Posted by Tom Cole on January 24, 1999 at 20:42:57:
The questions posed are apparently very complex, perhaps more complex than a simple minded fellow like myself can handle. I once wrote that if one gets TOO intellectual regarding the subject of aesthetics, one loses sight of the forest for the trees. Such a general subject as this, and a very serious one too, I must add, is very difficult for me to add anything to and I would be foolish to pretend I can dictate or judge for others. I have always thought of our reactions to rugs and art as being a subjective response to visual stimuli. The first time I see a great rug, I have much more of a physical reaction to the art than an intellectually based one. Sorry I cannot add more.