Creation Of Places Research Articles

Comic Relief In Everyday Life: Dramaturgic Observations On A Function Of Humor*

The comic relief of the theater has an everyday analog. It is seen in the momentary humorous respites from the seriousness or lengthy concentration on a collective task commonly found in certain spheres of daily life. These respites facilitate the completion of that task by refreshing the participants. Observations of social comic relief made during a series of rehearsals and performances of an amateur theater company are reported. The nature and function of this sort of humor is considered, first in theater, and then in other similar settings. A comparison of social comic relief as a function of humor with selected philosophical and psychological relief theories of humor follows. A concluding section considers the place of creativity and wit in social comic relief.

The Idea and the Place of Human Creativity in the Philosophy of Roman Ingarden

The Idea and the Place of Human Creativity in the Philosophy of Roman Ingarden

Robert Willson: Sculptor in Glass—An Appreciation

At no time in history has the material vocabulary of the contemporary sculptor been equalled. Within his easy reach are all of nature's materials, no matter how exotic, and the technological means to subject the most untractable substances to his will. Further, he has the ability to combine them with a freedom which his forebears hardly conceived. It may not be out of place to argue here whether this wealth of materials may not, in a great many cases, be exploited as a virtue per se and, insidiously, take the place of creativity and thoughtfulness. No doubt there is shock value in the combination of substances found in incongruous settings. But does this shock necessarily equate with intellectual stimulation or depth of perception? These gloomy thoughts, however, should not overshadow the fact that for the artist disciplined in spirit, intent in manifesting the depth of his vision, this is a golden age: he now needs only to master himself, the material opportunities being entirely at his command. In a sense these remarks apply particularly to glass sculpture.