never heard of that b4 but its interesting the example on wikipedia a feeling dates as close or far - I was always think of years in terms of color gradient, does that count?
1. yes
2. For me certain spatial compositions can have associated sensations of weight and density or shifts of gravity, associated colors that are evoked although not actually physically present etc., and in my experience if I try to discuss these aspects they are not generally apparent to others or understood by them. Also I have to assume that I'm not always aware of examples in which my experience is different from the experiences from others in the same architectural space, or viewing, tasting or feeling the same thing (much as a colorblind person may not realize when and how his perception is different than others' perception of a particular color, and may go years without even realizing that he is colorblind.)
Yeah, I do the number, letter -> color thing, and the days, months -> color and location, too. But it's not like you actually see the colors on the page, it's just an association between the color and an ideal, nonexistant letter form. I sometimes wonder if there wasn't just a colored chart hung up somewhere in my kindergarten class.
Often get an idea -> shape connection, too, and sometimes systems and groups of ideas can come together to seem like a space or a landscape.
This Foucault quote (from Heterotopias) is exactly what I'm talking about:
The space of our primary perception, the space of our dreams and that of our passions hold within themselves qualities that seem intrinsic: there is a light, ethereal, transparent space, or again a dark, rough, encumbered space; a space from above, of summits, or on the contrary a space from below of mud; or again a space that can be flowing like sparkling water, or space that is fixed, congealed, like stone or crystal.
sevensixfive: that's interesting because I used to wonder the same thing - whether the colors of numbers and letters were somehow instilled in me by regrigerator magnets or an alphabet book or something like that. But I don't think that's likely, for two reasons: 1. some of my numbers and a lot of my letters are not colors that would typically appear in a child's toy or classroom tool, where primary colors are usually favored. A lot of my letters have colors that could be described as tertiary, muted, faded, etc. 2. My numbers from 1 to 10, and my alphabet both have repeating colors, as well as missing colors, and the order is irregular. For example: a chart in a classroom or refrigerator magnets would likely have a limited number of colors, and most of the colors would be bright, AND the colors would probably be roughly equally represented and evenly spaced, such that in the alphabet we'd see a roughly equal number of letters of each color, and a particular color would probably happen in a pattern, or in a random but fairly even frequency throughout the alphabet. But the numbers and letters in my mind do not do that. For example in the numbers from 0 to 9 there is no orange or bright yellow number for me, but there are two dark green ones. There is also a mustard-colored one, a "clear" one, a tan one, and smoky light blue one that isn't quite solid. I'd be really surprised if I had some chart or toy that instilled this in my subconscious at an early age...
I'm reading Abram's 'The Spell of The Sensuous' and he makes the claim that to some extent, we are all somewhat synesthetes.... it's just that because of our cultural conditioning, it isn't apparent to us anymore.
I took a class on colour that covered the phenomenon, and there are scientists working on it. I think it's rather interesting.
On that note, it most certainly IS possible to teach yourself (or be taught how) to by a synesthete. With the proper input/output devices, we can learn to SEE with our TONGUES (or any other area). As far as your brain's concerned, it doesn't seem to care HOW it gets the signals, and will adapt extremely well in many cases.
I think we've just lost our ability to really read our senses. Yes, I'm reading a lot about phenomenology, but it's hard to argue when the evidence is right there in front of you.
i'm reading the architect, the cook and good taste and there is a lot of discussion on food and memory which reminded my of my discussions w/ marco frascari, who was always talking about it.
i'm pretty sure carlo scarpa was a synesthete based on conversations, and he left me thinking that zumthor and holl might be as well.
evilplatypus: it's not so much associative behavior as dual sensory input - or in some cases switched sensory input. "Real" information perceived with one sense is accompanied by "extra" information in one or more senses, or sometimes the input from one sense or area of the body can be perceived as swapped with or intermingled with the input from another sense or area.... It's an involuntary thing. In most people it has been present as long as they can remember, and the assocations are very consistent (i.e. if the number 3 is red today it will still be red for you 20 years later.)
synæsthesia
two questions:
1. is anyone here a synesthete?
2. how has this impacted your experience of architecture?
i would imagine that it goes hand in hand with phenomenology, but wondered what other's thoughts were.
is there a connections with phenomenology?
You should read Barbra Stafford's "Good Looking"
1. No, but this morning my finger bumped my hot coffee mug while grasping my glass of ice water. That was about as fun as it gets for me.
2. N/A
never heard of that b4 but its interesting the example on wikipedia a feeling dates as close or far - I was always think of years in terms of color gradient, does that count?
can you get disability for it?
1. yes
2. For me certain spatial compositions can have associated sensations of weight and density or shifts of gravity, associated colors that are evoked although not actually physically present etc., and in my experience if I try to discuss these aspects they are not generally apparent to others or understood by them. Also I have to assume that I'm not always aware of examples in which my experience is different from the experiences from others in the same architectural space, or viewing, tasting or feeling the same thing (much as a colorblind person may not realize when and how his perception is different than others' perception of a particular color, and may go years without even realizing that he is colorblind.)
Yeah, I do the number, letter -> color thing, and the days, months -> color and location, too. But it's not like you actually see the colors on the page, it's just an association between the color and an ideal, nonexistant letter form. I sometimes wonder if there wasn't just a colored chart hung up somewhere in my kindergarten class.
The space of our primary perception, the space of our dreams and that of our passions hold within themselves qualities that seem intrinsic: there is a light, ethereal, transparent space, or again a dark, rough, encumbered space; a space from above, of summits, or on the contrary a space from below of mud; or again a space that can be flowing like sparkling water, or space that is fixed, congealed, like stone or crystal.Often get an idea -> shape connection, too, and sometimes systems and groups of ideas can come together to seem like a space or a landscape.
This Foucault quote (from Heterotopias) is exactly what I'm talking about:
This guy has been trying to teach synesthesia for years:
http://www.perfectpitch.com/minilesson.htm
Anyone remember his ads in early guitar/bass magazines with the long-haired rock poseur?
sevensixfive: that's interesting because I used to wonder the same thing - whether the colors of numbers and letters were somehow instilled in me by regrigerator magnets or an alphabet book or something like that. But I don't think that's likely, for two reasons: 1. some of my numbers and a lot of my letters are not colors that would typically appear in a child's toy or classroom tool, where primary colors are usually favored. A lot of my letters have colors that could be described as tertiary, muted, faded, etc. 2. My numbers from 1 to 10, and my alphabet both have repeating colors, as well as missing colors, and the order is irregular. For example: a chart in a classroom or refrigerator magnets would likely have a limited number of colors, and most of the colors would be bright, AND the colors would probably be roughly equally represented and evenly spaced, such that in the alphabet we'd see a roughly equal number of letters of each color, and a particular color would probably happen in a pattern, or in a random but fairly even frequency throughout the alphabet. But the numbers and letters in my mind do not do that. For example in the numbers from 0 to 9 there is no orange or bright yellow number for me, but there are two dark green ones. There is also a mustard-colored one, a "clear" one, a tan one, and smoky light blue one that isn't quite solid. I'd be really surprised if I had some chart or toy that instilled this in my subconscious at an early age...
I'm reading Abram's 'The Spell of The Sensuous' and he makes the claim that to some extent, we are all somewhat synesthetes.... it's just that because of our cultural conditioning, it isn't apparent to us anymore.
I took a class on colour that covered the phenomenon, and there are scientists working on it. I think it's rather interesting.
On that note, it most certainly IS possible to teach yourself (or be taught how) to by a synesthete. With the proper input/output devices, we can learn to SEE with our TONGUES (or any other area). As far as your brain's concerned, it doesn't seem to care HOW it gets the signals, and will adapt extremely well in many cases.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010901/bob14.asp
I think we've just lost our ability to really read our senses. Yes, I'm reading a lot about phenomenology, but it's hard to argue when the evidence is right there in front of you.
There are many types and degrees of synesthesia, as well.
The wikipedia entry is a pretty good primer on the subject, and they link to a test that gives an example of one type of synesthesia.... here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Synaesthesiatest.jpg
i unfortunately have no inkling of synesthesia
i'm reading the architect, the cook and good taste and there is a lot of discussion on food and memory which reminded my of my discussions w/ marco frascari, who was always talking about it.
i'm pretty sure carlo scarpa was a synesthete based on conversations, and he left me thinking that zumthor and holl might be as well.
oh, and this image from perfect pitch scared me away from even thinking about buying
Theres a really interesting architectural thesis relating to Synaesthesia by Angjeli, Anila called Contended Architecture
heres the link:
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-11062003-174643/
For me, numbers and letters have genders. Letters to a lesser extent, but the numbers are definite.
This isn;t synaesthesia, but it's funny.
Materials have definite associations, but I think that's true for all architects - or should be.
l.b.-
1,4,and 7 male?
0,2,3,5,6,8 +9 female?
i'll have to check out the anila's thesis at work, but looks interesting.
2, 4 and 7 female
The rest male.
They sorta have personalities, too, but I won't go into that.
so synaethesia is essentially associative behavior?
they taste like burning!!
evilplatypus: it's not so much associative behavior as dual sensory input - or in some cases switched sensory input. "Real" information perceived with one sense is accompanied by "extra" information in one or more senses, or sometimes the input from one sense or area of the body can be perceived as swapped with or intermingled with the input from another sense or area.... It's an involuntary thing. In most people it has been present as long as they can remember, and the assocations are very consistent (i.e. if the number 3 is red today it will still be red for you 20 years later.)
another really interesting link by the professors at University @ Buffalo on synæsthesia
http://art3idea.psu.edu/intersense/left.html
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