I do think he’s getting at the idea of a participation beyond the interpretation of art or the active readership of texts, though. And I admit I’m not sure what such a participation would be like. The Vision Quest still involves an individual acting out his experience for the tribe. Maybe he’s talking about cultures where you don’t have a choice about being imaginative or creative — it’s something you have to do actively to fully participate in the culture, whereas in our culture it’s optional.

The problem with the idea of passive consumption of imagination in lew of the active imaginative process is that partaking of the artist’s work spurs one’s own imagination – feeds it, if you will, the way one might feed a plant or child … and as such the imagination is given the means to grow and even thrive. One cannot build without boards, nails, and quarried stone, does that mean that the architect is not actually a creator, but merely the impartial servant of the parts he uses? In the same way, a reader – or viewer – takes the imaginative tools he is provided and creates something more of them. Sure, some merely repeat what they have ingested, but these people would never have been thinkers or creators in any event – a failing which cannot be placed at the foot of passive imagination.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that – as it relates to books or even film, theatre – there is no such thing as passive imagination … the act of consuming the material spurs thought. This is not to say all film or television encourages creativity, but that it has the potential to do so … if the imbiber is actually partaking of the imaginative essence rather than watching in blank thoughtlessness as the sights and sounds carry him from one point in time to the next. (as is the case with many television addicts)

Visual arts, such as painting, statuary, etc. are guiltier here, as unless the viewer comes with the intent to interpret and construct/deconstruct the metaphor – actively – he may get away with merely viewing the piece while taking nothing away from the experience. Properly ingesting art of this nature takes effort which a smaller percentage of people are capable of engaging in.

And I love that glossary, it will improve my architectural vocabulary immensely.

Michael – I have too many bookmarks, sob. I think delicious.com might only encourage me…

Alankria – It is, isn’t it? And not just because of the groin vaults.