What´s This? - Virtual Brainstorming

What´s This ? or Virtual Brainstorming
An Approach to the Collective Peek Beyond... ______________ By P.i.x.l.F.u.x.a ______________

Et quid amabo nisi quod ænigma est?
- GIORGIO DE CHIRICO

Introduction
Although cognitive methods have always been looked at with some suspicion by the surrealist community – to put it cautiously – that does not mean they are unfit to yield surreal results under all circumstances. In his `What Is Surrealism´, ANDRE BRETON wrote about DALI´S paranoiac-critical method in terms of a decisive step towards the unification of the personality. And such a unification, aiming at an integrated self and at an integrative society, can neither exclude rational nor irrational, neither conscious nor unconscious aspects of the whole. And it was very clear to the early surrealists that, as soon as painting – or any other process of image creation – is concerned, cognitive capabilities cannot be left out or ignored.
This in mind, and struggling with the usual obstacles in the pathway of the images within on their way out – into the objective world – I decided to bring in something proven and at the same time almost new in the field of Art: Brainstorming.
It has repeatedly been proven a valid means of the surrealist approach, to acquire tried and tested methods, and to absorb and assimilate them as required. FREUD´S Psychoanalysis being the first example – now an integral and indispensable part within the surrealist canon of choice procedures.
But demands change as times change. If you want to learn about yourself, learn about the world that surrounds you and which is therefore part of what you have become. This means, a basically introverted individual - like me and many others sharing some inclination towards the Metaphysical - should reach out every now and then, to let something in, which can be useful, inspiring, comforting, astounding or just – a new aspect.
The method I actually chose, of which I only gave a first and preliminary approximation when I used the term Brainstorming, does not resemble most of the ideas about the kind of procedures involved here, which include such peculiar images as that of a wildly gesticulating bunch of ferociously shouting under-assistant managers. One can hardly achieve valid results in our field – let alone bring forth Art – with that sort of exercise. I also wanted to go one step beyond conventional approaches like staring obstinately at unplastered walls – which I gave lengthy credits when I ignorantly performed them on a daily base during my childhood and some time after.
So I tried to find a good level of balancing somewhere between introspection and external input. This led me inevitably to the development of Virtual Brainstorming, now being an integral component of my approach to Metaphysical Realism.

What Is Virtual Brainstorming?
Virtual Brainstorming is a method to gather collective input on virtual, surreal, or metaphysical topics, as an aid in the creative process, with the objective to introduce multiple views or perspectives to the creation of Art. Such a variety of perspectives was hitherto restricted to post-productive stages, namely to the presentation, perception, and critique of published or exhibited works. How can that restriction be overcome? The answer lies in sending out a stimulus of some – appropriate – sort, prior to the creation of the final work, in order to receive a response, which may have the potential to enhance its expressive validity.
The term `virtual´ does not necessarily imply any technical means, such as e-mail or the internet, which I utilize, but not idolize. It does, however, imply that the flow of information, or the channels thereof, may – but also need not – be virtual, or beyond contacts in persona.Therefore, as opposed to conventional brainstorming, the gathering of the attendants is a gathering around an idea, a challenge, or just an image, not around a table.
As my primary interest in Surrealism and the The Metaphysical is based upon a visual approach to the subject, and as my involvement is not in any conventional branch of painting, drawing or sculpting whatsoever, I had to utilize the means at hand – the so-called `3D-modelling´ and `raytracing´. Now widely accepted as techniques for the film and advertisement industries, they are not generally considered valid tools for the Fine Arts. This assessment is, however, due to change in times to come.
The process involves using computers in the design and virtual realization of three-dimensional objects (virtual sculpting), arranging them in virtual space, and equipping them with a set of attributes (surface colours, structures, grades of reflectiveness, transparency and so forth), necessary to turn them into valid members of the Virtual Reality. Although the process as such is beyond doubt a highly cognitive one, it is nevertheless capable of transforming originally vague ideas or even transient moods into well-defined images of stunning, trans-realistic quality. I came up with the following:

Figure 1: "What´s This" - The Primary Stimulus
For reasons beyond the scope of this article I decided to name the object – for the moment – `Hindustani Hang-Glider´. Both, the image of that object (see above) and the working title, together with some accompanying explanatory lines, formed the set of stimuli I introduced to the almost arbitrary group of people I was – and still am – in contact with, anyway. The e-mail I sent out essentially just asked: What´s This? - and proposed to provide an opinion.
Since most of the mentioned contacts, though not all, where in some context of the so-called 3D-Art outlined before, I could reasonably expect at least some response.
And I got response. In fact I got replies by more than half of the originally addressed two dozens within only ten days – in the main holiday season. The experiment was in full progress before I even realized it. Now it was my turn again.
As soon as I received a contribution, I sent back the collection of replies received so far. Potential contestants should not be influenced prior to submitting their own, genuine ideas. I also distributed regular updates with the most recent opinions to all participants occasionally. From their point of view, this allowed for added information, amusement, and eventually – in case someone felt like it – for Virtual Brainstorming exercises of their own.
In these regular updates I see my obligatory minimum return service to achieve some degree of mutual benefit, not merely a one-sided exploitation of those who are kind enough to invest their spare time and efforts in another person´s weird ideas. Of course I also observed (and propose) generally accepted rules of privacy politics, mentioning only the participants´ first names. Needless to say - I follow these rules here, too.
Here are some⁽¹⁾ of the submissions – presented in alphabetical order:

Andre:
difficult.....
what puzzles me in the moment is the handle at the center of the triangle, which, provided the appropriate size of the object, only allows for holding the thing parallel to the body...
that can´t be it.
assuming the object is smaller, let us say about 12 inches total length, the whole device could as well be a metaphysical iron...
to glide down slopes one would need a pair of feet turned inwards 90 degrees, to fully enjoy the comfort of the shock absorbers, so i reckon it isn´t designed to be used by one person (or several persons); no - the thing has to be autonomous one or the other way...
you have started a complex thought-process with this....
.... here are my latest thoughts ....
I think it is an object of an ancient egyptian cult. The wooden triangular frame symbolizes it´s divinity. The handle at the center of this frame allowed a high priest to raise it high above the heads of the gathered believers.
The shining ball at the top of the arrangement symbolizes Horus eye.
At last, the gliding plane makes it easily transportable in the deserts...
....very strange indeed!

Claude:
As for your hindustani hang glider, here´s my interpretation:
I believe it´s a machine used by ornithologists who travel to high mountainous regions in search of the rare eggs of exotic birds. They place the eggs in the top, V-shaped part of the machine and send it down the mountain. The springs mounted on the ski-shaped base act as shock absorbers to prevent the eggs from breaking. What other possible purpose could this object have?

Colleen:
Is it some kind of divining rod? Or more of a compass? A combination of the two. It´s called a ´Divine-Ass´. No, I´m kidding.
But seriously ...
It IS a divining rod ... of some sort. One would place the object on the ground (on its base) and take a few steps back. The whole top section (the triangle with the ´legs´ on top, plus the ´ball´ on top, which powers the device, will sway (on the springs) if the object that is being searched for is near by. (I haven´t decided what it detects yet ... not water ... too plain.) If it sways side-to-side (the flat part being the side), the object is very close. If it sways back and forth, the object is further away, or in a small quantity. It is called (for now) a Whatjamacallit Eliciter. I may develop further scientific analysis as revelations continue to unfold. :)

Dirk:
I thought hard about the "hindustani hang glider" but i must admit that no other title came out (at least nothing i was satisfied with). I focused my looks mostly to the glass egg which seems to contain some underwater planting and its wooden holder, so the skiing-board-like thing seemed not so important. the marble egg reminded me of a sf-story named "the angel´s egg" - it looks somehow extraterrestial or even supernatural to me. And i have the strong impression the wooden triangular "holder" could have been on a roof top. Or maybe that egg contains something dangerous and must be exposed to the light and open to stay harmless. But the background is black, so it is in a dark room. obviously the holder is very old (not to say ancient) and has been exposed to the weather. *shrug* well, exactly in this case i have absolutely no clear idea(s) about it.

Günther:
Thyratrograph
Prototype -to date believed lost- of a measuring device to register rectified relaxation oscillations, caused by overdosed quantum-currents.
The Ombro-Gel capsule, as soon as inserted in the draining-bifurcation, reacts intensely morphological.
Easily visible - the enhancement of the device. Formerly occurring measuring flaws could be traced back to the Astragal amplification, caused by the symmetrically arranged stabilizing angles. since an invar-steel oscillation-invasion absorber has been introduced, rectified relaxation oscillations could finally clearly be indicated.

Lisa:
Well, I showed your image to a couple of co-workers (I am too tied to the earth for the metaphysical) and this is what they came up with:
"God´s Catapult" - during the formation of the heavens, God used this catapult to launch the planets and stars.
(Submitted by Jim.)
"Sea of Life Container" - a holder for the encapsulated sea of life from which all creatures, great and small, emerged.
(Submitted by Peter).
"Brain Crusher" - an instrument used during the Spanish Inquisition to crush the brains of infidels.
(Submitted by Carlos (I am worried about Carlos)).
"Pinball Extractor" - used to extract balls that become stuck in pinball machines.
(Submitted by Peter).
When I look at the image I see a very early prototype of a ski used by people who have lost their legs in accidents. The ball is filled with gelatine and serves to cushion the arm. (And now you know why there are no metaphysical images on my web site - lack of imagination).

Moni:
1. Plasma-sledging
The Zorp People, which by the way also invented how to "beat about the bush", organized the traditional "Plasma-sledging" every springtime.
The aim of this tradition was to thereby prepare the soil for its upcoming fertility.
The sledge as such was a rather primitive construction, which in spite of this fulfilled its very purpose quite outstandingly.
On an approx. 1 meter long, wooden ski -with its front bent upwards- a wooden triangle was mounted on two steel springs, kept together by roughly forged wrought iron angles.
At the rear edge of the triangle a metal spring brought forth that typical Zorping sound during the tremendously fast ride down the valley.
A special feature of plasma-sledging is the plasma-pliers, almost seamlessly worked into the top of the triangle. They can be precisely adjusted to fit, according to the plasma-ball´s size, by pulling or pushing them.
But now for a description of the course of plasma-sledging:
The ritual was meant to inseminate an unprepared field with seedlings, which were embedded in plasma-balls, early in springtime. These balls were manufactured by the High Zorp under the utmost secrecy - therefore no knowledge about it has survived. The field had to be freshly ploughed, and the slopes still sufficiently covered with snow; the High Zorp placed one plasma-ball on each peasant´s sledge, and the peasant immediately rode down the valley - lightning-fast and with sufficient zorping.
Having reached the field, the rider stopped abruptly, swung the sledge round and let the plasma-ball burst with a determined hit on the handle!
Still enclosed in protecting plasma-jelly, most of the seedlings took root soon and nourish the peasant and his family - or they don´t.

2. The second version is simpler: The Wheel
When God still was a dumb little boy, He fiddled around with some junk, which was left over from the last world´s end.
Originally He did that without any intent, but when He looked at his creation, He liked it a lot, and He decided to call it "wheel".
While He was still thinking about what His work might be useful for, a sphere of primordial soup (another leftover from the end of the world) landed exactly on top of the construction and spoiled the overall impression of the whole.
God, being a rather spoilt brat at that time, threw away the wheel into the ether and -after some failed attempts- created the universe.
The wheel continued to wander about through cold space for quite some time, landed down on earth one day, and carried life down to it.

Rosemary:
After lengthy consultation with numerous historians, I have come to the conclusion that your object is the only surviving model of the Luygendorph-Lisbon Device. Dr. Emmanuel Gustavo Luygendorph, (b. 1703, d.1755), of mixed Portugese/Dutch descent, was interested in the transmission of vibrations through materials. After extensive studies of sound and movement, (and a traumatic experience at an Italian volcano site), he began a focused study of earthquakes. Hoping to be able to predict tectonic movements, he created an instrument which would amplify minor movements to a measurable level. In letters to his colleagues, he described a wood and metal device which resembles what you have acquired. He claimed varied amounts of success, telling of ´mouse footsteps which caused a table to shake´ and ´a feather stroke which shattered a bottle´. His correspondents were sceptical, to say the least.
Unfortunately, all working notes and models were thought to have been destroyed, along with Dr. Luygendorph, in the Great Lisbon Earthquake, November 1, 1755.

Sigrid:
Thanks ...
... for the first sketch of the gable roof for my dream resort home by the sea.
The best of it is the versatile sphere in the bifurcation on top.
If not used as a sundial in the summer (difficult metal calculations on the warped body), it can easily be utilized for christmas-tree decoration in the winter - or the kids can use it as a globe.
Besides - the laths are not timber, but a special compound made of styrofoam (light) and plastic (sturdy), which is especially durable to withstand the sea storms.
Therefore the name starts with "Stypla..". The springs underneath the triangle let the roof sway slightly with heavy winds.
This kind of roofs is a total novelty and catches a lot of attention.
So the new Stypla Roof with integrated radiating luminous globe it is.
The illumination is important in case the nearby lighthouse fails. The sailors have a replacement light for orientation then.
The luminary power is, by the way, pure solar energy, charged by a set of solar cells mounted on the southern part of the roof.

Tony:
I think what you have is by far the best example yet found, of the late Viking cross-country seismometer, used for giving warnings of impending earth tremors, and avalanches.. I have enclosed a sketch found on a bark roll, during excavations of Viking settlements near Dublin.
To this day, no-one seems to have come up with a description of how these instruments were used, nor has anyone yet thought of a rational explanation for the handle hanging in the main triangle.
You are certainly in a unique position to shed some light on these matters.
My house-mate thinks it´s a snow-boarding trophy.

Ylva:
I´d like to rename the ´Hindustani Hang-Glider´ to ´Alpine Warmupunch´, because its possible purpose could be the following:
Provided, you want to install couriers in the High Alps or other mountains, which are snow-covered most of the time. The couriers would bring extracts of account and other bank-related information to people, who live there in seclusion from the world in solitary cottages without internet-access, on skis.
These couriers would then mount the ´Alpine Warmupunch´ right in the front of the ski and, on demand and as a special service to the customer, put the extract in the Warmupunch and punch it.
The tip pointing to the base, pulled down, would hold the extract so that it cannot be blown away. When the Warmupunch is pushed down, the steel tips inside the springs create the desired punch-holes.
The ball´s function could be to contain special deep sea algae, which are capable of accumulating solar energy. By pressing the wooden ends holding the ball, they get an activation impulse, so that they release warmth. The courier can then warm-up his hands or prepare a soup.
The remote mountaineers would most certainly welcome such a courier, and the courier would definitely enjoy such an ´Alpine Warmupunch´ - especially because of its second function.

Reflections
So what is this all good for? First of all it has reportedly been a lot of fun for most of the participating individuals, which alone would be reason enough to launch such an appeal from time to time – and I will certainly do so. But as welcome as this may be, and no matter how much the idea was appreciated – which it was – did it yield any of the desired results?
There are no doubts about such achievements as far as I am concerned. Apart from solidating the insight that obviously females are often more gifted with some wound up kind of fantasy, which I also thrive on in my work, a whole set of new aspects of the pre-fabricated object and various ideas derived thereof have been presented to me. Some of those ideas where common to some (or most of) the submissions, whereas others established mere solitary points of view.
Common or repeatedly submitted ideas
(from the obvious and visible to the merely associative) :
Ball / sphere / egg / capsule
Triangle
Handle being unhandy
Legs
Gelatine / jelly
Deep sea algae / underwater plantlife
Encapsulated something / containing something
Solar power (accumulator)
Roof top
Protection
Soup (Primordial / prepare)
Shock absorber
Seismometer / detector / measuring device / divining rod / compass
Vibration amplifier / oscillation rectifier
Ski / sledge / snow
Mountains / Alpine / ~ regions
Riding down the valley
God

Solitary or isolated ideas
(from the fantastical to the absurd) :
Snow-boarding trophy
Brain crusher / Spanish Inquisition
Catapult
Pinball Extractor
Puncher
Heater
Asymmetrical
Quantum currents
Plasma sledging / balls / pliers
Seedlings / ploughing
Wheel (sic!)
Ornithologists
Avalanche
Dangerous / harmless
Thought power
Ancient Egyptian cult / Horus
Internet access (lack of)

Omissions :
Hindustani (!)

Conclusions
I tried to present only notions which are taken from the submissions quoted above. The section I put them into, however, has been influenced by other submissions as well.
Very interesting indeed is the complete omission of the stimulus `Hindustani´ in all replies without a single exception. This does, of course, not in the least mean it had no impact. I am quite sure, it had. It is only form and nature of its influence which may not be obvious. In fact I presume it was exactly this very subliminal influence that acted as `prima causa´ to launch many of the ideas I enumerated under solitary and isolated. And this was the role it was intended to play right from the start.
From the whole body of given input, I deduce that the rational and the irrational must both be fed in order to stimulate a creative process of the desired quality. The rational acts as the common denominator, leading to recognizable shape and repetitive patterns – hence a communicable form.
There was nothing `Hindustani´ in the picture provided, nor can most people associate anything but the vaguely remote and spiritual with that term – nevertheless the irrational aspect commonly associated does seed the genuine fantasy-engine, which is an important feature of us all. Bridging the rational and the irrational, these two pillars of our mind, which are somewhat separated by perhaps a million years of evolution, might very well reveal substantial insights into the very mechanism of inspiration and creativity.

Transforming
Every normal human being .. has an inexhaustible store of buried images in his subconscious,
it is merely a matter of .. liberating procedures .. to bring pure and unadulterated .. objects to light.
- MAX ERNST

Figure 2: "Rural & Urban Life" - An Intermediate Offspring
The final task to perform is to derive the very essence of all the input, transforming, transsubstiantiating it to a system of floating, loosely intertwined yet free and soluble imaginations. Which leads us to

The Technique
All of the abovementioned is a mere rationalization of the creative processes involved in exercising `Virtual Brainstorming´. The following is a short description of the mental actions apt to condense it for output. Being no more than a set of provisional guidelines, it may almost be used as – and is therefore presented in form of – a recipe for cooking surreal, metaphysical dishes:

Prepare a true and faithful list of the input you have received. It does not matter at this stage what you like consciously and what you don´t, so do not leave out anything, as that would injure the `corpus idearum´.

Take the list and imagine every description you find there in vivid pictures. Add no further personal interpretations whatsoever, as that would disturb the autonomy of the ideas, which is a mandatory requirement to later breathe life into them to become independant, individual entities.

Memorize all the images, one at a time, to be able to recall them as needed, thus creating an internalized `corpus idearum´.

In a comfortable position, which should not too easily lead to slumber, recall all the images, again one at a time and completely in the precise order you received them originally. Do not, however, just recite the texts you were provided with. Use the images you have created out of them.

This was the preparation. It may take some days to work it out so far. Half an hour per day is absolutely sufficient – maybe even fifteen minutes would do sometimes. A comfortable position, as pointed out above, is a necessary requirement for the following – final – steps as well.

Visualize one image per session. Put some effort into it to get it as crisp and clear as you possibly can manage. Meticulously examine every detail. Then, all of a sudden, release all strain and relax. Watch. This is a very vital step. Do not try to memorize what you experience – just watch. You have this instant created a new, virtual lifeform of pure psychic nature.

Having breathed life into the images one by one, now is the time to complete the transformation. Visualize all the images, first in their original sequence (once), then again and again arbitrarily, as they may appear by preference or whatever cause. Stroll around between them, chase them and let them chase each other. Accelerate the exchange of the images with some (still comfortable) effort – do not let your imagination rest on any of them for more than a short moment. Very suddenly, as shown before, release all strain and relax. Watch! The most captivating images conceivable will appear right before your inner eye.

What you experience is an induced – not to say forced – response to assimilated, formerly external stimuli, and it shall be free of many constraints typical for the more conventional stages of consciousness. Whatever the artform you devote yourself to, a successful performance of Virtual Brainstorming will inevitably unleash the potential to produce Art somewhat beyond the limits of your purely personal scope. Virtual Brainstorming can therefore be considered as an exercise that probes deeply into the mind of the imaginary imagery traveller – a valid tool in complete concordance with the classical canon of surreal and metaphysical methods. It proves to be fully comparable with DALI´S Paranoiac-critical Method, but is transcending the boundaries of the isolated self not merely by releasing general collective subconscious contents, but by the amalgamation of distinct, even disparate multiple source input. We can also see it as a mechanism, miraculously demonstrating the mind´s potential of breathing in ideas.
Realization is, however, still entirely up to the performing candidate...

In principio erat ænigma, et ænigma erat gaudium,
in quo et per quod pictor creavit opera metaphysica.

Remarks:
⁽¹⁾ The submissions in their entirety can be found here. Among the contestants, by the way, where students, scientists, homemakers, computer engineers, an industrialist, and many different ages ranging from the 12-year-old schoolgirl to the retiree.
Disclaimer:
Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for the contents of the third party contributions quoted herein. These are solely reproduced for the sake of improved completeness and factual fidelity. They do not necessarily represent the editor´s opinions, beliefs or any absence thereof.

© 1999 by P.i.x.l.F.u.x.a