inkbluesky

chichen itza maya ruin
Kind of a generic introduction, but great for a quick casual read, Maya architecture

As unique and spectacular as any Greek or Roman architecture, Maya architecture spans many thousands of years; yet, often the most dramatic and easily recognizable as Maya are the fantastic stepped pyramids from the Terminal Pre-classic period and beyond. Being based on the general Mesoamerican architectural traditions these pyramids relied on intricate carved stone in order to create a stair-step design. Each pyramid was dedicated to a deity whose shrine sat at its peak. During this “height” of Maya culture, the centers of their religious, commercial and bureaucratic power grew into incredible cities, including Chichen Itza, Tikal, and Uxmal. Through observation of the numerous consistent elements and stylistic distinctions, remnants of Maya architecture have become an important key to understanding the evolution of their ancient civilization.

From a modern day perspective from someone that appreciates a comfy sofa and a chair with back support, I look at this photo and think how amazing and uncomfortable. It is not just that building techniques and materials have changed since the Maya built this pyramid in the Yucatan somewhere between  514 A.D. and 1194 ( early in the period rather then later). The idea that structures were built without much regard for physical comfort is amazing. The limestone had to be quarreled by hand and took massive amounts of manpower to erect these giant cuts of stone into place. Not so they could lounge around in them and relax afterward or even conduct business in a proficient manner. No it was all done for their leaders and their deities. Other then the refrigerator and the oven the most under appreciated aspect of modern culture and design, is the cushion. It must have been a masochistic culture. At the end of a long hard day you got to stretch out on a hard slab. Sure there is a lot of scholarly intelligent theories as to why maya civilization vanished, but I think life without a cushioned chairs and sofas was  probably the last straw.

Why does the act of performance mean so much to us? Almost everyone reading this cannot imagine life without TV, radio, or movie theaters. We all grew up watching people. Performance Is The Thing  

Romantic aestheticians would have it that art, and by extension, performance, is a heightening of the common human activity of expressing emotions to the point where they are experienced and rendered lucid to the performer and audience in a way that is rarely seen in everyday life. Performance in its ideal expression can even give you creative license to transform what you think is possible. Here I am brought to mind of Martin Luther King. Anybody can have a radical message, but how did King disseminate his message of non-violence and racial equality in such a way that his achievements represent a powerful paradigm shift in the way any self-respecting society views itself? King was a pastor, an orator, an eloquent public speaker. In essence he was a performer; but as a performer he was a visionary who became the living embodiment of his dream. This is what makes him a great performer. A great performer such as King opens the windows of human desire and ultimately shapes attitudes and insights that change cultures.