The Philosophy of Science Gesture Arcs

Gesture

The Geometric Shapes that serve as models for Natural Forms sit motionless without the forces of Gesture. In art, gesture is created by the lines of movement that flow within the rendering of an object. It is how the artist defines the path that the eye travels while viewing an image. In science, gesture is the movement of matter and energy within the Forms (Atoms, Molecules, Cells, Organisms and Systems) from one State to Another.

Arcs

We experience the movement of objects and energy every day. The most common and historically one of the first observed phenomena noted by all ancient peoples is the passage of the sun and moon across the sky.

The path that both of these “celestial bodies” trace is an Arc that has come to define the core of our very existence. Calendars, both solar and lunar, dictate every societies physical, cultural and spiritual passage through the days, weeks, months and years.

This Gesture is not only seen in Astrophysics, but in Biology and Chemistry as well. Photosynthesis has an identifiable beginning, middle and end, as does any Narrative Arc. Plants absorb Carbon Dioxide and Water and, with the help of the Sun and some impressive enzymes, produce Glucose and Breathable Oxygen.

When we stand back and appreciate these and other rudimentary movements, we begin to see a pattern. We see the story within the objects. We see how they move through space, how they change and in some cases, like ourselves, grow.

Understanding how this first line of movement gives “life” to Atoms and Moons provides us with the skills to identify yet unidentified relationships in other Forms in new and creative ways.

This IS Science.