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    The Art of Uncertainty

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    cal.h.dover
    Combining the works of Salvador Dali and The Labyrinth

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    The Art of Uncertainty

    Uploaded by

    cal.h.dover
    238 views2 pages
    Combining the works of Salvador Dali and The Labyrinth

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    Combining the works of Salvador Dali and The Labyrinth

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    238 views2 pages

    The Art of Uncertainty

    Uploaded by

    cal.h.dover
    Combining the works of Salvador Dali and The Labyrinth

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Dover 1

    Ben Dover

    Kane

    Period 1

    January 25, 2024

    Uncertainty - The Art of Philosophy

    Certainty is the death of creativity, wisdom, and thought as we are stripped of our means

    to ponder. Various works around us utilize variability and changeability to create feelings, such

    as unsureness, amongst their audiences. While approached in separate fashions, the works of The

    Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí and “The Labyrinth” by W. H. Auden both employ the

    element of uncertainty to explore existential themes but diverge through contrasting ideas in their

    mediums and their depiction of fluidity.

    The Persistence of Memory and “The Labyrinth'' both traverse the concept of uncertainty

    but express this notion through differing mediums. “The Labyrinth'' defines this idea through its

    occupation with words and thoughts relating to thinking whereas The Persistence of Memory

    portrays the visual element of time. “The Labyrinth'' helps communicate the topic of uncertainty

    through its lines of "Where am I…No question can be asked unless…this maze has got a plan”

    (Auden lines 9-12). These lines demonstrate the speaker's engagement with metaphysics,

    depicting the questioning of the nature of the maze and contemplating its potential underlying

    plan. The use of metaphysics as a medium of inquiry reflects the intellectual exploration of

    uncertainty within the poem. In addition, the use of words such as “question” and “plan”

    emphasize the speaker’s scrutinous perspective. In The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali,

    the visual elements like the melting clocks introduce uncertainty by challenging conventional

    perceptions of time. The malleable and distorted clocks create a sense of contradictory feelings

    of time, emphasizing the uncertainty in the measurement and stability of time itself.
    Dover 2

    Another way that the works of “The Labyrinth” and The Persistence of Memory both

    explore the idea of uncertainty in separate ways from one another is by differing uses of fluidity

    throughout their works. In “The Labyrinth”, uncertainty is conveyed through fluidity in terms of

    thinking with enjambed lines such as, "Relying happily upon/His temperament for getting on"

    (Auden lines 3-4). The mention of relying on the laws of the physical world suggests a fluid

    approach to navigating the maze. The speaker's reliance on temperament as well as the flow of

    the poet’s lines implies adaptability and a willingness to embrace different mental pathways,

    reflecting a fluidity of thought. In The Persistence of Memory, beyond the melting clocks, the

    overall soft and malleable quality of the forms in the painting represents fluidity. The rocks,

    trees, and the draped face all exhibit a dreamlike liquidity, lacking rigid and defined outlines.

    This overall softness and lack of clear structure contribute to the sense of a reality in a

    fluctuating state. The entire scene appears to be in a state of constant transformation, suggesting

    a fluid and ever-changing existence beyond just the depiction of time. The use of these fluid

    forms enhances the overall theme of uncertainty and the impermanence of the physical world.

    With all of this in mind, certainty clearly inhibits our cognitive abilities by stripping us of

    our natural curiosity. Embracing certainty may provide comfort and require little from us, but

    holding onto it constrains our future, hampers potential, reduces opportunities, and prevents us

    from truly recognizing our full capabilities. Both of these artists show this theme of uncertainty

    but use contrasting modes of expression and fluidic structure.

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