“The moment one thinks of the matter, one sees how false a notion of experience that is which would make it tantamount to the mere presence to the senses of an outward order. Millions of items of the outward order are present to my senses which never properly enter into my experience. Why? Because they have no interest for me. My experience is what I agree to attend to. Only those items which I notice shape my mind—without selective interest, experience is an utter chaos. Interest alone gives accent and emphasis, light and shade, background and foreground —intelligible perspective, in a word.”
[Rowans - 1913 - George Henry]
• William James was an original thinker in and between the disciplines of physiology, psychology and philosophy. His twelve-hundred page masterwork, The Principles of Psychology (1890), is a rich blend of physiology, psychology, philosophy, and personal reflection that has given us such ideas as “the stream of thought” and the baby’s impression of the world “as one great blooming, buzzing confusion.” More: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/james/
• George Henry's paintings include depictions of striking landscapes, symbolic folk tales, Japanese themes and society portraits. Born in Ayrshire, he studied at the Glasgow School of Art and joined the circle of painters known as the Glasgow Boys. His friendship with Edward Atkinson Hornel led to some collaborative work and they were among the first British artists to visit Japan, traveling there together in 1893. On their return in 1895 Henry's compositions reflected the impact of this visit but he concentrated on the more lucrative painting of portraits and established a successful studio in London. More: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/artists/george-henry
