[jahsonic.com] - [Next >>]

Canon

Related: classic - greatness - list - merit -

Varieties: postmodern canon - geek canon - Western canon

A canon is the result of the process of listmaking Defining the boundaries of the canon is endless. One of the notable attempts is to list the greatest books, movies, cds. Essentially a male thing. In 20th century popular the process can be observed in the film High Fidelity.

Mona Lisa (c. 1506-1507) - Leonardo da Vinci

The expressive synthesis that Leonardo achieved between sitter and landscape has placed this work in the canon of the most popular and most analyzed paintings of all time.

Definition

--http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon [Oct 2004]

In defense of a canon

Inspired by my recent purchase of John Carey's The Intellectuals and the Masses (1992) I have been thinking a lot about the nobrow concept. The nobrow states that all is relative and that notions of merit are personal judgments at best. Still, I think we need a canon in order to be able to teach. A curriculum cannot be chosen at random. We need shared experience and common knowledge. If we are not satisfied with the canon, we need to come up with a new one. To me that means including previously maligned "low" genres as well as including "high culture" with a critical approach such as the one of John Carey and other nobrow theorists. A canon which explores the boundaries, bridges and intersections of culture. To you that may mean something different. Whose canon will it be? [Jun 2006].

See also: culture war - John Carey - canon - education - nobrow

Meanwhile, at Amazon

your Amazon recommendations - Jahsonic - early adopter products

Managed Hosting by NG Communications