View from the Archimedean Point

View from the Archimedean Point attempts to develop a method of reading art which draws on the theories of vision initiated by ancient Greek philosopher Archimedes and developed by Hannah Arendt in The Human Condition . Archimedes speculated that if he could find solid ground on which to stand and a long lever that he could shift the Earth. From this place he would also have a view of totality removed and distinguishable from the view allowed by his regular human capacities. Arendt developed this idea in relation to Descartes and the modern viewpoint which is assisted by technology. Here I attempt to outline the ways that artistic practice is connected to the human condition and how art has been affected by the many advancements in technology in both a practical and abstract sense. Digital tools may be useful but they can also radically affect values systems related to economic but also social and cultural value. By outlining some of the mechanisms which allow these shifts to occur and showing how images and ideas have functioned as Archimedean points in the past, I hope that it will give a basis for the model of using the Archimedean point as a tool for reading and thinking about art, which are then presented in applied examples from my own work in the appendices. My study consists of three parts, a set of instructions for activating the Archimedean point, a collection of free texts and descriptions of my working practice and this essay which attempts to give a more structured overview of this concept and the ideas it presents