In the Timeline, I came across a tweet that said:
"People who can make PPTs are like wizards."
Upon hearing this, my heart was moved. I saw two types of albums, one of which I often encountered in my daily work, while the other was highly praised by designers on the internet. Although both have the same purpose, the latter is skillfully crafted, with carefully selected highlights and clear organization. It uses clever techniques to separate paragraphs and uses variations in size to allow viewers to gradually delve into the essence of the article. On the other hand, the former is piled up haphazardly, chaotic and overwhelming.
Then, I came across a discussion:
"It's just a few tutorial tips, a set of templates, aligning and symmetrizing the content."
The original author replied:
"Recognizing that others are better than you in certain aspects is a virtue. In my opinion, making PPTs also requires a lot of technical skills. Even if you use templates, you are just a user of the templates. The real talent lies in creating the templates."
In my opinion, although this comment is somewhat insightful, it is not entirely wrong. Using templates as a foundation, organizing and aligning, and achieving symmetry are the basics of typesetting. However, many people only focus on the surface, without seeking a deeper understanding. They simply use random colors, resulting in chaos.
Starting from the discussion about ordinary PPTs, if we apply this comment to a broader context, it seems to be applicable. Artists are just wielding brushes, musicians are just playing notes on a score, and pizza is just meat and cheese on dough. When deconstructed to the extreme, regardless of depth, everything returns to "nothingness" and "mediocrity". If we deconstruct everything in our daily lives, we will eventually return to dust and emptiness. If our emotions and thoughts are also stripped away, we will end up with nothing but emptiness.
At the peak of deconstruction, one may ask oneself: Where am I? When can I deconstruct, and when does it end? How should we construct and where is the limit?
After much contemplation, I have a feeling: "Perplexed."
In recent years, I have observed AI-generated art and have also tried it myself. I have studied the principles behind MidJourney/Stable Diffusion, but I have never been interested in AI-generated works. I am truly a lover of craftsmanship and appreciate the skills involved. However, my heart is still tired, as everything can be done by AI and art is gradually losing its appeal.
Indeed, my way of thinking is not the same as those who claim to "protect copyright" but actually hinder technological progress. I consider myself to have a sincere love for technology and feel honored to witness the marvelous changes brought about by AI technology. I also appreciate the artistic value of the works created by AI and hope to see them shine even brighter in the future.
However, I can't help but feel a sense of fatigue and weariness. Countless AI works emerge all the time, and "art" is gradually being dissected and deconstructed, losing its past "charm". In this process, I begin to understand the mindset of painters facing the popularity of cameras.
In the dazzling brilliance of flawless works, I am more attracted to simple and sincere things. Recently, I have carefully observed Han Dynasty stone inscriptions. Although each character may not be perfectly neat and the structure may occasionally appear strange, the overall effect is elegant and orderly, exuding a profound and rustic beauty. Regardless of size, they all have deep meaning. After encountering works by other calligraphers, I abandoned Tian Yingzhang and no longer delved into the so-called "regular script".
For the same reason, compared to various meticulously crafted and neatly organized artworks, I am more fond of the roughness and frankness found in Han Dynasty portrait bricks, free jazz, blues, and other unique styles. Their "imperfections" give them a unique charm.
Considering the understanding of life in this world, I would rather pursue imperfection than strive for perfection. I prefer to relax and seek true joy in life. In my leisure time, I casually read the words of Laozi and Zhuangzi, finding solace and inspiration in them.
This article is also synchronized to xLog by Mix Space.
The original link is https://nishikori.tech/posts/essay/2023-11-30