Andean Worldview and their belief in Essence over Appearance

The Andean worldview is a complex mixture of different societal norms that can be best categorized into four different areas: Collectivity, reciprocity, transformation and essence.  I find it interesting that the first area revolves around the concept of the good of the many outweighs the good of the few.  Not just interesting but contradictory as it seems that the Andean culture was highly segmented with the political and economic leaders and then everyone else beneath.  To me this is a typical means of social control over a large population where the notion of the individual must be destroyed in order to maintain order over chaos allowing the ruling elite to continue their leadership roles.  Looking at the concept of the collective nature of art this principle seems to remain true.   Artists did not extol their individuality on their artwork rather it was considered a part of the Andean culture where no one individual would take credit.  Although as the book points out styles were unique and certain pieces can be indentified to a particular style or person.

A second world view is the idea of reciprocity where in the Incan definition two opposites are interconnected and countered by each other.  In Andean art this is best depicted through the use of light and dark, where as they are on completely different sides of the visual spectrum, polar opposite, but they are connected as light cannot exist without dark.  I find this to be a perplexing view as even today's most talented physicists are struggling to make sense of this concept. 

Transformation is a universally held belief throughout the modern and past societies.  Most civilizations have recognized transformation through the human life cycle, growing seasons, the movement of celestial bodies and so forth.  In the Andean tradition the shaman played a critical role in the understanding of transformation. Shamans were the bridge between the real and the supernatural world.  Shamans would enter into trances leaving their human form and changing into the form of animals and supernatural beings.  Again the scientific community even has theories that may substantiate a belief the Andeans had, that of multiple dimensions which humans can travel to if the appropriate level of understanding is gained.

The concept of essence is a peculiar concept especially to western educated people.  I know that most of my educational upbringing was epitomized with gaining an outcome, a result rather than focusing on the process that brought you the result.   In the corporate world I was coached to focus more on the process in order to achieve the desired outcome primarily for economic reasons.  So what I find interesting in Andean tradition is their intense focus on the process while creating a piece of art rather than focusing on any particular outcome.  This infers incredible insight into the human psyche as the process of creating something will lead you to a conclusion naturally that is not premeditated.  As the book points out while working with metal the alloys will mold themselves.  Further those humans may not have been the primary audience for the art but the subconscious of humans or that of supernatural beings.

I find the concept of essence over appearance incredibly appealing and in my landscaping business I found myself sometimes not having a plan but a simple vision and allowing myself to “go with the flow” so to speak and let the process of creativity take its course.  Amazingly enough the jobs I took this approach on were successful in all regards and the homeowners amazed at the creativity.  I also find Pollock’s paintings and his use of essence over appearance phenomenal.  The use of fractal theory and the naturally geometric patterns that occur throughout nature are phenomenal.  The idea of organized chaos is an idea that is hard to wrap one’s head around especially as we have been taught to think of the world in concrete explainable format rather than that of a random chaotic mixing together of elements that created random creatures such as ourselves.