OPPOSITE THINKING

Let’s think for a moment about opposites. Certainly the manipulation of opposites is at the core of what we do. When we draw a line, there is a small part of the paper that contains dark graphite. The remainder of the page is white. So the mere first act is a basic version of the manipulation of opposites.

The basic positive and negative understanding of the world has pervaded our cultures. According to the Bible, first there was the dark, (way before the light.) The earliest generative principals came in pairs. Who knows where this fundamental cosmological understanding stems from. It might be our primordial binary sexual organization which powerfully shaped our understanding of how the world works.

It might be helpful to think about opposites, given that as problem solvers, we are creating solutions which basically manipulate the form and the space. We take positive forms, made of materials, and the make space.

So let’s look at a list of opposites to help us with our thinking. Again, we are working in a world of wall and space. So apply the word wall or space to any of the opposites below simply as an exercise.

yin / yang
positive / negative
earth / heaven
seen / unseen
creation / creator
(wall) / (space)

This is just a short list and I’m sure you could add more. If so please do. The point is that we must embrace this duality to draw, form, shape and construct. We really are operating in this very primordial worldview.

Given the complexities of the life of the designer; getting work, doing the work, getting paid, sweeping the floor, maintain the computer, changing light bulbs, etc., it is easy to loose sight of our very fundamental interface with the world.

As we have seen before, I try to look for ways to celebrate the tasks and roles of the designer. A sub theme of this blog is to find the rationale to lift the place of the designer in our society. Maybe this consideration of opposites gives you a bit more latitude to map your own lifting rationale.