the art of memory

multum in parvo

the phrase multum in parvo has always had a special significance for me. in its terse and compact latin diction, it exemplifies exactly what it connotes: much in little. the archetype of brevity, however, is not easy to define. abstraction, conciseness, symbolism, and imaginative potential are basic in the concept. a multiplicity of detail is concentrated into a unified principle, the particular is transformed into the universal, a largeness of meaning is conveyed with the utmost of means. this largeness of meaning should be accompanied by a dramatic impact, in a word: insight with a gasp.

carl zigrosser - multum in parvo - george braziller - 1965
image - nicholas kis
post inspired by discussions with jack stauffacher