temporary, though obviously durable

Question

1. Does "resonance" here mean "importance"?

2. Does "temporary, though obviously durable" mean "although they seem durable, they are in contrast temporary"?

3. Does "writing" here mean a way of representing and registering (writing about the city without words, but with action, images on the walls, etc.)?

Within the context of the evolution of new, twenty-first-century urban practices there are two ancient forms I wish to invoke first. Both are still popularly in operation in their pure states – testament in itself to their very particular resonance, which is widespread on a global scale – and both are forms of a temporary, though obviously durable, ‘writing’ of the city. I am talking of skateboarding and (modern-day) graffiti.

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

This passage is full of stylish jargon, so do not expect it to be clear or sensible. However, I will try to interpret.

1. "resonance" does not mean "importance," but something more like "appeal" or "engaging quality."

2. "temporary, though obviously durable" means that they are temporary (vs. permanent) but not long-lasting. They are more like a roll of toilet paper that will vanish over a short period of time than like a toilet which will last for years.

3. "writing" is being used metaphorically, of course, since the writer of this passage puts the word in quotation marks (meaning it is not being used in a literal sense). Your interpretation is reasonable. It could also be read as saying that the writing is somehow done by the city. But the words are too vague to be clear on that point.

Catttt · Answer

@Doctor D But as for #2 "temporary but not long-lasting" does not make sense to me. To me "temporary" and "not long-lasting" mean the same. Can you explain more, please?

Doctor D · Answer

When you say something is temporary, you still need to define how long that temporary state is for.

First we make the distinction between temporary and permanent.

I am making a permanent change in my lodging. I am moving to a new part of town. (I will never go back to my old home.)
I am making a temporary change in my lodging. I will be staying at a hotel while they spray my apartment for bugs. (I will return to my old home in a couple of days.)

We could also say:
I am making a temporary change in my lodging. I will be staying with my parents for the summer while the workers remove the mold on the walls and replace the plumbing. (I will go back to my old home but not for several months).

So we see that temporary is a flexible term. It could range from a few seconds to a few weeks to a few years.

If it were for a few years, I would say that a change was temporary but long lasting.
If it were for a couple of days, I would say that a change was temporary but not long lasting.

I hope this helps.

Catttt · Answer

@Doctor D I got it. But even with your explanation "temporary, though obviously durable" should mean "temporary but durable" i.e. "temporary but long lasting".

it is another context: from the web:

Nice and light though obviously durable. I have dropped my cell phone on several occasions and it's clear that this case has more than done the job of protecting it each time. Nice assortment of colors, too.

In this context too I think "Nice and light though obviously durable" means "nice and light but durable" meaning that "it is not only nice and light but also durable".

What is your idea?

Doctor D · Answer

Your examples are good and I agree with what you think the meaning is. The problem with your original passage is that it is vaguely metaphorical. It is one thing to talk about concrete objects like a cell phone and another to talk about "writings."

Looking over the original passage again, I think I see a way to make sense of the senseless. Temporary but durable is not meant to say "temporary" and "long lasting." This, I agree, is silly. (Of course, I think the whole passage is silly). Perhaps the writer wants to say something like "brief but recurrent." So the graffiti is temporary because it is sprayed on, then painted over. But it is also durable because more graffiti will appear later on. That is, the fact of there being graffiti is a permanent condition, even if the examples of it change.

That's the best I can do for this.

Catttt · Answer

Thank you so much @Doctor D

temporary, though obviously durable

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