even more, that would be the Crimson Moon. He can take many forms, one of them, of course, is his name sake.

It is but often times, humans have issues expressing their imagination properly. I can bring the human imagination to life in the form of a wish.

[cramschoolgod]

I see. It stands to reason that objects of a lower level would be considered art by beings on a higher level.

Do you consider parts of the real world art, then? Things that are occurring in the present, as opposed to fully-realized objects like books?

[wise_king]

Honestly, I'm an awful person to ask that question to. I have no sense of art, which is why I need to borrow from others. Truly, if my brain was capable of forming such ideas, I would not be relying on humans to make my creations.

That is to say, I can look at something and say 'That looks nice' but I cannot fathom what makes it look nice.

[cramschoolgod]

Ah, that's extremely interesting.

On some level, humans cannot do that either. They can point to aspects of an object, and frquently do; they can praise it with words, but those words are generally circular in nature, and, while they establish a locality, so to speak, of the artistic or aesthetic quality, they cannot definitively label it.

[wise_king]

It's interesting it's own way. I remember when the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was being painted by Michelangelo. When it was finished, the man thought the work was absolutely atrocious but yet today, it is hailed as his crowning glory. I have to wonder what he saw differently.

[cramschoolgod]

Such a monumental work could not have been made without a great deal of outside pressure. Perhaps he felt that it was not adequately individual.

[wise_king]

I won't understand either way so an explanation will probably futile.

[cramschoolgod]

...ah, very well, then. Thank you for the input, in any case.

[wise_king]

I suppose I could put someone on the phone to assist you, if you'd like.

[cramschoolgod]

Who would that be?

[wise_king]

An old friend of mine. You don't mind, do you?

[cramschoolgod]

No, I don't. [...Though you are making it sound suspicious.]