Reading 2

The idea that I found the most interesting in this reading was that of the human need to assign meaning and significance to objects.  This is something we do all the time, not just in the art world.  We often project feelings onto objects, associate them with a specific memory, or even personify them.  I don't think this is a bad thing, but it's interesting that people all over the world in every culture do this.  Is it human nature to to want to make everything more personable?  While reading about the importance we put on vessels such as urns or idols, I kept thinking about Ibeji the wood carvings that the Yoruba culture in Africa make to house the soul of a dead twin.  To them this becomes so much more then a sculpture, it literally becomes that person.  They take care of it, making sure it is clothed, fed, and loved as part of the family.  This existential idea of an object containing something may be why we feel such a connection with  vessels.  Because they move beyond aesthetics into the realm of function we can see them as more personal.  For example the way a cup feels in your hand can produce in you such a real emotion.  While other art forms such as painting or photography can elicit an emotional response, I think the act of touching the object, and knowing that it serves a function that pertains to humans gives it something that other art forms cannot posses.