By Zulumathabo Zulu © 2015

When I gravitate to Catherine
I experience epinephrine
The geometric effects!
The optical effects!
Like a rare combination
To highlight the design
Morphology like entrapment
In a trance by the gaze
Becoming like ablaze

To search for a design goal
In solid state metascience
To reframe the discourse
Like resisting gravitation
A complex design is beautiful
The beauty hides complexity
Design ideas like infinity
To enhance effectiveness
Optical effect, graduated!
Like, flawlessly executed!

Contextual Commentary

In this dialogic segment, Dimakatso is seeking clarification from The Creator about the purpose of beauty. The discourse is already in progress.

Dimakatso: Beauty is something that is admired by everyone. What is the design purpose of beauty?

The Creator: The design purpose of beauty is to overcome chaos, increase order and celebrate transcendence in the universe. This design philosophy is better encapsulated in the life of a desert flower that produces beauty in an inhospitable environment and dances in the breeze when the rain falls. Beauty exists to beautify asymmetry and amplify cosmic resonance and symmetry. Beauty achieves order when it brings things into alignment, provides an entry point and facilitates utility. Beauty also overcomes fear when it rearranges disarray and redirects the organism to espouse the moral code. As you know, the rules exist to eliminate chaos. This is a special case with beauty provided that beauty is not misused. Notwithstanding, beauty is fragile but it is this fragile nature that gives it its philosophical power of potency.

The Creator (explaining alignment): With respect to alignment, there are times when things are out of alignment and when beauty is introduced things fall back into alignment. If there is no beauty, there is no alignment.

The Creator (explaining an entry point): With respect to an entry point, a case in point [no pun intended] is the rainbow that is beautiful enough to attract the observer. As a result of that beautiful experience, the observer may begin to explore other parts of the heavens in order to discover even more beauty of the cosmos.

The Creator (explaining utility): With respect to utility, beauty invites the interaction. It is easier to interact with a system or object if it encapsulates beauty. Thus beauty is an invitation for interaction.

The Creator (concluding): For us [the creators] we regard beauty in all its forms as a fundamental design goal.

Dimakatso: This is the most sophisticated explanation of beauty I have ever heard. This has got to be the best kept secret of beauty. This is amazing! As if that it is not amazing enough, you refer to different forms of beauty. Thokoza Makhosi! I never knew there were different forms of beauty. What are the different forms of beauty?

The Creator: There are three different forms of beauty as encapsulated in the triangle OUT (observable, unobservable, transcendental). This means there are three levels of beauty namely level 1, level 2 and level 3. To assist you to understand this sacred triangle of beauty, here are the important principles of beauty to think about.

The Creator (explaining observable beauty): Observable beauty is level 1 beauty. Beauty is observable if two observers who experience the beauty of the object both agree that the object is beautiful. This means, if observer A says “this is beautiful”, and observer B also agrees by saying “yes, this is beautiful” then we are dealing with observable beauty. If one observer experiences beauty and the other does not then the object does not have observable beauty.

The Creator (explaining unobservable beauty): Unobservable beauty is level 2 beauty. Beauty is unobservable if two observers do not have the same experience about the beauty of the object. If observer A says: “this is beautiful” but observer B rejects that notion of beauty by saying: “this is not beautiful” then we are dealing with unobservable beauty. An unobservable form of beauty is hidden and characterized by mystery, mystique and subtlety. This is not to say the object is not beautiful but only a special type of observer is required to decode and appreciate that hidden beauty. This is like an encrypted beauty and unless you have the right key, you are not going to see the beauty. The general rule about beauty is that all objects are beautiful but some objects are more beautiful than others.

The Creator (explaining transcendental beauty): Transcendental beauty is the ultimate form of beauty. This is level 3 beauty. In this case, the object has to possess transcendental powers as demonstrated in the desert flower. The desert flower finds itself in an inhospitable environment but in order to survive, it must overcome extreme adversity in the form of water shortage, killer sun rays, violent winds and the dust particles. When the rain falls, the flower comes alive and blooms with an impressive corolla as a result of its transcendental beauty. The desert flower overcomes the chaos of the killer desert and produces beauty to confirm and celebrate its transcendental powers.

The Creator (concluding): The three levels of beauty respond differently under different environmental conditions yet true beauty will have a certain amount of each form even though dominated by one kind of beauty as in observable, unobservable or transcendental form of beauty. Unobservable beauty is an interesting one because it has lots of mystery, camouflage, mystique and subtlety. Level 1 beauty requires some of these qualities in order to exist and flourish as a true form of beauty.

Dimakatso: This is incredible! Thank you Tlatlamacholo for sharing with us the design purpose of beauty. Henceforth, we shall cherish beauty knowing that beauty is not just skin deep but it carries the attributes of the higher level of thinking, the moral code and the philosophy of transcendence.