Making Meaning - October 2013
Recent travels - one to China's Central Asia and another within walking distance to the Nathalie Miebach exhibit at the Craft and Folk Art Museum - remind me that human notation systems are amazing, complex, and varied. But also unintelligible unless we comprehend the assigned meaning and can unlock the content contained within....
Mandarin and Uygur signage in China were a complete mystery to us, as were many of the English translations.
The musical notation we encountered in China's Central Asia was different as well.
Closer to home at the CAFAM exhibit, Nathalie Miebach creates her personal version of a musical score. She encourages musicians to "read" her notations and play what they see.
Weavers have notation systems too. I can "see" a cloth construction when "reading" a weave draft - it must look completely mysterious to a non-weaver. Knitters have a written language they follow too - PSSO anyone?
