David Blanton: Henry Buber extra reading I and Thou

“-- What, then, does one experience of the You?
-- Nothing at all. For one does not experience it.
-- What, then, does one know of the You?
-- Only everything. For one no longer knows particulars.” 

Buber describes the I-thou relationship (versus the I-it relationship) as being an abstract, mutual experience. This particular quote demonstrates the abstract nature of the I-thou relationship. A bond is formed that exists beyond dialogue, things gleaned from the relationship. All sense of self and definitive boundaries of who the other is disappear in this very intimate connection. Instead of identifying the other as something entirely separate from the I, the two become wrapped up into a sense of oneness where both parties are fully invested in each other, and no longer perceiving the relationship from a selfish standpoint. 

Applied to art, this brings up powerful ramifications. If I can experience art in an I-thou context, it would radically change the way we perceive art. Critics especially identify art as an object that requires detailed analysis. Even when someone is trying to more intimately "experience" a painting or a piece of music, the experience is usually defined in terms of how that person was moved. The art itself is unchanged and is still seen as a strictly distinct entity. However, when art is experienced in an I-thou relationship, I imagine as the maker shapes it, he or she would see the artifact in new lights as the art piece takes on new shapes and the maker can communicate emotion and feeling to the art piece that takes shape in it. I also wonder whether or not inanimate objects can be experienced in an I-thou context or if the relationship is inherently unattainable considering that there is a limit to how much mutual sharing can take place.

Can an I-thou relationship exist between two inanimate objects? The sand of a shore and the water provide an interesting illustration. As the water approaches the shore, it is changed, waves appear and strike the sand; simultaneously the shore's sand is pulled out by the water. An exchange occurs. Sand is caught up in the water, and water sinks into the sand. So distinctly does this occur that the sand is no longer sand and the water is no longer shore, but they coexist under a new name: the shore.