He envisioned and inspired this: The world's first ARCOLOGY
located halfway between Phownix and Flagstaff, Arizona.
We decide to go see the place. Kathy dresses brightly in one of her many flashy gowns.
CB takes a load of us from the 1st BAND OF BOONDOCKERS.
We have dinner in their cafeteria.
Look at their exhibits--watch a film--then make an amazing discovery.
Here's one of our own: Eva. Years ago she modeled for Paolo and there she is in a book of his drawings. She has a titilating story to tell about that session. Will add it at the end of this post.
Kathy, Barb and Jo (to remember the moment)
RANDY SUMMARIZES PAOLO'S PHILOSOPHY.
1. Civilization began when humanity began to live close together behind defensive city walls.
Density increases contact, communication, exchange of ideas, skills, products and invention.
2. A great evil of our age is URBAN SPRAWL. It is wasteful of resources--separates us--ruins the natural environment, creates an insulating CAR CULTURE.
3. We can save our environment by living densly again in beautiful, connection-stimulating ARCOLOGIES (architecture/ecology). Think Beehive cities of about 5000 people.
Here's a fair article from the NY Times about the current state of the experiment.
EVA'S TITILATING STORY: While visiting Arcosanti some years ago--Solari was in residence and doing charcoal drawings of (beautiful) women. A posted notice asked for models. Eva volunteered and sat for him. (nude) In mid session he asked her in his charming Italian accent: May I "keese your neeple? She said no!
10 comments:
It begs the question, if these close knit, dense communities are the "ideal" then why have so many people chosen to reject them and live in suburbs, country and mountains?
It is a very easy answer.
It's a great question ED. I think the answer is that people have not found the right pattern of association. Humanity fumbled around with feudalism for ages till our founding fathers invented the constitution.
The average enculturated person is too timid to try a new thing---have no idea of the joys of synergistic bloom.
It is the oddest place. I think I put my finger on why I found it to be a depressing environment. Besides being shabby and run down the people who reside there are simultaneously trapped in the 1970's and focused on a future that will never come to fruition. Not being present and in the moment is most unnerving.
That aside, perhaps people reject the idea of dense coexistence because we tend to soak up the energy that surrounds us, good and bad. While that may be beneficial and inspiring at times (synergistic bloom), it can also be overwhelming and deplete ones' energy. Hence the frequent need to vacate. I personally need a balance to flourish.
Well said Kat, at times I crave to be around the "right" kind of people and at other times prefer solitude. I don't enjoy crowds at all; the venue doesn't matter as it brings out the worst in people.
Randy, I believe people found the right pattern long ago in groups of around 25 individuals; I'm talking early modern humans. 25 is the right size to maintain social harmony as it is not so big as to lead to conflicting factions within the small group; everyone knew everyone else and this leads to no/less quarrels, it left no ecological impact on the surrounding environment, it was a good size to manage and move with ease, it was easier to feed because the harvesting of a large animal could be broken down with ease and consumed with no waste. Cities and large towns are the OPPOSITE of all these positive aspects of a small group size; man has been living out of his true social nature for a long time.
I am suggesting your lifestyle with the various groups mimics the true harmonious, peaceful nature of humans. I guess I am saying you're caveman Randy. LOL
Thank you Sooper for your insight. I tend to agree that 25 might be the optimum size, though I'm just guessing. What interest me most is the culture that evolves within that group. Particularly, whether a synergistic bloom (a flowering of creativity and harmony) can be consciously generated by intelligent, sensitive, polished individuals. I am a big believer in FEEDBACK LOOPS where a good thing--of any kind--stimulates another good thing---and so forth.
(they work for evil as well as good)
I remain skeptical about your experiment. But I do wish you success.
So far it sounds too much like stardust and moonbeams, or like the ranch-commune in the movie, "Billy Jack."
"Synergistic blooming"? Sounds nice, but what does it actually mean? I would be impressed by it if it meant somebody solving some long-term or serious problem that they have always had, by drawing on the ideas or behaviors of other people in the tribe.
But if it just means carving wooden flutes, writing a song (..."If I had a hammer"...), dancing nude in the forest during full moons, and other hippie dippie crap from 1969, then the experiment will have missed its opportunity.
I am not sure that Solari's ideas are holding up. The Internet is giving the density of culture that once required us to live closer together. Small urban centers of a lesser scale seems to be what people want rather than living in giant warrens. Soon robotic cars will leapfrog past mass transit lines and allow us to live in environments not dominated with too many privately owned automobiles. Walk or ride a bike to the nearby urban center, take a robotic car to slightly further places or to transit centers. I live in a condo now and like it but I miss puttering around in my yard creating my own version of a green space.
A bunch of people living all together, or in the near by surroundings ? you must be kidding, an introvert would live in a constant anxiety situation( with is very debilitating ), NOOOO thanks, I pass, this sort of living arrangements is NO FOR ME !!
Max: I think you may be right---we are finding community electronically. A question I am pondering is whether the multisensory contact of face to face contact is soooo good that there is no substitute. Myself and my current companions say it is---but they agree that urban clusters that you mentioned serve well. One just came from a Minniappolis high rise that may well be close to what Solari envisioned.
Incidentally, for the past week I've been surrounded by a hundred mobile people in the forest of Flagstaff and the connection and contact that Solari praises was in effect. It was an amazing, fertile, richness of interaction.
When the Oceans begin to swallow the coastal cities, and the refugees scatter, maybe places like Arcosanti will "bloom". It is a step up from Mad Max social relations, after all.
I've always been impressed with the Pueblo Indians ability to absorb and release moving populations, peacefully. They lived right around there and were a pre-modern people, not over stimulated by information like we are. It takes some solitude to meet and greet, then go on to be on your own. To be content with a "sufficiency", not falling into constant entertainments, and distractions.
Finally people will find a place, or situation where they are happy, coming into the "present" enough to know what they like, and who they are. Looking up at the sky in the great South West can be quite an experience...something you Boon dockers are well aware of.
Bushman
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