Metaphoric Power

There's an interesting brief article by Tori Rodriguez at Scientific American: "Figurative Speech Sways Decisions - choose the right phrasing to convince people to take action". Metaphor is the figure of speech being considered.
Snip:

A study published in January in PLOS ONE examined how reading different metaphors—“crime is a virus” and “crime is a beast”—affected participants' reasoning when choosing solutions to a city's crime problem. Those who read the beast metaphor were more likely to opt for a direct approach emphasizing enforcement, whereas the virus metaphor elicited a preference for a systemic, reform-focused solution.

This is new information? Surely not.

“What a different result one gets by changing the metaphor!”
― George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss (1860)

“The metaphor is probably the most fertile power possessed by man”
― José Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955)

A comment from "sunnystrobe" beneath the linked article offers a chilling example of influence of a metaphor in action:

....Fifty years ago, at Munich University, we studied Prof. Wolfgang Clemen's (then) ground-breaking book : 'Shakespeare's Imagery', which was an eye opener as to HOW the power of configurative visualization works, creating in our brains something which could be aptly named our own in-brain 'home art / movie', good or bad...
(for evil abuse of this fanciful human trait, think how the Nazi propaganda machine of fear & terror was able to turn a nation into tolerating 'Kristallnacht' - and worse to come- just by using visual metaphors of vermin- that would hAVE to be exterminated for the greater benefit & survival of the German race.).....

The article goes on to say that scientists aren't clear exactly how the brain processes metaphor, but suspect that it triggers related concepts when processing a metaphor's meaning. That's not such a world shattering conclusion though, is it? Wouldn't we lay-persons, if we had stopped to think about it, have concluded the same? That's the purpose of a metaphor, surely, to encourage readers or listeners, or viewers to understand a difficult concept by relating it to something already understood.

The main point of the article is good though: choice of metaphor, especially when explaining issues of great importance, can be crucial. Ordinary mortals like us tend to use metaphor to make our conversations or scribbles more colourful or more relatable; there's little danger we'd cause any kind of havoc to break out. What we should train ourselves to recognise is how, and when politicians, salesmen, corporate-beholden journalists, and the "Powers That Be" employ metaphor, and note carefully which metaphor they choose to use.

Arty Farty Friday ~~ Michael Cheval - Illusion & Metaphor

In yesterday's post I included a couple of works by Michael Cheval. His paintings, discovered online during research, made me an instant fan. So - a little more about this fascinating artist.

Michael Cheval is the world’s leading artist specializing in Absurdist paintings, drawings and portraits. He defines "absurdity" as an inverted reality, a reverse side of logic. This doesn't come from dreams, or from the subconscious. It's more a game of imagination with carefully chosen connections to construct "a literary plot". Cheval’s paintings are "maps of his journey into illusion", often metaphorical. They require a certain level of knowledge and a sharp eye to translate often hidden allusions. These are not simply "pretty pictures!"

Michael Cheval was born in 1966 in Kotelnikovo, a small town in southern Russia. He grew up in an artistic family. His love of drawing was encouraged from early childhood by his father, a self-taught artist, and by his grandfather, Yuri Lipov, a professional artist and sculptor. His talents developed quickly and by three years old, he could already draw complex compositions.

He has lived, painted, and studied in Germany (where his love of history, literature and music further blossomed). There he led a rock 'n' roll band and for several years, composed songs, wrote poetry. Many of his paintings contain musical references.

Cheval later moved to a Turkmenistan city in the middle of the desert, near the Iranian border. Here he developed a deep interest in oriental philosophy. He began work as a professional artist. His decision to emigrate to the USA in 1997 brought a new beginning. Adding to his early inspirations drawn from Western culture, his own experience, philosophy and vision gathered from his time in the East, his work rapidly evolved and made its mark on the art world. His paintings these days command high prices, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

The artist's own website has more information and lots of examples of his work.
HERE and HERE.

I'm astrologically frustrated by not having Mr. Cheval's full birth data. All that's available is his place of birth and "1966", so a peek at his natal chart isn't possible. In 1966 Uranus and Pluto were conjoined in Virgo all year, with Neptune in Scorpio in sextile. That information alone sets a general background atmosphere of inventiveness, depth and incisive insight.

Trying to translate the symbolism in his paintings is mind-boggling at times. A few examples follow. One would have to be as well-versed and well-travelled as Mr. Cheval to catch every nuance! Titles, where available, offer clues.

Clicking on the images should bring up a slightly bigger version, to investigate important detail.

Practice of the Big Boom

Division of Prime Cause

The Truth is Always Inbetween

Official title is Lady of Hurricane. without knowing its title I saw it as Pandora opening her Box.....maybe that's the same thing!

Sunset Tango

Sounding Silence

Loquacious Blues (Many of his paintings have musical references.)

I want to go on, and on... but I'd be apprehended by copyright police - so, just one more:

Zenith of Time

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