The Art of Seeing
Heraclitus and the Harmony of Tensions
Thursday 24th November 2022
7-8pm UK time via Zoom
with Mary Attwood
£10
“The cosmos works by harmony of tensions, like the lyre and bow”
Heraclitus
As a pre-Socratic philosopher, Heraclitus is often eclipsed by the philosophy of Plato. Little is left of his writing, and what is left has been gathered into one collection, known as Fragments. But through Heraclitus’ words, we are invited to see a living, breathing, cosmos in constant flow, a cosmos which works by harmony of tensions or opposites. Great works of art often speak to us from a place beyond rational understanding and yet at the same time, they bring us very much into the experience of being in a flow of sorts, of being in a state of exchange and participation with something other than ourselves. This is very different from feeling as if we are in the present moment, but rather that something is brought forth in both us and the image we are encountering. In this session, we will take one work of art as our guide and, along with Heraclitus’ words, encounter the image from this different perception. The work of art will not be revealed until the evening but it is an image which embodies Heraclitus’ thoughts of a cosmos working by harmony of tensions.
These sessions offer theory, participation and reflection as a way to draw together the threads of historical context, meaning, and a personal encounter with a work of art.
This session is £10 per household. If you are not a fan of PayPal you can email Mary directly at info@maryattwood.com
For those who cannot attend live, there will be a recording available.
BOOKING: Please book through Mary Attwood’s website here
