Fuzzy Logic

Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm, 2023

When I was in my 20’s,  I came across with a book: ”Fuzzy Logic” by Bar Kosko. It was a significant book to me back then. The book states e.g. that our language can not reach all logical truths that exist. Very briefly put: for example it might be a bit foggy outside, and something (not raindrops, but water in some form) just drips from the skies. But does it rain? For us humans, it either rains or not. Our language does not have options of in-betweens. Or is somebody we know crazy, wise or kind or good looking? Or not? At some situations, a certain person can represent all or some of the mentioned traits or qualities to somebody. And sometimes they do not. But our language and it’s barriers and walls steer us towards to trapping that person to these traits of personality or quality. Totally of the mentioned trait or totally not. Another example: there can be a myriad number of variations of colour blue, for instance. Still, all of the variations are called: blue. Even though, this way we loose all the beautiful possibilities to understand more of the variations of colour blue and ability to discuss them.

So why is this? It is because of our cognitive capability. It is also because of economy and efficiency. A human language must be economical and the message must be carried through rapidly. There is no time to explain when a war is raging or eggs get overboiled. Or you are missing the bus. Half ass decisions cannot be made, even though important pieces of information are missing.

So, it seems that our language, especially in the western cultures, is built to represent truths in black or white, or 1:s or 0:s. Totally yes or totally no. According to Kosko, the real truth actually exists almost always somewhere in the middle of these. Sometimes nearer the black or the white. 0 or 1. It resides in the shades of grey. In the area that is fuzzy and not plain black or plain white. Somewhere in between.

Orphans includes solitary pieces that have been born in different kinds of circumstances, moods and time spans. They are flashes of the time being and life lived. Their theme is individual of kind and separate of the other themes presented here.