wayvy weekly //// [what is humanity?]
Here this nigga go asking these dumb questions again. And I hear you, but do you hear me?? Lemme cook rq.
We all know what humans are, but humanity is something much more diffuse and hard to define. Is it the collective experiences of our cultures? Is it the documented history? Or perhaps there is some deeper truth surrounding being human that we are yet to uncover. To date, it is my belief that humanity was dedicated to understanding and conquering our physical surroundings. From hunter gatherers to agriculturalists to whatever the fuck we are now. We have identified and categorized everything we can see and touch and even a few things we can’t. We’ve been to the moon and sent probes out to the furthest reaches of our observable universe. Yet, it seems, we are still no closer to wrapping our brains around what we really are and why we are really here. So, if I may, allow me to take a stab at it.
Humanity is, in my estimation, the ability to channel and manipulate energy. We took sticks and stones and created the internet, enabling me to yap incessantly about things people would probably rather not think about and disseminate these ideas in the blink of an eye. We have created impossibly intricate systems to transport water, food and oil in order to feed our innate desire to search, expand, define and discover. We have created weapons the likes of which the most imaginative of our ancestors could never conceptualize and we have irreversibly connected the world in a way that was impossible only half a century ago. All of this, through our ability to understand, capture and manipulate energy. The things humanity will leave behind are not buildings or awards or missiles but the resonant energy that we imbued the earth with. Have you ever entered a room and instantly felt the ‘vibe shift’? That is humanity. Has a piece of art or film ever moved you to the point of tears? Made your heart feel like it was going to burst out of your chest? That is humanity. Have you ever been to a concert and felt irrevocably connected to people you never met before and will likely never speak to again as you move in unison with the bass and belt out lyrics at the top of your lungs? That is humanity. Have you ever looked up to the stars and wonder how many other humans, past and present, have looked up at the very same sky and probably had the same thoughts you are currently having? That is humanity.
So this week I’m doing wayvyworks of the week. Why? Cus I can that’s why. And also, I guess in a meta sense I think humanity inherently speaks to duality. Man, woman. Left, right. Up, down. God, devil. So first up we have COME WITH ME, a personal fave of mine and somewhat uncharacteristically simple. A lot of humanity is leaping into the unknown, taking risks and doing things that everybody who came before you think are crazy. But it is what it is. The man is beaming, with his all white eyes and extending his hand out to the viewer. Because, humanity is also a collective. No man is an island, and every great historic figure needs help. Furthermore, those of us with power and influence in society must always remember to look behind and below us, ensuring that our actions welcome people into the fold and empower them to do the same for those coming up behind them. Second up, we got EMBRACE THE CHAOS, which should really speak for itself but I love hearing myself talk so I’m gonna speak about it anyway. MY favourite detail about this piece that’s pretty impossible to see if I don’t point it out is that the whole piece is layered on top of a definition of ‘turnings’ which refers to the Strauss-Howe generational theory which states that ‘each generational persona unleashes a new era (called a turning) lasting around 20-25 years, in which a new social, political and economic climate (mood) exists. They are part of a larger cyclical “saeculum” (a long human life, which usually spans between 80 and 100 years, although some saecula have lasted longer).’ They go on to describe the tendency for a crisis to follow each saeculum, which itself is then followed by a recovery high. I’ll let you use your imagination to figure out where we are along the turning cycle. Stacked on top of the breakdown of the turnings cycle are a collage of colours radiating outward, tied together by a stencil of a triumphant individual standing, back to us, arms outstretched, seemingly embracing the chaotic cyclical nature of the existence we find ourselves in, literally and figuratively. Life comes at you in waves. We can decide to build dams, or learn to surf.
Stay wayvy y’all <3
