Illustration Friday – Invention (OmniScience)

“OmniScience” started as a scribble on some scrap paper at a part-time job. I seem to remember it being a pretty straight-forward asian-influenced third-eye kind of thing. From there, it evolved into this; the first in a planned series exploring the intersection of invention, technology, the organic, and the metaphysical. It’s also a nice fit for this week’s Illustration Friday.

One of the few things that stuck in my head from College philosophy courses was Kant’s “definition” of God. I remember it as The Five Omni’s (although I can only get four at any given time, in much the same way that I can only recall six of the seven dwarves or deadly sins. There’s always one stubborn holdout). Omniscience, Omnipresence, Omnipotence, Omnibenevolence, and…um…the other one. If you remember it, drop me a line.

Now, combine this with mankind’s current obsession with information technology. Add a heaping spoonful of our gadget-fetish and a dash of political paranoia involving spy cameras and government intervention into our daily lives. Mix well and bake at 450 degrees.

What pops out of the metaphorical oven is (tentatively titled) Five Machines to Make God. Or make us gods. God-like. Whatever. I’ve had a few interesting conversations about this piece. It’s been seen as anti-technology, anti-science, anti-computer. I’m certainly not anti any of these things. I adore my mac. But I love that some folks read that into the piece. The truth is that I honestly don’t know whether this drive to achieve these qualities is positive or negative. I do think it is very, very human.

Now, if only more people concentrated on the omnibenevolent part of the equation rather than, say, omnipotence…