[MD] Romantic/Classic knowledge vs quality

[ml]

Dave,
Howdy.


dmb:
<snip>
> I've always thought the most important part of ZMM was in reuniting
> "art" with everyday activity. 
> ...aesthetic/Quality that could be (and should be) (and IS) an integral 
> part of everything from building rotisseries to repairing a 
> motorcycle to welding a chain guard.
> 
><snip>

mel:
A boat builder with whom I used to work
frequently repeated a phrase: 'beauty is free'.
The first few times he said it, the timing was 
a mystery to me--Why did he say that, now?

Eventually I got it.  He was prodding me 
towards seeing that how I made the structural
pieces of the boat look were more important than 
the simple plan-form of structure.  Analogous
to how different the musical score is from the 
performance.

Inevitably, the 'beautiful' elements found 
efficiencies that the purely functional lacked.
What seemed an accident or a trick was instead
a deeped insight.  Whenever I made a part 
more beautiful in appearance, it was also stronger,
better fit, more efficient, etc.  It was so, because 
I had unknowingly paid attention to more parts 
than simply the abutting or adjacent bits.

thanks--mel