Incommunicado – Close Encounters of the Coincidental Kind
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & Arrival Stovon Reece
Post Details
::ON::
Despite is useful degree in journalism, when asked what he does for a living, Ai'lani's first instincts would be to say he was an artist. Which was where his passion laid. Even with his journalism work, he'd always leaned more towards photojournalism and portraying the world through an artistic eye rather than an analytical one, which was always what kept him from truly succeeding. While some thought his portrayals of the world seemed edgy, most thought them unprofessional.
Luckily, Ai'lani prided himself on being able to provide for his son despite his erratic artistic endeavors. Of course, this came at the cost of not spending as much time with the boy as he'd like, but Dominic understood.
Early in the morning the Deltan found himself lounging in the Arboretum, sitting cross legged on on of the benches with a sketchpad in his lap and a cup of coffee resting on the grass under him. He sat with his head leaned back against the back of the bench, staring up and "basking" in what remained of the artificial sunlight.
A shadow moved between him and the light. A tall, thin figure looked down at him. "I have to say, social realism has its place in the art world, but it's never been to my taste."
"Oh I don't know. I've always found it rather fascinating. But that could be just my own experiences speaking," Ai'lani replied, looking away from the 'sunlight' to meet the stranger's eyes.
Grey eyes looked down at him over a slightly wrinkled nose. "I've always found that the more Expressionist and Romantic styles have more impact. Though, the Klingons tend to meld the more viseral styles and Realism on a level that is impressive. When the subject is eating the hearts of your enemies, it's hard not to make an impact."
Ai'lani laughed, dimples indenting his cheeks as he did. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He nodded. "I've never really understood the Klingons. Then again, I've never met a Klingon who understood Deltans, so I suppose our two cultures will have to agree to disagree on such subjective matters as art." That said, the Deltan folded his legs under him on the bench, motioning to the empty space by his side. "Would you like to join me? I'm afraid I'm not doing anything very exciting. I've had a bit of a long night. Or, morning, considering I'd been out all night."
"Well, as long as I'm not keeping you from any needed sleep." He sat down, tucking one leg underneath him. "I didn't realize there was another artist on the station. That makes things instantly more interesting. I'm Stovon Reece. And you are?"
"Ai'lani Elley. And yes, I've been settled here for a little over a month now. As someone who doesn't have a taste for social realism, I'm afraid you may find Deep Space 5 rather lacking in inspiration. There seems to be nothing but social realism around here. Everyone seems to be constantly at each other's throats."
"Inspiration can come from anywhere. The trick is to not confuse what is with what could be. Capturing a moment is important, but sometimes you need to capture the essence separate from the moment."
Ai'lani smiled warmly at him. "You're right." He nodded, shifting slightly in his seat. "I guess I'm a little surprised. It's been a while since I've spoken to someone more artistic. All of my friends are more the logical, practical types."
"Logic has its place. Even in art." Stovon shrugged. "You have to respect someone who can take an ordinary object, like a bowl, and make it into a thing of beauty. But it can't be limited to that. It can't be limited to any one thing. Otherwise, it's not art. It's just craft and decoration."
"And who is to say that decoration and craft can't be considered an art?" Ai'lani returned. "I think anything can be considered a form of art, if it's done with love and passion."
"Nonsense. If anything is art, than art becomes meaningless. Art is intended to communicate something. Something beyond the literal. Without that intent, it's not art." Stovon waved one hand in the air for emphasis.
"I disagree. I believe art is primarily about expression. If you communicate something, then that's excellent, but there's no set standard on what communicating with art means. It's subjective. What communicates to you doesn't to me. Klingon art is far too violent to ever speak to me as a Deltan, but that doesn't mean it's any less artistic than other forms that do." Ai'lani sighed, leaning back against the bench once more. "I don't know. Perhaps I'm too idealistic and intent on seeing the beauty in everything and everyone. It comes with knowing what everyone around you is feeling. What emotions drive them to do things. The way their feelings weave themselves through their body and mind until finally taking shape in altering the outside world is an incredibly beautiful thing to see."
"Somewhere an art teacher is horrified, and doesn't know why. A man who wears a blue shirt because he thinks it looks good on him is not an artist." His voice took on a tone of scorn. "Just because you miss the message doesn't do away with the intent behind it, just like an illilterate child doesn't negate the reality of written language."
"I'm sorry, but isn't that exactly what I said when I said that just because something doesn't communicate with me doesn't mean it isn't art? And I never said that a man who thinks a piece of clothing looks good on him is an artist. My touching on the topic of people expressing their emotions was a side note to show why my views might be difficult to understand. And if an artist expresses themselves purely for the sake of their own satisfaction with no intent of communicating anything to those around him, that doesn't mean that the art won't communicate." Ai'lani easily picked up on the tone in Stovon's voice, feeling the light prickles of distress running up his arms. He'd never liked conflict, and with the inhibitor running through his blood stream, he couldn't quite grasp a way to mollify the man in sitting by his side.
"No, you said there doesn't need to be an intent. As for the idea of expressing oneself for oneself, what is being expressed? If there is nothing to communicate, then what possible result can be achieved? At the barest minimum, you communicate the idea that 'this is worth looking at,' do you not?"
"No," Ai'lani replied with a slight shake of his head. "Because the idea of artistic expression being nothing but doing things with the hopes of someone else seeing something in it is attention seeking, and art is not about seeking attention from others. You express yourself, and then, after you have expressed yourself, comes the possibility of your expression communicating to others."
"How positively... romantic. And I'm not referring to the Terran art movement here. I begin to suspect that you never trained as an artist. Tell me. This self-expression for its own pleasure, what does it look like? Give me an example."
"Fine. Kafka. He wrote purely for self expression, dark as it was. He burned most of his work and when he died, his last wish was for his unpublished work to be burned, unread," Ai'lani replied after a few seconds of thought. "And no, I don't have a degree in anything art related. Studied it for a few years before having to switch studies."
"Huh. I guess I'll have to give you that one. I tend to forget writing when I'm thinking of art. A bias on my own part, I admit. I guess when it comes to expression for its own sake, I don't see the point. Rather like shouting in space, isn't it?"
"I suppose you're right. Of course, I've actually screamed my head off knowing no one could hear me once. It's very liberating." Ai'lani smiled.
"Except that if you're in space, screaming is likely to be rapidly followed by a rather unpleasant death. Which I supposed could also be liberating. In a way. If you don't mind, I think I'll skip that."
"Me too. You only die once, so it should probably be saved for later," Ai'lani commented. "So, when you're not creating art or discussing it, what are you going to do on DS5?"
Stovon blinked. "Making art and discussing it is what I do. Professionally, I mean. There's eating and sleeping and those other dull necessities, but once you take away the art, there's not much left."
"And what about when you're not being 'professional'?" Ai'lani asked, his tone bordering on light flirtation as he smiled at Stovon. "Surely you can't force yourself to make art, and not everyone will want to discuss it."
Stovon raised one eyebrow. "Anyone who can't discuss art probably doesn't have much of interest to say. But, yes, I do take the time to not be 'professional' as you put. But even that is part of the artistic process, isn't it? You can't create a reflection of life if you don't first live it."
"You're very good at not answering a question about what you like to do for fun that isn't your work," Ai'lani observed with an amused smile. Truth be told, he was slightly annoyed as well. He'd always enjoyed complete honesty and didn't enjoy people who beat around the bush instead of answering a question.
Stovon leaned by and closed his eyes, enjoying the Arboretum's light on his face. "You assume that my work and my life are separate. My ex accused me once of being rather obsessive, and I can't say he's wrong. But, to answer your question, when I'm not actively working on a project, I enjoy good drinks, good company, the occasional bit of poetry, and, at least when planetside, the outdoors."
"Yeah, I've always enjoyed the outdoors too. Unfortunately, short of the holodeck, this arboretum is as close as it gets on DS5. How long have you been here, by the way?"
"Oh, that depends. What time is it now?"
"Around nine AM."
"In that case, I've been here not quite two and a half days." Stovon gave him a smile.
"Oooh...so you're still fresh meat. I fear for you," Ai'lani said solemnly, but still kept the easy smile on his face. "Deep Space Five can drive you kind of crazy, especially if you're doing a job that requires a lot of contact with a lot of people. I'm a journalist by profession, but I've recently switched more to my photojournalist contracts, since the politics are kind of wearing me down."
"Since I've been assured that I am, in fact, already crazy, I don't think I'll worry too much about that. It's partially why I became an artist. What other field would take me?" He shrugged. "I won't say that it's not possible, though. More things in Heaven and Earth and all that."
Ai'lani smirked, shaking his head lightly at him.
"Well, be careful either way. I hope you'll forgive me for the abrupt end to this little meeting, but I must run. Workday," the Deltan told his new acquaintance, standing up. "It was wonderful meeting you," he said with a small nod. "Hope to see you around."
"Sure, see you around." Stovon watched him go for a few moments, before closing his eyes and turning his face back towards the Arboretum's light.
::OFF::
JP between
Stovon Reece
Artist
&
Ai'lani Elley
Freelance Photojournalist
NPC by Maja
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & Arrival Stovon Reece
Post Details
| Title | Close Encounters of the Coincidental Kind | |
| Mission | Incommunicado | |
| Author(s) | (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & Arrival Stovon Reece | |
| Posted | Wed Jul 04, 2012 @ 1:53pm | |
| Location | Arboretum | |
| Timeline | SD 58 - 0700hrs |
Despite is useful degree in journalism, when asked what he does for a living, Ai'lani's first instincts would be to say he was an artist. Which was where his passion laid. Even with his journalism work, he'd always leaned more towards photojournalism and portraying the world through an artistic eye rather than an analytical one, which was always what kept him from truly succeeding. While some thought his portrayals of the world seemed edgy, most thought them unprofessional.
Luckily, Ai'lani prided himself on being able to provide for his son despite his erratic artistic endeavors. Of course, this came at the cost of not spending as much time with the boy as he'd like, but Dominic understood.
Early in the morning the Deltan found himself lounging in the Arboretum, sitting cross legged on on of the benches with a sketchpad in his lap and a cup of coffee resting on the grass under him. He sat with his head leaned back against the back of the bench, staring up and "basking" in what remained of the artificial sunlight.
A shadow moved between him and the light. A tall, thin figure looked down at him. "I have to say, social realism has its place in the art world, but it's never been to my taste."
"Oh I don't know. I've always found it rather fascinating. But that could be just my own experiences speaking," Ai'lani replied, looking away from the 'sunlight' to meet the stranger's eyes.
Grey eyes looked down at him over a slightly wrinkled nose. "I've always found that the more Expressionist and Romantic styles have more impact. Though, the Klingons tend to meld the more viseral styles and Realism on a level that is impressive. When the subject is eating the hearts of your enemies, it's hard not to make an impact."
Ai'lani laughed, dimples indenting his cheeks as he did. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He nodded. "I've never really understood the Klingons. Then again, I've never met a Klingon who understood Deltans, so I suppose our two cultures will have to agree to disagree on such subjective matters as art." That said, the Deltan folded his legs under him on the bench, motioning to the empty space by his side. "Would you like to join me? I'm afraid I'm not doing anything very exciting. I've had a bit of a long night. Or, morning, considering I'd been out all night."
"Well, as long as I'm not keeping you from any needed sleep." He sat down, tucking one leg underneath him. "I didn't realize there was another artist on the station. That makes things instantly more interesting. I'm Stovon Reece. And you are?"
"Ai'lani Elley. And yes, I've been settled here for a little over a month now. As someone who doesn't have a taste for social realism, I'm afraid you may find Deep Space 5 rather lacking in inspiration. There seems to be nothing but social realism around here. Everyone seems to be constantly at each other's throats."
"Inspiration can come from anywhere. The trick is to not confuse what is with what could be. Capturing a moment is important, but sometimes you need to capture the essence separate from the moment."
Ai'lani smiled warmly at him. "You're right." He nodded, shifting slightly in his seat. "I guess I'm a little surprised. It's been a while since I've spoken to someone more artistic. All of my friends are more the logical, practical types."
"Logic has its place. Even in art." Stovon shrugged. "You have to respect someone who can take an ordinary object, like a bowl, and make it into a thing of beauty. But it can't be limited to that. It can't be limited to any one thing. Otherwise, it's not art. It's just craft and decoration."
"And who is to say that decoration and craft can't be considered an art?" Ai'lani returned. "I think anything can be considered a form of art, if it's done with love and passion."
"Nonsense. If anything is art, than art becomes meaningless. Art is intended to communicate something. Something beyond the literal. Without that intent, it's not art." Stovon waved one hand in the air for emphasis.
"I disagree. I believe art is primarily about expression. If you communicate something, then that's excellent, but there's no set standard on what communicating with art means. It's subjective. What communicates to you doesn't to me. Klingon art is far too violent to ever speak to me as a Deltan, but that doesn't mean it's any less artistic than other forms that do." Ai'lani sighed, leaning back against the bench once more. "I don't know. Perhaps I'm too idealistic and intent on seeing the beauty in everything and everyone. It comes with knowing what everyone around you is feeling. What emotions drive them to do things. The way their feelings weave themselves through their body and mind until finally taking shape in altering the outside world is an incredibly beautiful thing to see."
"Somewhere an art teacher is horrified, and doesn't know why. A man who wears a blue shirt because he thinks it looks good on him is not an artist." His voice took on a tone of scorn. "Just because you miss the message doesn't do away with the intent behind it, just like an illilterate child doesn't negate the reality of written language."
"I'm sorry, but isn't that exactly what I said when I said that just because something doesn't communicate with me doesn't mean it isn't art? And I never said that a man who thinks a piece of clothing looks good on him is an artist. My touching on the topic of people expressing their emotions was a side note to show why my views might be difficult to understand. And if an artist expresses themselves purely for the sake of their own satisfaction with no intent of communicating anything to those around him, that doesn't mean that the art won't communicate." Ai'lani easily picked up on the tone in Stovon's voice, feeling the light prickles of distress running up his arms. He'd never liked conflict, and with the inhibitor running through his blood stream, he couldn't quite grasp a way to mollify the man in sitting by his side.
"No, you said there doesn't need to be an intent. As for the idea of expressing oneself for oneself, what is being expressed? If there is nothing to communicate, then what possible result can be achieved? At the barest minimum, you communicate the idea that 'this is worth looking at,' do you not?"
"No," Ai'lani replied with a slight shake of his head. "Because the idea of artistic expression being nothing but doing things with the hopes of someone else seeing something in it is attention seeking, and art is not about seeking attention from others. You express yourself, and then, after you have expressed yourself, comes the possibility of your expression communicating to others."
"How positively... romantic. And I'm not referring to the Terran art movement here. I begin to suspect that you never trained as an artist. Tell me. This self-expression for its own pleasure, what does it look like? Give me an example."
"Fine. Kafka. He wrote purely for self expression, dark as it was. He burned most of his work and when he died, his last wish was for his unpublished work to be burned, unread," Ai'lani replied after a few seconds of thought. "And no, I don't have a degree in anything art related. Studied it for a few years before having to switch studies."
"Huh. I guess I'll have to give you that one. I tend to forget writing when I'm thinking of art. A bias on my own part, I admit. I guess when it comes to expression for its own sake, I don't see the point. Rather like shouting in space, isn't it?"
"I suppose you're right. Of course, I've actually screamed my head off knowing no one could hear me once. It's very liberating." Ai'lani smiled.
"Except that if you're in space, screaming is likely to be rapidly followed by a rather unpleasant death. Which I supposed could also be liberating. In a way. If you don't mind, I think I'll skip that."
"Me too. You only die once, so it should probably be saved for later," Ai'lani commented. "So, when you're not creating art or discussing it, what are you going to do on DS5?"
Stovon blinked. "Making art and discussing it is what I do. Professionally, I mean. There's eating and sleeping and those other dull necessities, but once you take away the art, there's not much left."
"And what about when you're not being 'professional'?" Ai'lani asked, his tone bordering on light flirtation as he smiled at Stovon. "Surely you can't force yourself to make art, and not everyone will want to discuss it."
Stovon raised one eyebrow. "Anyone who can't discuss art probably doesn't have much of interest to say. But, yes, I do take the time to not be 'professional' as you put. But even that is part of the artistic process, isn't it? You can't create a reflection of life if you don't first live it."
"You're very good at not answering a question about what you like to do for fun that isn't your work," Ai'lani observed with an amused smile. Truth be told, he was slightly annoyed as well. He'd always enjoyed complete honesty and didn't enjoy people who beat around the bush instead of answering a question.
Stovon leaned by and closed his eyes, enjoying the Arboretum's light on his face. "You assume that my work and my life are separate. My ex accused me once of being rather obsessive, and I can't say he's wrong. But, to answer your question, when I'm not actively working on a project, I enjoy good drinks, good company, the occasional bit of poetry, and, at least when planetside, the outdoors."
"Yeah, I've always enjoyed the outdoors too. Unfortunately, short of the holodeck, this arboretum is as close as it gets on DS5. How long have you been here, by the way?"
"Oh, that depends. What time is it now?"
"Around nine AM."
"In that case, I've been here not quite two and a half days." Stovon gave him a smile.
"Oooh...so you're still fresh meat. I fear for you," Ai'lani said solemnly, but still kept the easy smile on his face. "Deep Space Five can drive you kind of crazy, especially if you're doing a job that requires a lot of contact with a lot of people. I'm a journalist by profession, but I've recently switched more to my photojournalist contracts, since the politics are kind of wearing me down."
"Since I've been assured that I am, in fact, already crazy, I don't think I'll worry too much about that. It's partially why I became an artist. What other field would take me?" He shrugged. "I won't say that it's not possible, though. More things in Heaven and Earth and all that."
Ai'lani smirked, shaking his head lightly at him.
"Well, be careful either way. I hope you'll forgive me for the abrupt end to this little meeting, but I must run. Workday," the Deltan told his new acquaintance, standing up. "It was wonderful meeting you," he said with a small nod. "Hope to see you around."
"Sure, see you around." Stovon watched him go for a few moments, before closing his eyes and turning his face back towards the Arboretum's light.
::OFF::
JP between
Stovon Reece
Artist
&
Ai'lani Elley
Freelance Photojournalist
NPC by Maja