On form and function
I need to write one post , one piece of relatively coherent text today so I don’t feel bad at the end of the day because I didn’t do it even tho it is clearly stated on a small piece of paper on my wall that I need to do it today. Also, If I do it I will treat my tummy with pancakes and lots of maple syrup. I will probably have pancakes even if I don’t manage to write this but then I will feel guilty and undeserving of it, I will feel as I was tricked by my own lazy self. I don’t have any idea related to what to write about other than to write about random stuff I remember and find interesting in the book Origin of form by Christopher Williams. There are lots of definitions for the word form, I will write about form - meaning shape of a physical object, and how it relates to function, which is another element that defines that physical object. So lets go.
FORM OF THE HUMAN HAND
Form of the human hand is general, not specialized. This means that human hand can do multiple tasks at a relatively good level but it cannot do one specific, individual task at a particularly good level. In other words, the function of the human hand is limited in sense of quality of the tasks that the hand can do, but not so limited in their quantity. However, the hand knows a way to overcome this limit by constructing the tool - the tool is a functional extension of the hand, the tool can be improved in many ways that hand cannot be and it can be specialized for one particular task, and in that way, it can allow the hand that is using the tool to become an expert and master of almost every task there is to be done. The hand is able to make the tool because humans have a sophisticated, creatively oriented brain. Tools don’t have that. They are here only to perform, not to create.
FORM AND FUNCTION
Form is a shape of an object and function is an action for which an objects exists, function is the practical purpose of an object. Knife is an object that has the shape which provides it to achieve its purpose - to cut stuff. The shape of the knife is its form and cutting stuff is its function. For the object to be functional, to achieve its function, the form must be adjusted to this function. So if the function changes, the form must also change. If we want the knife to do more than just to cut stuff, we must change its shape, we must improve it so it can be adjusted to the goals of the function. The goal of the function is to be absolute, to reach its maximum, but the form never reaches that goal of absolute functionality because there is always something more that can be added to the object, some other task that will make it even more functional, the conditions are never good enough to reach perfection. So if the goal of perfection cannot be reached what is the point of constantly changing and improving? The point is in trying, trying to reach perfection. Constant change in order to improve stuff is both the process and the goal. The goal is not to achieve, but to try to come closer to this ideal of perfection. The constant process of improving means constant progress, and if this process would ever had a point where the form is done with improving itself, where it would finally reach the elusive goal of perfect obedience to the function, then the progress would be stopped, all would be done and achieved. And we don’t want it to stop, not really.
Thanks for reading!