Monday, September 20, 2010

Deleuze's Difference and Repetition

While invesigating theory of architecture in the digital era, I came across an interesting reference of Gilles Deleuze’s Difference and Repetition (1968, translated 1994) which introduces the importance of a philosophy of difference by describing how difference may be internal to the nature of every Idea and how every Idea may have multiple elements which may be differentiated.

Differentiation: development from the one to the many, the simple to the complex, or the homogeneous to the heterogeneous;the sum of the processes whereby apparently indifferent or unspecialized cells, tissues, and structures attain their adult form and function. (Merriam Webster)

Complex repetition may disguise its difference and variability. A bare (simple) repetition is a mechanical, stereotyped repetition of the same element, while a clothed (complex) repetition is a repetition which has difference hidden within itself.
Difference may be internal to an idea, or may be external to a conceptual mode of representation. Difference may be extrinsic or intrinsic, generic or specific, essential or accidental, actual or virtual.
Difference as divergence, disparateness, or dissimilarity cannot be affirmed by representation. Difference and repetition may be objects of representation, but representation can only portray difference and repetition negatively in relation to a concept of sameness. Representation can only consider repetition as bare, mechanical repetition, and not as complex repetition including difference, dissemblance, disguising, displacement, and variability.

to be continued... struggling to understand in detail but surely the philosophy of difference largely influence our understanding of reality.
I am also looking into the process diagrams of Eisenman and the contemporary practice of Ali Rahim where the form is generated as a result of interaction of vector forces from the site thus developing datascapes materialized from the many possible virtualities to the built reality of architectural space.

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