From Art To Technology And The Quest For Meaning In An Accelerated World

Lying beside my six-year-old Neer, watching the fan blades spin above us, she exclaimed, "Isn't it magic how the fan blades vanish when they move fast?" This simple yet profound observation reminded me of a conversation with Akbar Padamsee, a dear friend I miss, who once said, "In the history of art, the noticeable change is in speed.”

This idea carries profound philosophical implications. In a world accelerating in every facet—from technology to art—it challenges the very essence of our perception and existence.

Consider art: Traditional forms like Renaissance paintings prized meticulous craftsmanship and detail, with artists dedicating years to perfecting each piece for immersive beauty. Contrast this with contemporary art, where action painting and rapid brushstrokes, epitomized by figures like Jackson Pollock, emphasize the process of creation alongside the final outcome.

Claude Monet further exemplifies this shift with his Impressionist masterpieces, capturing fleeting light and atmosphere through quick brushstrokes and plein air techniques that revolutionized art, highlighting the transient nature of moments.

M.F. Husain provides another perspective, known for completing a painting in 15 minutes. His remarkable speed isn't just a result of practice ('sadhana' or 'riyaaz'), but a testament to his lifelong dedication to mastering his craft. This underscores that speed in art embodies not only rapid execution but also the depth of experience and practice preceding it.

This evolution in art mirrors a broader cultural trend favoring speed and spontaneity over patience and precision.

The acceleration of life, especially in automation and technology, began with the Industrial Revolution, where machines replaced human labor, boosting efficiency while diminishing the demand for skilled craftsmanship. Today, this trend has escalated with advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics, enabling tasks that once demanded extensive training to be completed rapidly by machines.

The decline of traditional crafts and the rise of mass production homogenize experiences. Products and services optimized for speed and convenience often sacrifice quality and uniqueness. Heidegger's critique of technology reducing the world to mere resources, to be used and discarded at will, highlights the erosion of life's intrinsic value.

Computing exemplifies the accelerating world. Moore's Law's exponential processing power growth has dramatically sped up information generation, processing, and consumption. The internet, with its continuous updates and notifications, epitomizes this "information overload."

Socrates warned against the written word, fearing it would lead to shallow knowledge without true understanding. In the digital age, this concern intensifies as rapid information consumption leaves little room for reflection and deep comprehension. We skim, scroll, and swipe—do we truly understand?

Einstein's theory of relativity offers a scientific perspective on speed and perception. As objects approach the speed of light, time slows relative to a stationary observer, potentially leading to the disappearance of time and experience. This metaphor illuminates our modern experience of acceleration: as life's pace quickens, our perception of time and reality shifts, often causing disconnection and fragmentation.

Reflecting on Neer’s words and Akbar’s insight, I yearn for slower moments where we can truly appreciate the world without it blurring into obscurity. Yet, I can't ignore the irony of relying on technology, like the microchip speeding this message, to access knowledge quickly.

Is it time to slow down and value details, or do we continue speeding through life, accepting its trade-offs? Perhaps the answer lies in balancing speed with mindfulness, finding equilibrium between the fast and the slow, the efficient and the meticulous.

We skim, we scroll, and we swipe, but do we truly understand?

(Sonal Motla is an art curator and Director at Rachna Sansad and a visiting faculty with educational institutions like NIFT Mumbai, among others. Send your feedback to: sonal25fpj@gmail.com)