RUCHIRA DATTA
1024111
CIA--2
MEL 132
Western Aesthetics
15.07.10
“Map of Edward Said’s Orienatalism”
i.1. The first paragraph provides an understanding of current status of the orient. Visit to-- war stricken Beirut--French journalist—regretfully describes—gutted downtown area—once belonging to the orient of Chateaubriand and Nerval--Orient—European construct—refer to—remarkable experience—exotic—antique—romantic—haunting memories--construction--verge of disappearing--lost in time—French journalist—his French readers--what matters--Beirut--bears no resemblance--European representation of the orient.
ii.1. Next paragraph talks about the differences in perception about the orient among the British the French and the Americans. 2.Unlike Americans--French and British—long history--coming to terms with orient--holds special place--European western experience--Said refers to this as “Orientalism”--orient represents--oldest and richest European colonies--influences the culture, lifestyle, and language of the west-- defines west--in opposition to the orient—thus integral part of western civilization-- To America--represents-- countries in the far east--following recent Japanese, Korean, Indochinese, adventures—horizon expands—after recent economic and political exploits--countries in the middle east included.
iii.1.This paragraph provides an understanding of the orient in the academic context. 2. Definitions of orientalism interdependent--individuals teaching, researching or studying orient--termed orientalist--irrespective of the discipline he/she is involved in—what they do is orientalism---term--widely used in academic institutions—however term loosing preference—due to ambiguity—and association with European colonialism—even if orientalism is losing importance—will survive academically--in orientalist doctrines and theses.
iv.1. Next paragraph talks about the orient as a concept that is epistemologically and ontologically in contrast to the occident.2 Academic tradition of orientalism—is subject of study—provides—general understanding of the orient—distinction--forms basis for-- epics, theories, accounts about orient-- by authors, novelists, theorists, poets , economists.
v.1.This paragraph provides a non academic understanding of orientalism. 2. Third definition of orientalism—more historical and materialistic—Beginning of late 18th century--orientalism regarded as corporate institution--for handling the orient--provides validation, authorization, statements, and description regarding the orient-- the western way of ruling the orient—orientalism a discourse—helps western culture—construct the orient politically, socially, ideologically, and imaginatively—in post-enlightenment period—book orientalism--helps understand “orient “as an entity--does not unilaterally determine the orient—but if orient is under question—helps understand it—through inevitable networks (in terms of the occident)—and explains-- how western culture derives identity and strength from orient.
vi.1. This paragraph talks about the difference in involvement of Britain France and America with the orient. 2. Britain, France and the orient -- closely knit--prior to the 19th century till the second world war--After war--America rose to power-- approached orient--the way Britain and France once did--within this dynamic power bound relationship between the orient and occident-- rests the origin of orientalist.
vii.1. This paragraph is about the existence of the orient, as one with past, tradition of thought, imagination and language. 2.orient--not mere imaginary entity—not just there—Vico-- man makes his own history where by he knows what he makes—concept extended to-- cultural and geographical entities—orient becomes man-made construct-- occident and orient--geographical entities--complimenting each other.
vii.1. This paragraph suggest that orient is not a mere concept. Disraeli—in Tanred--talked of East—as career--something west--could be passionate about—phenomenon of orientalism—deals with—stability in ideas—about orient—discrepancy in ideas—in terms of—real orient--D israeli—east is not a mere being.
vii.1. This paragraph tells us how the orient was orientalized. 2. Histories, cultures and ideas—understood—in the context of the hierarchy that existed--relationship between the orient and west--one of hegemony and dominance--not because--west found the orient to be oriental--on various accounts--but because--orient allowed west to orientalize them--so Flauberts’ description of Kuchuk Hamen-- as typically oriental--is because she is being represented by the one who holds power—in the power equation--this represents the relationship between the east and the west-- in general.
ix.1.This paragraph states that orientalism is no work of fiction and establishes it as collection of theory and principles. 2. Orientalism not mere structure of lies and myths—rather source of—European-Atlantic power over the orient—a veridic discourse—knitted-together--strength of this dicourse—ties—socio-economic and political institutions—thus has redoubtable durability—its ideas remain unchanged— from post renaissance to present day--hence it is not a body of lies—nor a European fantasy--about the orient—but a body of theory and practice—it involves considerable material investment—hence it is a system of knowledge about the orient.
x.1.This paragraph deals with the concept of Europe’s cultural hegemony. 2.Gramsci distinguishes between—civil and political society—civil society includes—school, family and so on—culture operating within civil society—and the civil society operates through consent—non totalitarian society—some ideas rule over others—these societies operates through hegemony-- west—product of cultural hegemony—European cultural hegemony within and outside Europe—gives Europeans identity--of superiority--in comparison to non-Europeans—moreover Europeans have ideas of superiority –regarding oriental backwardness-- hegemony provides durability and strength to orientalism.
xi.1. This paragraph shows how the west’s flexible yet superior status provides strategy to orientalism. 2. Orientalism derives strategy from—west’s positional flexibility—wherein west holds a superior position—superiority on account of west’s assent of power in post renaissance—the scholar, the scientist--thought of the orient—because they could—without resistance from orient—as a branch of knowledge—within the umbrella of hegemony— complex orient was created—for studying in academic institutions--for presenting in museums-- reconstructing colonial history—as such concept of oriental—emerged--outcome of unchallenged sovereign western consciousness—based on general ideas about the orient—then based on detailed logic—as an outcome of desires, repression and projections.
xii.1. this paragraph talks about the various generalized and specific ideas regarding orient. 2. In orientalism—what matters is—not generalized ideas—which are biased with European superiority, racism, imperialism—or other dogmatic views—that describe orient as unchanging abstraction—rather ideas provided by varied individual writers—however in both deals with--pioneers like William Jones, Nerval—however if both ideas are applied—chances of distortion occurs—and if one idea is too specific—or too particular—level of description is maintained systematically.
xii. 1. This paragraph talks about the contemporary realties. 2. Said fears—mutilation and inaccuracy—inaccuracy born of—generalization—deals with problems—addressing contemporary reality—solves problem of—methodological difficulties—writes in coarse polemic--writes in details—overuling generalization..
xiv.1. This paragraph shows how knowledge produced by ideological sciences like sociology, economics and so on is not political. 2. Arguing--knowledge about Shakespeare –is not political—and knowledge about contemporary china or the soviet union—is political--product of improper labeling-- Humanist who critiques wordsworth or keats --no direct impact on politics –while scholars working on soviet economy—are in a highly charged area—produce knowledge--with direct impact on political and government policies—thus-- work of the humanist--have incidental political influence—humanist work produced--not political.
xv.1. This paragraph explains how the knowledge produced by western scholar is non-political.2. knowledge produced should be —impartial, scholarly, and unbiased—not possible in practice- no means of separating scholar from the society to which he belongs—scholar is a product of the society--not free from the class and social beliefs--this influencs his/ her professional work—scholar can not free himself--inhibitions and impact of harsh reality-- So the knowledge he produces-- non-political.
xvi.1. This paragraph tells us how some disciplines receive political importance over other disciplines because of their ability to ascertain power. 2. True knowledge—is not political—all political knowledge--not necessarily true knowledge—thus today adjective of political—used as label—to discredit works--violating protocol of pretended suprapolitical objectivity—certain fields of knowledge--ranked higher than other--because political importance—given to--disciplines that generate economic benefits—and disciplines that help ascertain power--study of long-term Soviet energy potential and its effect on military capability--receives economic backing—but not--study of Tostoys’ early fiction--subject matter—political priority--importance to economics--than literature.
xvii.1.In the next paragraph he explains how knowledge produced is influenced by imperialists views as well as individual views. 2.Vietnam war--scholarship provided--for conducting military research--because the imperial states--cast their political-economic interests onto the civil society—thus—political knowledge produced--tainted with—gross political fact—Americans or Europeans—studying orient—influenced by imperialist and individual opinion.—but this is not a inert fact—to scholars.
Xviii 1. This paragraph explains west’s interest to study the east.2. political actualities—too undefined— to be interesting—problem—discrepancy-- between “big facts” and the realities of everyday life.—notion of big facts—deleted—imperial domination—can be applied--mechanically—west interested in—orient--political reasons oblivious from—historical accounts--interested in the culture also--cultural interests--accompanied by material, political and military—making orient—varied and complicated place—in field of orientalism.
xix.1.The concluding paragraph sums up what orientalism is. 2. Not mere political subject—nor—collection of texts—about orient—not even representative—of western imperialist ideas—to subjugate the orient—rather distribution of—geopolitical awareness—into other fields—elaboration of—geographical distinction—and connotations of orient—created and maintained—through—philological recognition—scholarly discovery—psychological analysis—and so on—a discourse—that is not—direct—and does not—merely represent—a modern political-intellectual cultural paradigm—it has less to do—with orient—than with—modern world.
Works cited
1.Said,Edward.”Introduction to Orientalism” Art In Modern Culture:Anthology of Critical
Texts.Editors,Frascina,Francis and Jonathan Harris.London/New York.Phaidon.19992.
Print.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Mapping of the essay by Ritu Kedia
RITU KEDIA
1024110
CIA 2
MEL 132
WESTERN AESTHETICS
15 JULY 2010
MAP OF “MORDERNIST PAINTING” BY CLEMENT GREENBERG
PARAGRAPH 1: WHAT IS MODERNISM?
Includes more than art and literature-covers culture in its entirety-of historical novelty-has self critical tendency-Kant-the first real modernist-criticizes the means itself of criticism
PARAGRAPH 2: WHERE DOES MODERNISM’S ESSENCE LIE?
Using characteristic method of the discipline to criticize the discipline itself-Kant-used logic to establish limits of logic
PARAGRAPH 3: HOW CRITICISM EVOLVED?
Self criticism of modernism-enlightenment-criticized from outside-modernism-from inside- criticism-appeared first in philosophy-then other fields-demanded rational justification-for every formal activity
PARAGRAPH 4: ART AND RELIGION
Religion- could not avail criticism in order to justify itself-art-saved by proving that the experience it provided was valuable in its own right
PARAGRAPH 5: ART’S PLACE
Each art had to determine the effects exclusive to itself-thus narrowing in narrowing its area of competence-making its possession more certain.
PARAGRAPH 6: HOW DOES ART GET ITS PURITY?
Unique area of competence of each art coincided with the uniqueness in the nature of its medium-task of self criticism-to eliminate every effect borrowed from other art-thus art gets purity-purity meant self definition-self criticism-self definition with a vengeance
PARAGRAPH 7: REALISTIC AND IMPRESSIONISTS
Realistic art uses art to conceal art-modernism-used art to call attention to art-limitations of paintings-negative forces-old masters-under modernism became positive forces-recognized-acknowledged openly-Manet’s-first Modernist pictures-flat surfaces- impressionists-abjured underpainting and glazes-Cézanne- sacrificed correctness-to fit his drawing to the canvas’s rectangular shape
PARAGRAPH 8: ROLE OF FLATNESS IN MODERN PAINTING
Stressing ineluctable flatness-fundamental process by which pictorial art criticized and defined itself under modernism-flatness unique to pictoral art-enclosing shape shared with art of theatre-colour shared with theatre and sculpture-flatness of painting shared with no other art
PARAGRAPH 9: HOW DOES SUCCESS OF MODERNISM LEND SUCCESS TO SELF CRITICISM?
Old masters-necessary to preserve integrity of picture plane-signifies enduring presence of flatness underneath-modernists-reversed its term-makes aware of what flatness contains-modernist picture-seen as a picture first-modernism’s success in doing so is the success of self criticism.
PARAAGRAPH 10: PAINTING AND SCULPTURE
Modernist painting-not abandoned-representation of recognizable objects in principle-but represents space that recognizable objects inhibit-abstractness-not necessary in self criticism of pictorial art-illustration-no uniqueness-association important-recognizable entities exist in three dimensional space-it being province of sculpture-to achieve autonomy painting has to divest itself of everything it might share with sculpture-so painting-abstract.
PARAGRAPH 11: HOW PAINTING TOOK ANTI-SCULPTURAL DIRECTION?
Resistance to sculpture-dates back-before advent of modernism-western painting-owes to sculpture that taught-how to shape-model for illusion of relief-greatest feats of western painting made itself rid of the sculptural-started in Venice-sixteenth century-first effort-colour-David-eighteenth century tried to revive sculptural painting-to save pictorial art from-decorative flattening out-emphasis on colour-yet strength of David’s best picture-colour-Ingres-pupil-subordinated colour-executed portraits-that were flattest-least sculptural painting-in West-since fourteenth century-therefore middle of nineteenth century-anti-sculptural direction
PARAGRAOH 12: COUNTER REVOLUTION
From colour versus drawing to optical experience against optical experience-Cezanne-cubist-reacted against Impressionism-David reacted against Fragonard-Cubist counter revolution-painting flatter than anything in Western art since Giotto and Cimabue-hardly recognizable images
PARAGARPH 13: CHANGES OVER THE TIME
Cardinal norms of painting began with onset of modernism-picture’s enclosing shape-loosened-tightened-isolated-tightened again-by successive generations of Modernist painters-norms of finish-paint texture-value-colour contrast-revised-testing is not finished yet
PARAGRAPH 14: LIMITS THAT DEFINE PICTURE
Norms of discipline when defined-limits conditions that a picture must comply with-to be experienced as a picture-Modernism-limits pushed back-indefinitely-picture turns into arbitrary object-criss-crossing black lines-coloured rectangles of Mondrian paintings give new force by echoing shape-once used to abstractness-realize-its conservative in colour—subservient to frame
PARAGRAPH 15: ILLUSIONS BY OLD MASTER’S AND MODERN PAINTERS
Flatness-never-absolute flatness-heightened sensitivity-no longer permitted-sculptural illusion-permitted optical illusion-old masters-illusion of depth and space-one could imagine oneself walking into-analogous illusion-modernist painter can only be seen into-only with the eye
PARAGRAPH 16: R0LE OF SCIENCE
Impressionist or neo impressionist-not misguide when they flirted with science-Kantian self criticism-found fullest expression in science-not philosophy-visual art should confine itself exclusively to-visual experience-no reference to any other experience-thus notion’s justification-in scientific consistency
PARAGRAPH 17: RELATING SCIENCE AND MODERN ART
Art’s convergence with science-mere accident-assures nothing more-convergence show-profound degree to which Modernist art belong-modern science thus of-highest significance as historical fact
PARAGRAPH 18: SELF CRITICISM IN MODERN ART
Carried in spontaneous-subliminal ways-a matter of practice-not theory-less of programmatic in Modernist art than in renaissance or academics painting-no fixed ideas about art-certain inclinations-affirmations-refusals-necessary-more expressive art lies through them-truth and success of work –personal-reveals self critical tendency of Modernist painting
PARAGRAPH 19: HOW MODERNISM DIFFERS FROM THE TRADITIONAL?
Modernism means devolution-unraveling of tradition-further evolution-modernist art continues the past without gap-making of pictures-controlled-Palaeolithic painters-disregard norm of frame-worked on support-arbitrarily given by nature-deliberate choosing of flat surface-modernist painting- limiting conditions of art are altogether human conditions
PARAGRAPH 20: WHAT MODERNISM DOES?
Does not offer theoretical demonstrations-converts theoretical possibilities into empirical ones-tests theories about art for their relevance-revives reputations of-Uccello-El Greco Giotto- not lowering-Leonardo-Raphael- past did appreciate masters justly-but gave wrong reasons for doing so often
PARAGRAPH 21: MODERN ART THROUGH JOURNALISM
Art criticism-art history-lag behind modernism as it lagged behind pre modernistic art-written things about modern art belong to journalism –not critical or art history-journalism hails each new phase of modernist art as the start of new epoch-breaking from customs-everyone regardless of how well informed or uninformed-has say about it-each time expectations disappointed-Modernist art takes place in intelligible continuity of taste and tradition
PARAGRAGH 20: ART IS CONTINUITY
Lacking the past of art-need to maintain standards of excellence-modernist art would lack both substance and justification.
Work cited:
Greenberg,Clement “Modernist Painting”art in modern culture: an anthology of critical texts. Eds Francis,Jonathan Harris. Londaon/New York: Phaidon1992.Print.
1024110
CIA 2
MEL 132
WESTERN AESTHETICS
15 JULY 2010
MAP OF “MORDERNIST PAINTING” BY CLEMENT GREENBERG
PARAGRAPH 1: WHAT IS MODERNISM?
Includes more than art and literature-covers culture in its entirety-of historical novelty-has self critical tendency-Kant-the first real modernist-criticizes the means itself of criticism
PARAGRAPH 2: WHERE DOES MODERNISM’S ESSENCE LIE?
Using characteristic method of the discipline to criticize the discipline itself-Kant-used logic to establish limits of logic
PARAGRAPH 3: HOW CRITICISM EVOLVED?
Self criticism of modernism-enlightenment-criticized from outside-modernism-from inside- criticism-appeared first in philosophy-then other fields-demanded rational justification-for every formal activity
PARAGRAPH 4: ART AND RELIGION
Religion- could not avail criticism in order to justify itself-art-saved by proving that the experience it provided was valuable in its own right
PARAGRAPH 5: ART’S PLACE
Each art had to determine the effects exclusive to itself-thus narrowing in narrowing its area of competence-making its possession more certain.
PARAGRAPH 6: HOW DOES ART GET ITS PURITY?
Unique area of competence of each art coincided with the uniqueness in the nature of its medium-task of self criticism-to eliminate every effect borrowed from other art-thus art gets purity-purity meant self definition-self criticism-self definition with a vengeance
PARAGRAPH 7: REALISTIC AND IMPRESSIONISTS
Realistic art uses art to conceal art-modernism-used art to call attention to art-limitations of paintings-negative forces-old masters-under modernism became positive forces-recognized-acknowledged openly-Manet’s-first Modernist pictures-flat surfaces- impressionists-abjured underpainting and glazes-Cézanne- sacrificed correctness-to fit his drawing to the canvas’s rectangular shape
PARAGRAPH 8: ROLE OF FLATNESS IN MODERN PAINTING
Stressing ineluctable flatness-fundamental process by which pictorial art criticized and defined itself under modernism-flatness unique to pictoral art-enclosing shape shared with art of theatre-colour shared with theatre and sculpture-flatness of painting shared with no other art
PARAGRAPH 9: HOW DOES SUCCESS OF MODERNISM LEND SUCCESS TO SELF CRITICISM?
Old masters-necessary to preserve integrity of picture plane-signifies enduring presence of flatness underneath-modernists-reversed its term-makes aware of what flatness contains-modernist picture-seen as a picture first-modernism’s success in doing so is the success of self criticism.
PARAAGRAPH 10: PAINTING AND SCULPTURE
Modernist painting-not abandoned-representation of recognizable objects in principle-but represents space that recognizable objects inhibit-abstractness-not necessary in self criticism of pictorial art-illustration-no uniqueness-association important-recognizable entities exist in three dimensional space-it being province of sculpture-to achieve autonomy painting has to divest itself of everything it might share with sculpture-so painting-abstract.
PARAGRAPH 11: HOW PAINTING TOOK ANTI-SCULPTURAL DIRECTION?
Resistance to sculpture-dates back-before advent of modernism-western painting-owes to sculpture that taught-how to shape-model for illusion of relief-greatest feats of western painting made itself rid of the sculptural-started in Venice-sixteenth century-first effort-colour-David-eighteenth century tried to revive sculptural painting-to save pictorial art from-decorative flattening out-emphasis on colour-yet strength of David’s best picture-colour-Ingres-pupil-subordinated colour-executed portraits-that were flattest-least sculptural painting-in West-since fourteenth century-therefore middle of nineteenth century-anti-sculptural direction
PARAGRAOH 12: COUNTER REVOLUTION
From colour versus drawing to optical experience against optical experience-Cezanne-cubist-reacted against Impressionism-David reacted against Fragonard-Cubist counter revolution-painting flatter than anything in Western art since Giotto and Cimabue-hardly recognizable images
PARAGARPH 13: CHANGES OVER THE TIME
Cardinal norms of painting began with onset of modernism-picture’s enclosing shape-loosened-tightened-isolated-tightened again-by successive generations of Modernist painters-norms of finish-paint texture-value-colour contrast-revised-testing is not finished yet
PARAGRAPH 14: LIMITS THAT DEFINE PICTURE
Norms of discipline when defined-limits conditions that a picture must comply with-to be experienced as a picture-Modernism-limits pushed back-indefinitely-picture turns into arbitrary object-criss-crossing black lines-coloured rectangles of Mondrian paintings give new force by echoing shape-once used to abstractness-realize-its conservative in colour—subservient to frame
PARAGRAPH 15: ILLUSIONS BY OLD MASTER’S AND MODERN PAINTERS
Flatness-never-absolute flatness-heightened sensitivity-no longer permitted-sculptural illusion-permitted optical illusion-old masters-illusion of depth and space-one could imagine oneself walking into-analogous illusion-modernist painter can only be seen into-only with the eye
PARAGRAPH 16: R0LE OF SCIENCE
Impressionist or neo impressionist-not misguide when they flirted with science-Kantian self criticism-found fullest expression in science-not philosophy-visual art should confine itself exclusively to-visual experience-no reference to any other experience-thus notion’s justification-in scientific consistency
PARAGRAPH 17: RELATING SCIENCE AND MODERN ART
Art’s convergence with science-mere accident-assures nothing more-convergence show-profound degree to which Modernist art belong-modern science thus of-highest significance as historical fact
PARAGRAPH 18: SELF CRITICISM IN MODERN ART
Carried in spontaneous-subliminal ways-a matter of practice-not theory-less of programmatic in Modernist art than in renaissance or academics painting-no fixed ideas about art-certain inclinations-affirmations-refusals-necessary-more expressive art lies through them-truth and success of work –personal-reveals self critical tendency of Modernist painting
PARAGRAPH 19: HOW MODERNISM DIFFERS FROM THE TRADITIONAL?
Modernism means devolution-unraveling of tradition-further evolution-modernist art continues the past without gap-making of pictures-controlled-Palaeolithic painters-disregard norm of frame-worked on support-arbitrarily given by nature-deliberate choosing of flat surface-modernist painting- limiting conditions of art are altogether human conditions
PARAGRAPH 20: WHAT MODERNISM DOES?
Does not offer theoretical demonstrations-converts theoretical possibilities into empirical ones-tests theories about art for their relevance-revives reputations of-Uccello-El Greco Giotto- not lowering-Leonardo-Raphael- past did appreciate masters justly-but gave wrong reasons for doing so often
PARAGRAPH 21: MODERN ART THROUGH JOURNALISM
Art criticism-art history-lag behind modernism as it lagged behind pre modernistic art-written things about modern art belong to journalism –not critical or art history-journalism hails each new phase of modernist art as the start of new epoch-breaking from customs-everyone regardless of how well informed or uninformed-has say about it-each time expectations disappointed-Modernist art takes place in intelligible continuity of taste and tradition
PARAGRAGH 20: ART IS CONTINUITY
Lacking the past of art-need to maintain standards of excellence-modernist art would lack both substance and justification.
Work cited:
Greenberg,Clement “Modernist Painting”art in modern culture: an anthology of critical texts. Eds Francis,Jonathan Harris. Londaon/New York: Phaidon1992.Print.
Mapping of the essay by Triveni Waikhom
Map of Essay “Aesthetics and Politics” Triveni Waikhom
By 1024120
Frederic Jameson MEL132:Western Aesthetics
15/07/2010
Paragraph 1: Post-Marxism
Besides Political history-Post-Marxism-Marxism-Pre-Marxism.Marxism-older controversies.Past-haunting factor-present.
Understanding:
1.It is clear known fact that it is not only political history but histories of the past that reflects the present and nobody can get away from it just as explanation requires explanation for the emerging concepts and others in the present.
Paragraph 2: Navigation
“return of the repressed”-Realism and Modernism-aesthetic conflict. Navigation inevitable but irreducible past. Political replay-Querelle des anciens et des modernes-aesthetics-dilemmas –history.
Understanding:
1.The aesthetic times is also explicably “return of the repressed.””Realism” and “Modernism”are bound in counteracting their ideas in aesthetics.Only conversion is possible and that happens through changes in them.Contemporary political replay,Querelle des anciens et des modernes is in which aesthetics came face to face with dilemmas of history.
Paragraph 3:Controversy
1.Controversy over Realism and Modernism was a living fact among the German Left writings in the 1920s and1930’s.
2.Lukacs set the stage for debate between Bloch,Lukacs,Brecht,Benjamin and Adorno which relate to internal dynamism and surpasses Expressionism and realism to draw within popular art,naturalism,socialist realism etc.
3.Fundamental themes have been transmitted to students by Marcuse while their revival in political modernisms was in Brecht’s work.
Paragraph 4:Lukacs-Brecht counteraction
1.In the controversy over Realism and Modernism,Brecht-Lukacs confrontation was of rare” “spots” on the influence of contemporary Marxism.
2.Brecht was the support of the Communist while the latter was a heir of German tradition.
3.Differences of style,identification and culture in Pleibeian and mandarin type collided the two.Lukacs had the better stand here.
Paragraph 5:Brecht on Lukacs
1.Lukacs turned down the discussion of Expressionism into Realism one.
2.Lukacs insisted on the crucial significance of literature and his development of theory of mediations was purely formal aesthetic phenomena.
3.Brecht terming Lukacs method as formalistic in the former’s decoding of naturalism.
4.Lukacs privileged on solitary reading as in novels contrasted to Brechts performance in art.
5.Brechts adverse ideas point the practical stance challenging the idealogical radicality.Two types of idealisms:
• .common variety in religion,metaphysics or literalism and
• .ideal science dividing mental and manual labour
On the other hand Lukacs touch on psychoanalytics,semiotics serves a a construct of ideological act to present-day research.
Paragraph 6:Discussion on the argument
1.Brecht’s argument was indignation while Lukacs employed his methods more.
2.The exhibit of Lukacs link on Expressionism and social-democracy to intricate on Bloch’s essays launched the Realism debate.
3.Marxism reduced to texual objects by the Lukacses.Among them Die Zerstorung der Vernunft is the least restorable.Lukacs’ reference not so much referred to social class but so with the relation between class and ideology.
4.Lukacs’ “decadence”streams with fascism and modern art ,also equivalent the false consciousnessness of ideal concept.
5.He fails to imply everyday issues.In the 1920s and 30s such culpability of decadence was of eternal rounds.
6.More is the content of the social repressed in modern era though Fitzgerald supports Lukacs concept.
Paragraph 7:Political failure on Lukacs’ stance
1.Lukacs failure to relate art and ideology is its explaination in politics.
2.He disliked socialist realism as much as western modernism and did not show up in the Moscow of the 1930’s and 1940’s.
3.’Naturalism’ was pejorative word for socialist realism.
4.The argument between modernism and the bad immediacy of photographic naturalism was his insight
5.In his “entry to ticket” on rationality to Lukacs choice ,Korsh or Reich argued with his objectives.
6.Lukacs formal means to subjectiveness to modernism and objectivism to naturalism he had no intellect proves it all.
7.A revolutionary anti-fascist support and anti-capitalist merged in Lukacs “Blue Theses.”In military era genuine social revolution becomes difficult.
Paragraph 8:Lukacs as in aesthetics
1.Lukacs work today is more analysed alike an old fashioned monument.
2.Lukacs occupies a certain mimetic position of mediation as “real” in our eyes.Lukacsian realism possibly aids sociological approach which is antagonistic to recent construing narratives.
3.Lukacs view is taken to be more today at argumentative level than in artistic style.
Paragraph 9: Lukacs’ ansd Brecht’s definition of science
1.Brechts has rewritten in concern of the present.Lukacs stand is only more complex stand on realism Brecht says.Brechts bound up more in science in contemporariness.
2.For Lukacs science is abstract while for Brecht it is far less a matter of knowledge.Lukacs’ is more of popular science while for Brecht it is blurring the difference between the physical and the mental activity.It keeps track of changings and unites theory and action Brecht says.Didactic art may no longer be judged separate from teachings and pleasure.
Paragraph 10:Brecht’s vision
1.Brecht vision science is non- alienated production.
2.In bourgeoise literature there is practice of Utopian emblem leaving out alienation and division of labour.
3.Brechts vision is present still what is termed as second industrial revolution.Brecht on “science”piece is one on Lenin’s “ the soviets plus electrification”
Paragraph 11:Ends of Revolution
1.Lukacs fundamental notion of” Verfremdung”the estrangement effect”invoking political modernism.
2. Estrangement is revealed to be historical and revolutionary change provide an outlet from the dead end agitational didactism.Pounds”make it new”from the ends of a revolutionary politics.
3.Traditional realism defended by Lukacs is oriented to the”closed form” while even bourgeois modernism calls older formal values to question to an open end.
Paragraph 12:”Total system”
1.Brecht and Lukacs spelled out of the notion of the Marxist aesthetics and a Marxian concept of realism.
2.The inextricable relationship between and media’s revolutionary possibilities is as for minority”elites “and massive mediafor Brecht and Benjamin,so our thinking about aesthetics is locked inevitably.
3.Nazism corresponds to the early media so does Benjamin’s cultural strategy for attacking it and takes back technically to their degree of advancement.
Paragraph 13:Compatible impact.
1.The fundamental difference between present situation and that of the thirties is the transformation of the late monopoly.Adorno’s two postwar essays reflects upon this.
2. Adorno and Horkheimer encourages all pervasiveness with its culture and makes for an unpropitious climate for any of the older .Some of Adorno’s most remarkable essays in the Philosophy of Modern Music holds up a mirror referring late capitalism.
3.Adorno’s attack on Lukacs is Lukacs partiality in analyzing Brecht’s work.Early anti-social phenomenon became a social part today.
References:
Jameson Frederic”Aesthetics and Politics”Art in Modern Culture:An Anthology of Critical Texts.
Eds:Francis Franscina and Jonathan Harris.London/New York:Phaidon,1992
“Aesthetics and Politics” Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopaedia.Wikipedia FoundationInc.,13 June
2010.Web15 July2010.
By 1024120
Frederic Jameson MEL132:Western Aesthetics
15/07/2010
Paragraph 1: Post-Marxism
Besides Political history-Post-Marxism-Marxism-Pre-Marxism.Marxism-older controversies.Past-haunting factor-present.
Understanding:
1.It is clear known fact that it is not only political history but histories of the past that reflects the present and nobody can get away from it just as explanation requires explanation for the emerging concepts and others in the present.
Paragraph 2: Navigation
“return of the repressed”-Realism and Modernism-aesthetic conflict. Navigation inevitable but irreducible past. Political replay-Querelle des anciens et des modernes-aesthetics-dilemmas –history.
Understanding:
1.The aesthetic times is also explicably “return of the repressed.””Realism” and “Modernism”are bound in counteracting their ideas in aesthetics.Only conversion is possible and that happens through changes in them.Contemporary political replay,Querelle des anciens et des modernes is in which aesthetics came face to face with dilemmas of history.
Paragraph 3:Controversy
1.Controversy over Realism and Modernism was a living fact among the German Left writings in the 1920s and1930’s.
2.Lukacs set the stage for debate between Bloch,Lukacs,Brecht,Benjamin and Adorno which relate to internal dynamism and surpasses Expressionism and realism to draw within popular art,naturalism,socialist realism etc.
3.Fundamental themes have been transmitted to students by Marcuse while their revival in political modernisms was in Brecht’s work.
Paragraph 4:Lukacs-Brecht counteraction
1.In the controversy over Realism and Modernism,Brecht-Lukacs confrontation was of rare” “spots” on the influence of contemporary Marxism.
2.Brecht was the support of the Communist while the latter was a heir of German tradition.
3.Differences of style,identification and culture in Pleibeian and mandarin type collided the two.Lukacs had the better stand here.
Paragraph 5:Brecht on Lukacs
1.Lukacs turned down the discussion of Expressionism into Realism one.
2.Lukacs insisted on the crucial significance of literature and his development of theory of mediations was purely formal aesthetic phenomena.
3.Brecht terming Lukacs method as formalistic in the former’s decoding of naturalism.
4.Lukacs privileged on solitary reading as in novels contrasted to Brechts performance in art.
5.Brechts adverse ideas point the practical stance challenging the idealogical radicality.Two types of idealisms:
• .common variety in religion,metaphysics or literalism and
• .ideal science dividing mental and manual labour
On the other hand Lukacs touch on psychoanalytics,semiotics serves a a construct of ideological act to present-day research.
Paragraph 6:Discussion on the argument
1.Brecht’s argument was indignation while Lukacs employed his methods more.
2.The exhibit of Lukacs link on Expressionism and social-democracy to intricate on Bloch’s essays launched the Realism debate.
3.Marxism reduced to texual objects by the Lukacses.Among them Die Zerstorung der Vernunft is the least restorable.Lukacs’ reference not so much referred to social class but so with the relation between class and ideology.
4.Lukacs’ “decadence”streams with fascism and modern art ,also equivalent the false consciousnessness of ideal concept.
5.He fails to imply everyday issues.In the 1920s and 30s such culpability of decadence was of eternal rounds.
6.More is the content of the social repressed in modern era though Fitzgerald supports Lukacs concept.
Paragraph 7:Political failure on Lukacs’ stance
1.Lukacs failure to relate art and ideology is its explaination in politics.
2.He disliked socialist realism as much as western modernism and did not show up in the Moscow of the 1930’s and 1940’s.
3.’Naturalism’ was pejorative word for socialist realism.
4.The argument between modernism and the bad immediacy of photographic naturalism was his insight
5.In his “entry to ticket” on rationality to Lukacs choice ,Korsh or Reich argued with his objectives.
6.Lukacs formal means to subjectiveness to modernism and objectivism to naturalism he had no intellect proves it all.
7.A revolutionary anti-fascist support and anti-capitalist merged in Lukacs “Blue Theses.”In military era genuine social revolution becomes difficult.
Paragraph 8:Lukacs as in aesthetics
1.Lukacs work today is more analysed alike an old fashioned monument.
2.Lukacs occupies a certain mimetic position of mediation as “real” in our eyes.Lukacsian realism possibly aids sociological approach which is antagonistic to recent construing narratives.
3.Lukacs view is taken to be more today at argumentative level than in artistic style.
Paragraph 9: Lukacs’ ansd Brecht’s definition of science
1.Brechts has rewritten in concern of the present.Lukacs stand is only more complex stand on realism Brecht says.Brechts bound up more in science in contemporariness.
2.For Lukacs science is abstract while for Brecht it is far less a matter of knowledge.Lukacs’ is more of popular science while for Brecht it is blurring the difference between the physical and the mental activity.It keeps track of changings and unites theory and action Brecht says.Didactic art may no longer be judged separate from teachings and pleasure.
Paragraph 10:Brecht’s vision
1.Brecht vision science is non- alienated production.
2.In bourgeoise literature there is practice of Utopian emblem leaving out alienation and division of labour.
3.Brechts vision is present still what is termed as second industrial revolution.Brecht on “science”piece is one on Lenin’s “ the soviets plus electrification”
Paragraph 11:Ends of Revolution
1.Lukacs fundamental notion of” Verfremdung”the estrangement effect”invoking political modernism.
2. Estrangement is revealed to be historical and revolutionary change provide an outlet from the dead end agitational didactism.Pounds”make it new”from the ends of a revolutionary politics.
3.Traditional realism defended by Lukacs is oriented to the”closed form” while even bourgeois modernism calls older formal values to question to an open end.
Paragraph 12:”Total system”
1.Brecht and Lukacs spelled out of the notion of the Marxist aesthetics and a Marxian concept of realism.
2.The inextricable relationship between and media’s revolutionary possibilities is as for minority”elites “and massive mediafor Brecht and Benjamin,so our thinking about aesthetics is locked inevitably.
3.Nazism corresponds to the early media so does Benjamin’s cultural strategy for attacking it and takes back technically to their degree of advancement.
Paragraph 13:Compatible impact.
1.The fundamental difference between present situation and that of the thirties is the transformation of the late monopoly.Adorno’s two postwar essays reflects upon this.
2. Adorno and Horkheimer encourages all pervasiveness with its culture and makes for an unpropitious climate for any of the older .Some of Adorno’s most remarkable essays in the Philosophy of Modern Music holds up a mirror referring late capitalism.
3.Adorno’s attack on Lukacs is Lukacs partiality in analyzing Brecht’s work.Early anti-social phenomenon became a social part today.
References:
Jameson Frederic”Aesthetics and Politics”Art in Modern Culture:An Anthology of Critical Texts.
Eds:Francis Franscina and Jonathan Harris.London/New York:Phaidon,1992
“Aesthetics and Politics” Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopaedia.Wikipedia FoundationInc.,13 June
2010.Web15 July2010.
Mapping of the essay by Ankita Das
Ankita Das
1024103
CIA 2 MEL 132
WESTERN AESTHETICS
15 July 2010
MAP OF THE ESSAY
“THE ‘PRIMITIVE’ UNCONSCIOUS OF MODERN ART ”
By- Hal Foster
1. Representation of two scenes:
• Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon is a piece that can be categorized as one falling between modernist and pre-modernist category of painting, it acts as a bridge between the two
• The painting can be said to represent an encounter between two scenes – one, the actually depicted one in the painting being that of the prostitutes in a brothel in Bordello and second, the projected one inspired from Picasso’s visit to the collection of tribal artifacts in the museum in Trocadero, which is evident from the use of the masks in the painting.
2. Tribal Object
• The painting presents the conflict between the threat to male superiority and its defences. The women being projected as the ‘other’ or the subjects to this male superiority.
• The women are using the masks (or more generally the tribal objects) as a weapon in their defence against this male superiority and the writer is of the view that at some level Picasso must have been known the use of tribal objects to ward of evil and that concept gets translated here in the context of male domination over women and more particularly the prostitutes in this painting.
• He further elaborates that point by quoting Picasso on how he initially conceptualized this painting. During his visit to Trocadero it came to Picasso that all the art forms there were in some sense weapons, objects used to ward of evil, and evil is simplistically put anything that was unknown. Picasso sought to ascribe that power of warding off evil to the prostitutes in Bordello through his painting.
3. Mediating Primitivism
• The writer regards this painting as a primary scene of primitivism, demonstrating the relationship between narcissism and aggressivity and that the same primitive notions are applicable to the West.
4. Modern tribal affinity
• In a recent exhibition, the painting was presented together with tribal masks showing the close connection and inspiration of the painting to these tribal objects.
• One argument presented is that primitive modernism is not inspired per se by objects but brought on by the autonomous force of these objects.
5. Decontextualization
• The author questions whether the museum was entirely successful in decontextualizing the art works in the exhibition
• He seems to suggest that in a way the show further reinforced the imperialist underpinnings in the art works presented and merely substituted one for the other, without producing any real counter discourse.
6. Positivist terms
• He says that encounter of tribal and modern was presented in purely objective terms.
• The two were separated into two categories such that one could only reflect the other and the only conclusion proposed was that there is an affinity between the two.
7. Oceanic
• The affinities suggested in the exhibition was mostly morphological even when there could be other possible affinities. This was done through abstraction on both set of objects.One example of this presented by the author is a painted Oceanic wood figure placed together with a painting by Kenneth Noland, which makes a point about universality.
8. Other Affinities
• The author is of the opinion that the exhibition failed to explore other possible associations between the two set of objects, to question what might arise when tribal work is read into modern art or when modern values are imposed upon the tribal objects.
• The author suggests that in both cases above, the result would be such that different orders of tribal culture would be made to resemble a corresponding western form.
9. The Problem with Defining Primitivism
• The author is skeptical that we have failed to properly understand primitivism and seem to have presented it in wholly western terms.
10. Pre-existing Code
• The tribal objects were used as a means to bring forth the affinity between primitivism and modern art in the exhibition. He further suggests that this was already a pre-existing code from the time of the African Negro Art show in 1935.
11. Extension of the code
• This particular show only extended the pre-existing code, by decoding the tribal elements into existing modern terms that resemble it.
12. Western Universality
• The author writes that there are three possible affinities – resemblance, kinship and spiritual / chemical attraction. Through the exhibition, the resemblances were used to suggest kinship, which the author regards as nothing more than an optical illusion. Through this primitivism is once again subordinated under western universality.
13. Mis-readings
• The author criticizes the exhibition as having reinforced some of the misreadings of tribal art and having created new ones though it had sought out to rectify such mistakes.
The author also suggests that the affinities and resemblances appears to be manufactured and super-imposed. He further questions whether the objects presented could qualify as art at all, since many are historical artifacts.
14. Museum – a reflection of the outside world?
But he questions how can this modern / tribal be properly represented and concludes that perhaps for a museum to contextualize beyond the pre-dominant view of the existing society is not possible.
[]
15. Transgressive Model of Modernism
In the primitivism exhibition, the author glimpses shifts from MoMA’s typical modernist model, but then disregards it as only a fake attempt and concludes that MoMA retains its official model of modern art.
16. Conflict within MOMA in its story of art
The show reflects the conflict in the attempts of MoMA of trying to change its modernist model at the same time being blocked by its own premises. What emerges is a pretentious and ineffective attempt at revising its own story of art.
17. Western Construction of Primitive
The Eurocentric construction of primitive has always been the ‘other’ – something that is the opposite of what the West is. In a way primitive helps define Western identity.
18. Two concepts of Primitivism
• Philosophically, there are two primitivisms – one that is rational and the other an evil one.
• With the former, the primitive seeks enlightenment and becomes part of the West.
19. Western man and Primitivism – equal partners?
• The author argues that through the enlightenment of the ‘other’ differences between the other and the western man will disappear. But he questions whether despite this, the western man and the primitive other can be regarded as equal partners in the march of reason.
20. Western Conquest
• The author does not completely agree with the argument that modern artistic primitivism goes hand in hand with scientific knowledge.
• The author states that the invention of the primitive other is a form western conquest, therefore to agree with the above argument would be to make the relationship between the two overly simplistic.
21. Imperialism in Art
• He analogizes modern art primitivism to a military conquest by the west. He states that through primitivism, imperialism in art is sought to be disguised and giving the false notion that the problem has been resolved.
22. West defined by the ‘Other’
• The identity of the west is defined by the other, the author asks what would happen if the other disappears. He answers it by saying that there may be two possibilities, one the primitive as an outside or opposition is threatened; two, it reappears within the western culture as its critique.
23. Modern problem?
• The author suggests that the logical extension of this would be that primitivism is a modern problem, but he is of the view that such an opinion renders it a non-problem.
24. First Encounter with Primitivism
The first encounter with primitivism is regarded as 1492, primarily due to two reasons – discovery of America and also the time of renaissance.
25. Change in the Concept of the Other
In the present context, he argues that the concept of the other has become obsolete.
26. The Other Remains
The author is of the view that despite changes in present context, the ‘other’ remains. The concept of the ‘other’ has now changed from a geographic entity, it can be manifested in other ways, such as opposition to Western ideas such as pretences of sovereignty, supremacy etc.
REFERENCE :
Foster,Hal. “The ‘Primitive’ Unconscious of Modern Art.”, Art in Modern Culture:
An Anthology of Critical Texts .Eds .Francis Franscina and Jonathan Harris.
London/New York :Phaidon .1992 .print.
1024103
CIA 2 MEL 132
WESTERN AESTHETICS
15 July 2010
MAP OF THE ESSAY
“THE ‘PRIMITIVE’ UNCONSCIOUS OF MODERN ART ”
By- Hal Foster
1. Representation of two scenes:
• Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon is a piece that can be categorized as one falling between modernist and pre-modernist category of painting, it acts as a bridge between the two
• The painting can be said to represent an encounter between two scenes – one, the actually depicted one in the painting being that of the prostitutes in a brothel in Bordello and second, the projected one inspired from Picasso’s visit to the collection of tribal artifacts in the museum in Trocadero, which is evident from the use of the masks in the painting.
2. Tribal Object
• The painting presents the conflict between the threat to male superiority and its defences. The women being projected as the ‘other’ or the subjects to this male superiority.
• The women are using the masks (or more generally the tribal objects) as a weapon in their defence against this male superiority and the writer is of the view that at some level Picasso must have been known the use of tribal objects to ward of evil and that concept gets translated here in the context of male domination over women and more particularly the prostitutes in this painting.
• He further elaborates that point by quoting Picasso on how he initially conceptualized this painting. During his visit to Trocadero it came to Picasso that all the art forms there were in some sense weapons, objects used to ward of evil, and evil is simplistically put anything that was unknown. Picasso sought to ascribe that power of warding off evil to the prostitutes in Bordello through his painting.
3. Mediating Primitivism
• The writer regards this painting as a primary scene of primitivism, demonstrating the relationship between narcissism and aggressivity and that the same primitive notions are applicable to the West.
4. Modern tribal affinity
• In a recent exhibition, the painting was presented together with tribal masks showing the close connection and inspiration of the painting to these tribal objects.
• One argument presented is that primitive modernism is not inspired per se by objects but brought on by the autonomous force of these objects.
5. Decontextualization
• The author questions whether the museum was entirely successful in decontextualizing the art works in the exhibition
• He seems to suggest that in a way the show further reinforced the imperialist underpinnings in the art works presented and merely substituted one for the other, without producing any real counter discourse.
6. Positivist terms
• He says that encounter of tribal and modern was presented in purely objective terms.
• The two were separated into two categories such that one could only reflect the other and the only conclusion proposed was that there is an affinity between the two.
7. Oceanic
• The affinities suggested in the exhibition was mostly morphological even when there could be other possible affinities. This was done through abstraction on both set of objects.One example of this presented by the author is a painted Oceanic wood figure placed together with a painting by Kenneth Noland, which makes a point about universality.
8. Other Affinities
• The author is of the opinion that the exhibition failed to explore other possible associations between the two set of objects, to question what might arise when tribal work is read into modern art or when modern values are imposed upon the tribal objects.
• The author suggests that in both cases above, the result would be such that different orders of tribal culture would be made to resemble a corresponding western form.
9. The Problem with Defining Primitivism
• The author is skeptical that we have failed to properly understand primitivism and seem to have presented it in wholly western terms.
10. Pre-existing Code
• The tribal objects were used as a means to bring forth the affinity between primitivism and modern art in the exhibition. He further suggests that this was already a pre-existing code from the time of the African Negro Art show in 1935.
11. Extension of the code
• This particular show only extended the pre-existing code, by decoding the tribal elements into existing modern terms that resemble it.
12. Western Universality
• The author writes that there are three possible affinities – resemblance, kinship and spiritual / chemical attraction. Through the exhibition, the resemblances were used to suggest kinship, which the author regards as nothing more than an optical illusion. Through this primitivism is once again subordinated under western universality.
13. Mis-readings
• The author criticizes the exhibition as having reinforced some of the misreadings of tribal art and having created new ones though it had sought out to rectify such mistakes.
The author also suggests that the affinities and resemblances appears to be manufactured and super-imposed. He further questions whether the objects presented could qualify as art at all, since many are historical artifacts.
14. Museum – a reflection of the outside world?
But he questions how can this modern / tribal be properly represented and concludes that perhaps for a museum to contextualize beyond the pre-dominant view of the existing society is not possible.
[]
15. Transgressive Model of Modernism
In the primitivism exhibition, the author glimpses shifts from MoMA’s typical modernist model, but then disregards it as only a fake attempt and concludes that MoMA retains its official model of modern art.
16. Conflict within MOMA in its story of art
The show reflects the conflict in the attempts of MoMA of trying to change its modernist model at the same time being blocked by its own premises. What emerges is a pretentious and ineffective attempt at revising its own story of art.
17. Western Construction of Primitive
The Eurocentric construction of primitive has always been the ‘other’ – something that is the opposite of what the West is. In a way primitive helps define Western identity.
18. Two concepts of Primitivism
• Philosophically, there are two primitivisms – one that is rational and the other an evil one.
• With the former, the primitive seeks enlightenment and becomes part of the West.
19. Western man and Primitivism – equal partners?
• The author argues that through the enlightenment of the ‘other’ differences between the other and the western man will disappear. But he questions whether despite this, the western man and the primitive other can be regarded as equal partners in the march of reason.
20. Western Conquest
• The author does not completely agree with the argument that modern artistic primitivism goes hand in hand with scientific knowledge.
• The author states that the invention of the primitive other is a form western conquest, therefore to agree with the above argument would be to make the relationship between the two overly simplistic.
21. Imperialism in Art
• He analogizes modern art primitivism to a military conquest by the west. He states that through primitivism, imperialism in art is sought to be disguised and giving the false notion that the problem has been resolved.
22. West defined by the ‘Other’
• The identity of the west is defined by the other, the author asks what would happen if the other disappears. He answers it by saying that there may be two possibilities, one the primitive as an outside or opposition is threatened; two, it reappears within the western culture as its critique.
23. Modern problem?
• The author suggests that the logical extension of this would be that primitivism is a modern problem, but he is of the view that such an opinion renders it a non-problem.
24. First Encounter with Primitivism
The first encounter with primitivism is regarded as 1492, primarily due to two reasons – discovery of America and also the time of renaissance.
25. Change in the Concept of the Other
In the present context, he argues that the concept of the other has become obsolete.
26. The Other Remains
The author is of the view that despite changes in present context, the ‘other’ remains. The concept of the ‘other’ has now changed from a geographic entity, it can be manifested in other ways, such as opposition to Western ideas such as pretences of sovereignty, supremacy etc.
REFERENCE :
Foster,Hal. “The ‘Primitive’ Unconscious of Modern Art.”, Art in Modern Culture:
An Anthology of Critical Texts .Eds .Francis Franscina and Jonathan Harris.
London/New York :Phaidon .1992 .print.
Mapping of the essay by Anjan Behera
Anjan K. Behera
1024126
CIA- 2, MEL-132
Western Aesthetics
15/07/2010
Map of the essay-
‘Literalism and Abstraction: Frank Stella’s Retrospective at the Modern’
by Philip Leider
Paragraph 1 – Pollock’s abstraction
a) Pollock’s works - touchstones for abstraction and literalism.
b) A reading of Pollock’s work has a significant influence on the way one understands Stella’s work.
c) Abstractionist view of Pollock – clearly expressed by Michael Fried – thorough part of literature. How his art -
- Broke painting’s dependence on a sculptural space.
- Line as a free entity in art.
- Carried abstract art further from the depiction of things – creation of a new kind of space.
d) The art focused more on the colour and appearance.
e) These views have inspired artists like Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, etc.
Paragraph 2 - The development of literalist ideas
a) Had a gradual emergence – via arguments and conversation – less in published criticism.
b) Early literalism saw patterns of line within their function of bounding space.
c) These paintings were seen rather as skeins of paint dripped directly from the can.
- Paint having transferred directly from can to canvas with no contact from the artist’s traditional transforming techniques.
- One could visualize the painting being made.
d) Made the entire procedure of painting more obvious.
e) Pollock treated his paintings with ‘plain familiarity’ – treated the picture as a thing
- Left handprints, put cigarette butts out in it.
- Expressing an idea that the kind of object the art is derives strength from the directness of our attitudes towards them.
Paragraph 3 – Literalism in Pollock’s abstract art
a) Literalism sees Pollock as the best abstract art ever made – two reasons – affirmation of the objectness of the painting and the direction of the artist’s relations to his materials.
b) This view led people to find ways to continue in the meaningful creation of abstract art.
Paragraph 4 – Attempt to study objectness of paintings
a) Explored by Jasper Johns in mid and late 1950s – however his study met little support.
b) Left out several crucial points.
Paragraph 5 – Abstraction in painting
a) Objectness was the most important element.
b) Inspired two-dimensionalism – the way to achieve it was through colour, maybe through colour alone.
c) The differences can be noted by comparing a Noland circle painting with a Johns target
- Noland circle painting - colour, centredness, two-dimensional abstraction. No reference to objects belonging to the three-dimensional world.
- Johns – about an object called a target and an object called a painting.
d) Both paintings were an instant success in colleges everywhere.
Paragraph 6 – Stella’s reading of John’s work
a) John left the cleverness, irony and paradox – drawing inspiration from Pollock and Still.
b) Noland perhaps took the idea of the possibility of a centred image.
c) Stella however directly took upon the striping idea, to keep his pictures flat, solving it further to move on to other things.
Paragraph 7 – Stella’s work
a) Stella’s interest in keeping pictures flat was because his one and only aim was to create abstract art that would survive as post-Pollock art.
b) The consistency of Stella’s anti-literalist ideas throughout his career are remarkable.
c) Other newer abstractionists like Louis, Noland and Olitski all pursued this ambition by exploring colour.
d) According to Stella, greater abstraction was being obscured by structure and composition.
e) He went on to work on these themes as a slap on the face revenge, the resultant paintings being displayed in the Museum of Modern Art.
Paragraph 8 – The nature of Stella’s abstract paintings
a) His paintings displayed at the Museum of Modern Art were seen as arrogant, the prime focus being to advocate his principles of abstract art.
- One cannot use the space for a non-abstract to create an abstract art
- The colours should not suggest a non-abstract object – grass, sky, etc.
- One must be careful about the kind of image, how it’s placed and the shape the entire picture has.
b) Pollock’s message was to keep the field dominant, to be careful about colour, keep the space free from the space needed to depict three-dimensional forms and eliminate gesture.
c) The picture as a whole should be right.
The pictures were criticized because they had nothing to say
Paragraph 9 – A move towards three-dimensional art
a) Artists like Carl Andre and Don Judd are drawn towards the literal objectness of Stella’s paintings, who ironically described her work as consistent and non-referential.
b) Andre seemed the first to draw the conclusion that a true post-Pollock abstraction may lie in three-dimensional art.
c) Both the artists manifested the three dimensional implications of Stella’s works.
d) They shared a fundamental presumption of literalism –
- If one considers three-dimensions to be where the best abstractions can take form, then there is no sense in making art in three dimensions that tries to approximate the sensations or appearances of the two dimensions.
e) An affirmed three dimensionality would lead to a more powerful piece of art.
f) Judd notes several important characters of Stella’s three-dimensional work – one among them being order of the stripes – simple one thing after another.
g) Andre heavily depends on order.
Paragraph 10 – Differences between Judd and Andre and the ABC art
a) The differences emerged gradually all through the 1960s.
b) Andre limited himself to solutions that were respectful and were in compliance with the problems of sculpture.
c) Judd remained indifferent to sculpture and its problems.
d) Both found themselves part of a movement – ABC art or ‘Minimal art’, or Primary Structures.
Paragraph 11 – Focus on the development of a literalist art in America
a) Criticism now focused on the development of a literalist art in America which extends from 1959 to present day – included works of artists like Andre, Flavin, Judd, Serra, Morris, etc.
b) Limiting it to themes like minimal, reductive, anti-form are doing more damage to the art than ever.
Paragraph 12 – New ideas emerge
a) Abstraction critics like Clement Greenber, Michael Fred, William Rubin and others turned the focus towards a second-rate, imitative gestural painting – redirected attention to where quality was coming from – works of Louis, Newman, Noland, Olitski, etc.
b) Abstractionist criticism has done very little to help literalism.
Paragraph 13 – Abstractionist criticism and literalism
a) Abstractionists functioned as though there was no literalism – hardly considered literalism except for works of Stella, Noland and Olitski.
b) Stella was engaged with literalism and in contradicting convictions of John about where quality in contemporary art lay.
c) Literalists misunderstood Stella – for being so inextricably mixed up with artists like Judd and Andre.
Paragraph 14 – Literalism and Abstraction after 1960s
a) It was clear that within literalism several tendencies/ideas had occurred.
b) Goal of art making was still high abstraction? No one answer.
c) The move into the three-dimensional, interest in materials led to new orders and ideas far complex than expected.
d) Literalism was accepting ideas that would have been unthinkable 7-8 years back.
e) Undertakings of these artists were sought in traditions older than Modernism and resembles the emerging Abstract Expressionists.
f) It was an era of newness for both abstraction and literalism, the idea of what to do as artists, also for both uncertainty.
g) Bound them to the tradition of modern art.
Paragraph 15 – Post 1969
a) Stella loosened overall design structure.
b) Turned authority of paintings over to colour
c) It is the art of our time.
Reference –
Leider, Philip. “Literalism and Abstraction:
Frank Stella’s Retrospective at the Modern.”Art in Modern Culture:
An Anthology of Critical Texts. Eds. Franscina, Francis and Jonathan Harris.
London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.
1024126
CIA- 2, MEL-132
Western Aesthetics
15/07/2010
Map of the essay-
‘Literalism and Abstraction: Frank Stella’s Retrospective at the Modern’
by Philip Leider
Paragraph 1 – Pollock’s abstraction
a) Pollock’s works - touchstones for abstraction and literalism.
b) A reading of Pollock’s work has a significant influence on the way one understands Stella’s work.
c) Abstractionist view of Pollock – clearly expressed by Michael Fried – thorough part of literature. How his art -
- Broke painting’s dependence on a sculptural space.
- Line as a free entity in art.
- Carried abstract art further from the depiction of things – creation of a new kind of space.
d) The art focused more on the colour and appearance.
e) These views have inspired artists like Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, etc.
Paragraph 2 - The development of literalist ideas
a) Had a gradual emergence – via arguments and conversation – less in published criticism.
b) Early literalism saw patterns of line within their function of bounding space.
c) These paintings were seen rather as skeins of paint dripped directly from the can.
- Paint having transferred directly from can to canvas with no contact from the artist’s traditional transforming techniques.
- One could visualize the painting being made.
d) Made the entire procedure of painting more obvious.
e) Pollock treated his paintings with ‘plain familiarity’ – treated the picture as a thing
- Left handprints, put cigarette butts out in it.
- Expressing an idea that the kind of object the art is derives strength from the directness of our attitudes towards them.
Paragraph 3 – Literalism in Pollock’s abstract art
a) Literalism sees Pollock as the best abstract art ever made – two reasons – affirmation of the objectness of the painting and the direction of the artist’s relations to his materials.
b) This view led people to find ways to continue in the meaningful creation of abstract art.
Paragraph 4 – Attempt to study objectness of paintings
a) Explored by Jasper Johns in mid and late 1950s – however his study met little support.
b) Left out several crucial points.
Paragraph 5 – Abstraction in painting
a) Objectness was the most important element.
b) Inspired two-dimensionalism – the way to achieve it was through colour, maybe through colour alone.
c) The differences can be noted by comparing a Noland circle painting with a Johns target
- Noland circle painting - colour, centredness, two-dimensional abstraction. No reference to objects belonging to the three-dimensional world.
- Johns – about an object called a target and an object called a painting.
d) Both paintings were an instant success in colleges everywhere.
Paragraph 6 – Stella’s reading of John’s work
a) John left the cleverness, irony and paradox – drawing inspiration from Pollock and Still.
b) Noland perhaps took the idea of the possibility of a centred image.
c) Stella however directly took upon the striping idea, to keep his pictures flat, solving it further to move on to other things.
Paragraph 7 – Stella’s work
a) Stella’s interest in keeping pictures flat was because his one and only aim was to create abstract art that would survive as post-Pollock art.
b) The consistency of Stella’s anti-literalist ideas throughout his career are remarkable.
c) Other newer abstractionists like Louis, Noland and Olitski all pursued this ambition by exploring colour.
d) According to Stella, greater abstraction was being obscured by structure and composition.
e) He went on to work on these themes as a slap on the face revenge, the resultant paintings being displayed in the Museum of Modern Art.
Paragraph 8 – The nature of Stella’s abstract paintings
a) His paintings displayed at the Museum of Modern Art were seen as arrogant, the prime focus being to advocate his principles of abstract art.
- One cannot use the space for a non-abstract to create an abstract art
- The colours should not suggest a non-abstract object – grass, sky, etc.
- One must be careful about the kind of image, how it’s placed and the shape the entire picture has.
b) Pollock’s message was to keep the field dominant, to be careful about colour, keep the space free from the space needed to depict three-dimensional forms and eliminate gesture.
c) The picture as a whole should be right.
The pictures were criticized because they had nothing to say
Paragraph 9 – A move towards three-dimensional art
a) Artists like Carl Andre and Don Judd are drawn towards the literal objectness of Stella’s paintings, who ironically described her work as consistent and non-referential.
b) Andre seemed the first to draw the conclusion that a true post-Pollock abstraction may lie in three-dimensional art.
c) Both the artists manifested the three dimensional implications of Stella’s works.
d) They shared a fundamental presumption of literalism –
- If one considers three-dimensions to be where the best abstractions can take form, then there is no sense in making art in three dimensions that tries to approximate the sensations or appearances of the two dimensions.
e) An affirmed three dimensionality would lead to a more powerful piece of art.
f) Judd notes several important characters of Stella’s three-dimensional work – one among them being order of the stripes – simple one thing after another.
g) Andre heavily depends on order.
Paragraph 10 – Differences between Judd and Andre and the ABC art
a) The differences emerged gradually all through the 1960s.
b) Andre limited himself to solutions that were respectful and were in compliance with the problems of sculpture.
c) Judd remained indifferent to sculpture and its problems.
d) Both found themselves part of a movement – ABC art or ‘Minimal art’, or Primary Structures.
Paragraph 11 – Focus on the development of a literalist art in America
a) Criticism now focused on the development of a literalist art in America which extends from 1959 to present day – included works of artists like Andre, Flavin, Judd, Serra, Morris, etc.
b) Limiting it to themes like minimal, reductive, anti-form are doing more damage to the art than ever.
Paragraph 12 – New ideas emerge
a) Abstraction critics like Clement Greenber, Michael Fred, William Rubin and others turned the focus towards a second-rate, imitative gestural painting – redirected attention to where quality was coming from – works of Louis, Newman, Noland, Olitski, etc.
b) Abstractionist criticism has done very little to help literalism.
Paragraph 13 – Abstractionist criticism and literalism
a) Abstractionists functioned as though there was no literalism – hardly considered literalism except for works of Stella, Noland and Olitski.
b) Stella was engaged with literalism and in contradicting convictions of John about where quality in contemporary art lay.
c) Literalists misunderstood Stella – for being so inextricably mixed up with artists like Judd and Andre.
Paragraph 14 – Literalism and Abstraction after 1960s
a) It was clear that within literalism several tendencies/ideas had occurred.
b) Goal of art making was still high abstraction? No one answer.
c) The move into the three-dimensional, interest in materials led to new orders and ideas far complex than expected.
d) Literalism was accepting ideas that would have been unthinkable 7-8 years back.
e) Undertakings of these artists were sought in traditions older than Modernism and resembles the emerging Abstract Expressionists.
f) It was an era of newness for both abstraction and literalism, the idea of what to do as artists, also for both uncertainty.
g) Bound them to the tradition of modern art.
Paragraph 15 – Post 1969
a) Stella loosened overall design structure.
b) Turned authority of paintings over to colour
c) It is the art of our time.
Reference –
Leider, Philip. “Literalism and Abstraction:
Frank Stella’s Retrospective at the Modern.”Art in Modern Culture:
An Anthology of Critical Texts. Eds. Franscina, Francis and Jonathan Harris.
London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.
Mapping of the essay by Sneha Sharon
Sneha Sharon
1024117
CIA 2
MEL 132
Western Aesthetics
July 15th, 2010.
______________________
A Map of Timothy J. Clark’s “Preliminaries to a Possible Treatment of ‘Olympia’ in 1865”
Paragraph 1: Olympia’s unfortunate plight of being stranded for display almost for two years- A resubmission by the artist, Manet in 1865- Initial good will and enthusiasm among art critics- The Salon review and Manet’s anxiety.
Paragraph 2: Salon affirmed negative critical response- Four supporters among sixty. Written records/ criticism and analysis of the work on Olympia in 1865 by Jean Ravenel- sole record available.
Paragraph 3: Perplexing title and the ‘outlandish’ verses of introduction- sexual connotations hence judgemental. Relation of a text to the spectator- Olympia limits
forced vocabulary.
Paragraph 4: Complete study as deviating therefore focus on the painting on ‘determinate’, ‘materialistic’ grounds.
Paragraph 5: Discourses routed:1) Clark uses the term ‘Discourse on woman in the 1860’s- combination of the otherwise tripartite version of the woman/ nude/ prostitute. 2) Second Empire: Aesthetic judgement- historic categories- absence of the same make it difficult topic of concern.
Paragraph 6: Olympia –signified unequivocal picture of a prostitute- Several ways of references- 1) ‘woman coutisane, 2) ‘some red head from the quartier breda 3) une manolo du bas etage. 4) Ravenel’s ‘a girl of the night from Paul Niquet’s.- Olympia- representative of sexuality laid out for inspection- Discourse on Woman, realm of art accepts this category of the saleable sex. Alain Corbin- 19th century pin points the prostitute as an important realm while converging on the discourse on woman- seen as a unity- the constituent of feminity. Feminine- 1) fille publique 2) femme honnete, the former articulates relations between sexual identity/ power and social class. Basically founding signification of woman.
Paragraph 7: Transgressive elements plus verbal violence in the painting. Difficult understanding of courtesean and woman held together. Disentangling femininity and prostitution is like going away from normal relations.
Paragraph 8: Nudity as one of the notions of the discourse on woman- marks its artificiality too. Nude- term of art/art criticism- intersection of the sexual and the artistic paving way for 1) representation, 2)knowledge and 3)decorum. Mid way term- pronouncing revealing, unrevealed sexuality/ displayed, masked form. Olympia failed to propound that a woman can be known in her nakedness.
Paragraph 9: Unanswered questions- what sex was Olympia / did it have a sex at all/ could it be included in the discourse on woman at all/ constituting artistic tradition?/modern example of the nude?/ nude and fille publique mapping?/ Instability of the term prostitute- invading myth of the vacation of the edge of city by the prostitute to build a new city with only edges and no single demarcations.
Paragraph 10: Tracking normal forms of discourse in writings on Olympia, figures of death and decay- Olympia’s hand covering her pubic hair as unconventional of the nude- Olympia’s entire posture is ‘disobedient’/ ‘unyielding’/ ‘unfeminine’ Bertall’s caricature stands as a critique of Manet’s original version.
Paragraph 11: Unstable meaning of the picture yields further criticism. Attempts to instate previous forms of representation- Research proves contrary.
Paragraph 12: Olympia and Titian’s Venus of Urbino parallel Baudelaire. Comparison between the former calls in for twentieth century criticism yet again. Titian’s- ‘hollow and hackneyed’ example of the nude. Therefore, should Manet’s work be seen as a referred work/ greater tradition of European art?
Paragraph 13: Amedee Cantalobe’s Le Grand Journal feels Bertell’s is ‘sort of female gorilla..’ Pierrot too comments on the grotesque figure.
Paragraph 14: Reference back to tradition was apparently invisible to most. Titian’s alignment of the nude- travesty/ aping and denying the body both humanity and femininity.
Paragraph 15: Clark likes Pierrot’s comment. Silence of the text- interprets crudity and meaningless picturisation of Titian’s work.
Paragraph 16: Ravenel-complex-L’Epoque –paper of the ‘far left opposition’ -aware of its own uncertainity.
Paragraph 17: Olympia treated as a product of Spanish ‘madness’- disregarded and contempt for the same- vicious weirdness of the character according to some- physical grossness multiplied in reviews.
Paragraph 18: Effective criticism. However, Ravenel breaks the codes of Olympia. His is being pictured down to Baudelaire and Goya- anti bourgeois. Gives Olympia a sort of temporal class identity too- petite faubourienne. Perplexing amounts of signifiers and signifieds. School of Baudelaire leads/ Self conscious satanic Baudelaire’s propositions and assumptions.
Paragraph 19: Even Baudelaire does not stabilize meaning- multiple and refractory. Only the text can be taken up as the central theme of reference- guarantee of its own perplexity- ‘Priveleged system of signs’ apparently fails.
Paragraph 20: The above stands true for the recognition/attribution of class. Ravenel’s petite fabourienne. System of meanings- nothing concrete-shifts directed clearly- but the directions are unclear. Rapid moves- fail to assimilate the other- various metaphors do assist however.
Paragraph 21: Identification of class as a ‘trigger’- fail to circle on themselves. Illusory quality as against ‘free play of the signifier’. To have matter and the text and to work against.
Paragraph 22: Clark’s as an objective analysis?- within historical materialism- mapping the silence and uncertainty involved in the image. Answer hinges on to the convention of the nude and handling of sexuality.
Paragraph 23: Picture- sexual identity- critics of 1865 disagree- instead propose that Olympia failed to inhabit the arena of the discourse on woman- thereby not nude, nor prostitute- neither a modification of the nude- plain sexuality heading for a narrow escape from societal decorum-scandalous yet not although charged to have. Odd duet of disgrace and decorum. Three aspects dealt : 1) Access and address that is the body to be presented rather precisely-neither too mall nor too great. Courbet’s The Bathers unclothed opposite and opponent of male proletarian nakedness.
Paragraph 24: The Bathers too broke codes of the nude- tried establishing the nude in opposition to the spectator- resistance to vision.
Paragraph 25: Olympia neither canonically nude nor borrowed Realism’s refutations. Spectator not given any space for view and identification- nor exclusion and resistance. The gaze and importance for interpretation.
Paragraph 26: 2) ‘Incorrectness’ in the drawing of the figure’s body- dislocation and deformity.
Paragraph 27: 3) Manipulations- hair and hairlessness/ decorum- sexuality strong permissible signs. Olympia breaking the signs.
Paragraph 28: Reversal of terms- framed face. Physical attributes.
Paragraph 29: Taxonomy of the woman- 0lympia very much in the cannon. ‘Disidentifactory practices of art’
Paragraph 30: Is there a difference with tactical implications? Arbitrary play of signifiers versus a sort of play which disrupts. Class struggle-define and dismantle the body. Else, its acts are insignificant like Manet’s.
Paragraph 31: Olympia refuses to signify- not in the conventional realm of the nude and neither the imaginary. However, may be in terms of classes. Could we give her a place in the world which ‘manufactures’ the Imaginary and produces the binaries of the dominator/dominated, fantasizer/ fantasized?
Paragraph 32: Necessarily then, a complex and elliptical position- but readable- conflicts- shifting margins of the petite faubourienne and courtisane/ prostitute and the proletarian. Endless exchange of social and sexual meanings (Second Empire).
Paragraph 33: Olympia- dance of ideology- erodes normal recognitions- she is constantly re engaged made to collude in her ‘double role’.
Paragraph 34: Relevant other meaning in the social space/ counter meaning/clash of classes. Critique of the dominant systems of meaning also the repressed.
Paragraph 35: Manet’s companion painting: The Mocking of Christ- unpopular picture in 1865 in the Salon- branded worse than Olympia. Also, deliberate caricature of religious art. However, definitely not an equation of Christ and Olympia. Bizarre versions of the nude and the altarpiece. Credibility of Manet’s work, his art ‘turns inwards on its own means and materials’. Whole range of contrary iconography. Aim of this work of art: to present the artifice of this familiar ‘repertoire of modern life’.
Work cited:
Clark, Timothy J. “Preliminaries to a Possible Treatment of ‘Olympia’ in 1865." Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical Texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and Jonathan Harris. London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.Print.
1024117
CIA 2
MEL 132
Western Aesthetics
July 15th, 2010.
______________________
A Map of Timothy J. Clark’s “Preliminaries to a Possible Treatment of ‘Olympia’ in 1865”
Paragraph 1: Olympia’s unfortunate plight of being stranded for display almost for two years- A resubmission by the artist, Manet in 1865- Initial good will and enthusiasm among art critics- The Salon review and Manet’s anxiety.
Paragraph 2: Salon affirmed negative critical response- Four supporters among sixty. Written records/ criticism and analysis of the work on Olympia in 1865 by Jean Ravenel- sole record available.
Paragraph 3: Perplexing title and the ‘outlandish’ verses of introduction- sexual connotations hence judgemental. Relation of a text to the spectator- Olympia limits
forced vocabulary.
Paragraph 4: Complete study as deviating therefore focus on the painting on ‘determinate’, ‘materialistic’ grounds.
Paragraph 5: Discourses routed:1) Clark uses the term ‘Discourse on woman in the 1860’s- combination of the otherwise tripartite version of the woman/ nude/ prostitute. 2) Second Empire: Aesthetic judgement- historic categories- absence of the same make it difficult topic of concern.
Paragraph 6: Olympia –signified unequivocal picture of a prostitute- Several ways of references- 1) ‘woman coutisane, 2) ‘some red head from the quartier breda 3) une manolo du bas etage. 4) Ravenel’s ‘a girl of the night from Paul Niquet’s.- Olympia- representative of sexuality laid out for inspection- Discourse on Woman, realm of art accepts this category of the saleable sex. Alain Corbin- 19th century pin points the prostitute as an important realm while converging on the discourse on woman- seen as a unity- the constituent of feminity. Feminine- 1) fille publique 2) femme honnete, the former articulates relations between sexual identity/ power and social class. Basically founding signification of woman.
Paragraph 7: Transgressive elements plus verbal violence in the painting. Difficult understanding of courtesean and woman held together. Disentangling femininity and prostitution is like going away from normal relations.
Paragraph 8: Nudity as one of the notions of the discourse on woman- marks its artificiality too. Nude- term of art/art criticism- intersection of the sexual and the artistic paving way for 1) representation, 2)knowledge and 3)decorum. Mid way term- pronouncing revealing, unrevealed sexuality/ displayed, masked form. Olympia failed to propound that a woman can be known in her nakedness.
Paragraph 9: Unanswered questions- what sex was Olympia / did it have a sex at all/ could it be included in the discourse on woman at all/ constituting artistic tradition?/modern example of the nude?/ nude and fille publique mapping?/ Instability of the term prostitute- invading myth of the vacation of the edge of city by the prostitute to build a new city with only edges and no single demarcations.
Paragraph 10: Tracking normal forms of discourse in writings on Olympia, figures of death and decay- Olympia’s hand covering her pubic hair as unconventional of the nude- Olympia’s entire posture is ‘disobedient’/ ‘unyielding’/ ‘unfeminine’ Bertall’s caricature stands as a critique of Manet’s original version.
Paragraph 11: Unstable meaning of the picture yields further criticism. Attempts to instate previous forms of representation- Research proves contrary.
Paragraph 12: Olympia and Titian’s Venus of Urbino parallel Baudelaire. Comparison between the former calls in for twentieth century criticism yet again. Titian’s- ‘hollow and hackneyed’ example of the nude. Therefore, should Manet’s work be seen as a referred work/ greater tradition of European art?
Paragraph 13: Amedee Cantalobe’s Le Grand Journal feels Bertell’s is ‘sort of female gorilla..’ Pierrot too comments on the grotesque figure.
Paragraph 14: Reference back to tradition was apparently invisible to most. Titian’s alignment of the nude- travesty/ aping and denying the body both humanity and femininity.
Paragraph 15: Clark likes Pierrot’s comment. Silence of the text- interprets crudity and meaningless picturisation of Titian’s work.
Paragraph 16: Ravenel-complex-L’Epoque –paper of the ‘far left opposition’ -aware of its own uncertainity.
Paragraph 17: Olympia treated as a product of Spanish ‘madness’- disregarded and contempt for the same- vicious weirdness of the character according to some- physical grossness multiplied in reviews.
Paragraph 18: Effective criticism. However, Ravenel breaks the codes of Olympia. His is being pictured down to Baudelaire and Goya- anti bourgeois. Gives Olympia a sort of temporal class identity too- petite faubourienne. Perplexing amounts of signifiers and signifieds. School of Baudelaire leads/ Self conscious satanic Baudelaire’s propositions and assumptions.
Paragraph 19: Even Baudelaire does not stabilize meaning- multiple and refractory. Only the text can be taken up as the central theme of reference- guarantee of its own perplexity- ‘Priveleged system of signs’ apparently fails.
Paragraph 20: The above stands true for the recognition/attribution of class. Ravenel’s petite fabourienne. System of meanings- nothing concrete-shifts directed clearly- but the directions are unclear. Rapid moves- fail to assimilate the other- various metaphors do assist however.
Paragraph 21: Identification of class as a ‘trigger’- fail to circle on themselves. Illusory quality as against ‘free play of the signifier’. To have matter and the text and to work against.
Paragraph 22: Clark’s as an objective analysis?- within historical materialism- mapping the silence and uncertainty involved in the image. Answer hinges on to the convention of the nude and handling of sexuality.
Paragraph 23: Picture- sexual identity- critics of 1865 disagree- instead propose that Olympia failed to inhabit the arena of the discourse on woman- thereby not nude, nor prostitute- neither a modification of the nude- plain sexuality heading for a narrow escape from societal decorum-scandalous yet not although charged to have. Odd duet of disgrace and decorum. Three aspects dealt : 1) Access and address that is the body to be presented rather precisely-neither too mall nor too great. Courbet’s The Bathers unclothed opposite and opponent of male proletarian nakedness.
Paragraph 24: The Bathers too broke codes of the nude- tried establishing the nude in opposition to the spectator- resistance to vision.
Paragraph 25: Olympia neither canonically nude nor borrowed Realism’s refutations. Spectator not given any space for view and identification- nor exclusion and resistance. The gaze and importance for interpretation.
Paragraph 26: 2) ‘Incorrectness’ in the drawing of the figure’s body- dislocation and deformity.
Paragraph 27: 3) Manipulations- hair and hairlessness/ decorum- sexuality strong permissible signs. Olympia breaking the signs.
Paragraph 28: Reversal of terms- framed face. Physical attributes.
Paragraph 29: Taxonomy of the woman- 0lympia very much in the cannon. ‘Disidentifactory practices of art’
Paragraph 30: Is there a difference with tactical implications? Arbitrary play of signifiers versus a sort of play which disrupts. Class struggle-define and dismantle the body. Else, its acts are insignificant like Manet’s.
Paragraph 31: Olympia refuses to signify- not in the conventional realm of the nude and neither the imaginary. However, may be in terms of classes. Could we give her a place in the world which ‘manufactures’ the Imaginary and produces the binaries of the dominator/dominated, fantasizer/ fantasized?
Paragraph 32: Necessarily then, a complex and elliptical position- but readable- conflicts- shifting margins of the petite faubourienne and courtisane/ prostitute and the proletarian. Endless exchange of social and sexual meanings (Second Empire).
Paragraph 33: Olympia- dance of ideology- erodes normal recognitions- she is constantly re engaged made to collude in her ‘double role’.
Paragraph 34: Relevant other meaning in the social space/ counter meaning/clash of classes. Critique of the dominant systems of meaning also the repressed.
Paragraph 35: Manet’s companion painting: The Mocking of Christ- unpopular picture in 1865 in the Salon- branded worse than Olympia. Also, deliberate caricature of religious art. However, definitely not an equation of Christ and Olympia. Bizarre versions of the nude and the altarpiece. Credibility of Manet’s work, his art ‘turns inwards on its own means and materials’. Whole range of contrary iconography. Aim of this work of art: to present the artifice of this familiar ‘repertoire of modern life’.
Work cited:
Clark, Timothy J. “Preliminaries to a Possible Treatment of ‘Olympia’ in 1865." Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical Texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and Jonathan Harris. London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.Print.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Mapping of the essay by Pritha Biswas
PRITHA BISWAS
1024109
CIA II
WESTERN AESTHETICS
MEL132
JULY 15, 2010.
Map of Richard Shiff’s essay “Defining ‘Impressionism’ and the ‘Impression’ ”
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Defining Impressionism is next to impossible because the genre is an evolution of artistic processes.
Impressionism--terminology--obscurity of term--genuinely of artistic interpretation--classification of impressionists-- identity of impressionists--(1)social group--(2)artist’s subject matter--(3)style or technique--(4)purpose
Paragraph 2:
An artist must, in order to be impressionistic, associate with the group of artists who render similar thoughts.
Social group--voluntary association to impressionists--individual style--Degas works--claimed negative exclusion by critics--yet an impressionist--deviant Cezanne--claimed antithetical to impressionism--society of Salon--acknowledgement of Corot’s works--association imperative for artists--independence of style and subject matter--cannot be strictly adhered.
Paragraph 3:
It is in the subject matter of the art that art can be classified in genres.
Subject matter--impressionism defined by social affiliation of artists--”plein-air subjects”--Theodore Duret--stylistic criteria--classification of painters--impressionistic movement
Paragraph 4:
Art must never encourage identity of self in depiction but self identity in the style of depiction.
Style or technique--bright colour--sketch like finish of impressionist paintings--Charles Bigot and Henry Houssaye--profess elimination of effects of chiaroscuro--observed independently--style fails artist’s identity
Paragraph 5:
Impressionistic art is sense observation and self interpretation of the ultimate aesthetic goal.
Artistic goals or purpose--defining goals for purposeful distinctions among artists--critics vary in interpretation--Castagnary tags impressionist art technical innovation--warns of idiosyncrasy--natural imitation professed by Duret--lacks synchronous criticism and interpretation--impressionism is sensation of naturalism--critics miss vital aspects--unresolved quest--harmony of impressionism and symbolism
Paragraph 6:
It is in revolutionizing the medium of expression that art achieves evolution and development of newer techniques.
Approach to impressionism--means for ends--attributes of impressionism--mixed technique--deviation from formal drawing--exclusive and difficult effects--pattern less and unique
Paragraph 7:
The medium of aesthetic expression is in the command of the technicality that defines and artist’s work.
Technicality of Impressionism--specific technical devices--depiction of coagulated universal and individual truths--distinction of artists by manner--spontaneity in creation--brushwork and bright impressions
Paragraph 8:
Any form of art evolves out a mental imprint that gets shape and form around the content of its aesthetic message.
Impression signifies imprint--impressions of aesthetic vision--top layer of photo transparency--surface phenomenon--first layer of impression--inferential vision of artists
Paragraph 9:
It is in the ability to catch the primary idea of the flux that inspires the artist’s creativity that impressionistic art becomes successful.
Impressionism’s initial imprint--true nature of expression--natural disposition--concretization of innate qualities of expression--impressionistic attribute of character of artists--not imitation but invention--poetic nature
Paragraph 10:
The artist’s ability to infer from the facts that generate aesthetic thought gives art its ingenuity.
Impressionism--synthesis of nature and original sensation--innate expression on natural phenomenon--impressionistic effect of aesthetic vision--external and internal effects fused in unison--assumptive aesthetic cause--inferential effects imprints of mind--artistic psychology
Paragraph 11:
The self of the artist in any form of art cannot be denied because it forms the essence of all artistic interpretation.
Impressionism attains psychosis interpretation--nineteenth century--impressionism is perceptive physiology not metaphysical dogmatism--external objectivity expressed by impressionistic attributes--projection of self on nature--priority of self over technical depiction--impressionistic knowledge--unraveling of truth--impressionism perfect fusion of subjectivity and objectivity
Paragraph 12:
The distinction between the works of the great impressionists is in their treatment of their respective medium.
Impressionistic symbolism of modern art--emotional impression on visual realism--Manet’s works--reading of sensation--not sensory perception--not objective perception--sensations produced by objects in artistic depiction
Paragraph 13: Conclusion
It is in the projection of the self that art achieves its greatness.
Art is artistic self--artistic individuality--aesthetic license--artistic consciousness projecting individual realism of nature
Commentary:
There is no proper generic approach to defining Impressionism and the way Impressionistic style in art can be attributed to artists. Richard Shiff illustrates this idea by elucidating that it is difficult to define Impressionistic art, or for that matter, how artists can be classified according to the strictness of the genre. Shiff, throughout his essay, establishes the idea that an artistic theory, like Impressionism, cannot classify the modulus of art or bring into a strict pattern an artist’s intent and creation. Impressionism, as analyzed from the essay, is thus a style of depicting, creatively and instinctively, not professionally, creating the first impressions that comes to mind when a particular strain of thought gets depicted. It may be just depicting the shallow waters or the primary layer of thought that a particular event or an aesthetic consciousness generates in an artist. Shiff is commendably exemplary when he distinguishes photography and Art in the context of Impressionism, as defining it to be an “imprint”. The elementary difference between photography and art is in the medium of reproduction, which is the essence of all art. Photography is capturing the moment in time as an imprint but art is always contoured by artists ego, the creative psyche and personal interpretation of the flux from where the artists draws inspiration. Shiff also warns us about us misjudging Impressionism with Symbolism, where the latter depends more on hidden layers of meaning or interpretation. Shiff does this by drawing a clear distinction between Manet and Monet’s Artistic depiction of thought patterns. Where Manet’s depiction of impressions on the mind was objectively portrayed by solid brush strokes, Monet was subjective to his aesthetic rendering. The essay is conclusively remnant of the theory that Art is a projection of the artists self and this must be true to the nature of creation. Impressionism is thus the artists’ Impression on nature and not nature’s impression on the artist.
Works cited:
Shiff, Richard. “ Defining ‘Impressionism’ and the ‘Impression’. ” Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and Jonathan Harris. London/ New York: Phaidon, 1992. Printed.
1024109
CIA II
WESTERN AESTHETICS
MEL132
JULY 15, 2010.
Map of Richard Shiff’s essay “Defining ‘Impressionism’ and the ‘Impression’ ”
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Defining Impressionism is next to impossible because the genre is an evolution of artistic processes.
Impressionism--terminology--obscurity of term--genuinely of artistic interpretation--classification of impressionists-- identity of impressionists--(1)social group--(2)artist’s subject matter--(3)style or technique--(4)purpose
Paragraph 2:
An artist must, in order to be impressionistic, associate with the group of artists who render similar thoughts.
Social group--voluntary association to impressionists--individual style--Degas works--claimed negative exclusion by critics--yet an impressionist--deviant Cezanne--claimed antithetical to impressionism--society of Salon--acknowledgement of Corot’s works--association imperative for artists--independence of style and subject matter--cannot be strictly adhered.
Paragraph 3:
It is in the subject matter of the art that art can be classified in genres.
Subject matter--impressionism defined by social affiliation of artists--”plein-air subjects”--Theodore Duret--stylistic criteria--classification of painters--impressionistic movement
Paragraph 4:
Art must never encourage identity of self in depiction but self identity in the style of depiction.
Style or technique--bright colour--sketch like finish of impressionist paintings--Charles Bigot and Henry Houssaye--profess elimination of effects of chiaroscuro--observed independently--style fails artist’s identity
Paragraph 5:
Impressionistic art is sense observation and self interpretation of the ultimate aesthetic goal.
Artistic goals or purpose--defining goals for purposeful distinctions among artists--critics vary in interpretation--Castagnary tags impressionist art technical innovation--warns of idiosyncrasy--natural imitation professed by Duret--lacks synchronous criticism and interpretation--impressionism is sensation of naturalism--critics miss vital aspects--unresolved quest--harmony of impressionism and symbolism
Paragraph 6:
It is in revolutionizing the medium of expression that art achieves evolution and development of newer techniques.
Approach to impressionism--means for ends--attributes of impressionism--mixed technique--deviation from formal drawing--exclusive and difficult effects--pattern less and unique
Paragraph 7:
The medium of aesthetic expression is in the command of the technicality that defines and artist’s work.
Technicality of Impressionism--specific technical devices--depiction of coagulated universal and individual truths--distinction of artists by manner--spontaneity in creation--brushwork and bright impressions
Paragraph 8:
Any form of art evolves out a mental imprint that gets shape and form around the content of its aesthetic message.
Impression signifies imprint--impressions of aesthetic vision--top layer of photo transparency--surface phenomenon--first layer of impression--inferential vision of artists
Paragraph 9:
It is in the ability to catch the primary idea of the flux that inspires the artist’s creativity that impressionistic art becomes successful.
Impressionism’s initial imprint--true nature of expression--natural disposition--concretization of innate qualities of expression--impressionistic attribute of character of artists--not imitation but invention--poetic nature
Paragraph 10:
The artist’s ability to infer from the facts that generate aesthetic thought gives art its ingenuity.
Impressionism--synthesis of nature and original sensation--innate expression on natural phenomenon--impressionistic effect of aesthetic vision--external and internal effects fused in unison--assumptive aesthetic cause--inferential effects imprints of mind--artistic psychology
Paragraph 11:
The self of the artist in any form of art cannot be denied because it forms the essence of all artistic interpretation.
Impressionism attains psychosis interpretation--nineteenth century--impressionism is perceptive physiology not metaphysical dogmatism--external objectivity expressed by impressionistic attributes--projection of self on nature--priority of self over technical depiction--impressionistic knowledge--unraveling of truth--impressionism perfect fusion of subjectivity and objectivity
Paragraph 12:
The distinction between the works of the great impressionists is in their treatment of their respective medium.
Impressionistic symbolism of modern art--emotional impression on visual realism--Manet’s works--reading of sensation--not sensory perception--not objective perception--sensations produced by objects in artistic depiction
Paragraph 13: Conclusion
It is in the projection of the self that art achieves its greatness.
Art is artistic self--artistic individuality--aesthetic license--artistic consciousness projecting individual realism of nature
Commentary:
There is no proper generic approach to defining Impressionism and the way Impressionistic style in art can be attributed to artists. Richard Shiff illustrates this idea by elucidating that it is difficult to define Impressionistic art, or for that matter, how artists can be classified according to the strictness of the genre. Shiff, throughout his essay, establishes the idea that an artistic theory, like Impressionism, cannot classify the modulus of art or bring into a strict pattern an artist’s intent and creation. Impressionism, as analyzed from the essay, is thus a style of depicting, creatively and instinctively, not professionally, creating the first impressions that comes to mind when a particular strain of thought gets depicted. It may be just depicting the shallow waters or the primary layer of thought that a particular event or an aesthetic consciousness generates in an artist. Shiff is commendably exemplary when he distinguishes photography and Art in the context of Impressionism, as defining it to be an “imprint”. The elementary difference between photography and art is in the medium of reproduction, which is the essence of all art. Photography is capturing the moment in time as an imprint but art is always contoured by artists ego, the creative psyche and personal interpretation of the flux from where the artists draws inspiration. Shiff also warns us about us misjudging Impressionism with Symbolism, where the latter depends more on hidden layers of meaning or interpretation. Shiff does this by drawing a clear distinction between Manet and Monet’s Artistic depiction of thought patterns. Where Manet’s depiction of impressions on the mind was objectively portrayed by solid brush strokes, Monet was subjective to his aesthetic rendering. The essay is conclusively remnant of the theory that Art is a projection of the artists self and this must be true to the nature of creation. Impressionism is thus the artists’ Impression on nature and not nature’s impression on the artist.
Works cited:
Shiff, Richard. “ Defining ‘Impressionism’ and the ‘Impression’. ” Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and Jonathan Harris. London/ New York: Phaidon, 1992. Printed.
Enlightenment Voices, Revolutionary Visions and Contested Boundaries, National Visions
Enlightenment Voices, Revolutionary Visions
There was a conflict as to what should be written and publicized more: Human Nature or Moral Instructions. Human nature became an important aspect which lead to national freedom. Human nature writers like Thomas Hobbes, author of Levation believed in exploration. Roussean gave the idea of Social concept theory which states that man is born free though he is always bound by chains/ limitations. Supporting him is John Loche, who believes that men are not born with a memory; they are a clean slate and he disagrees with the concept of Original Sin. “Humans by nature are harmonious”, was the main idea.
“In philosophical terms, the contradictory ideas expressed during the revolutionary era seem to have risen from conflicting opinions about human nature and the extend to which mankind could progress.”
Moral instructions have its roots in the 17th century; it talks about God’s desire. Paine said that, in struggle, America cannot be with England (moral instructions) but she has to break away from them (Human Nature). It talks about the struggle between science (progressive), which is supported by Thomas Jefferson and religion (limitations) which was supported by John Adams.
Enlightenment refers to the philosophical outlook of Europe in the 1700’s upto the 18th century. It states that men, not God is the center of everything. This concept has its base from the Roussean theory, which believed that men are the epicenter of action; there is shift from the ancient traditions which believed that God is above everything. It is romantic in nature, i.e it is about the ordinary people, the common man. Enlightenment believes that justice is not about punishing but listening to people, giving a fair chance to everyone.
Revolutionary visions also contain the same idea as that of Roussean. It began in 1700’s with the idea that all mankind should be given equal respect. Roussean believed that, “Social betterment might result from individual freedom, in both inquiry and action”. It is said that the American past was ‘great’, as there was equal representation of people irrespective of their caste, race, status and colour. That was enlightenment. The notion of believing that a king is a father figure, a representation of God was held during the revolution era.
“They considered that in ancient Brittany, the people freely choose to constitute themselves into one body for their own better protection and governance. The officials of the commonwealth represented the body of the people and determined the laws and enacted statues for the whole. Yet more recent kings, they instated took away the colonists rights as citizens, forcing them in subjection without offering a suitable of representation in the English common body.”
Contested Boundaries, National Visions
Contested boundaries refer to ‘challenging’ limitations. This dispute was rampant during late 1700’s when America talked about a free nation country. There was a lot of gender inequality going on at that period, and many writers challenged it. “In the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.”
Afro American and Native American women started to write from the period of 1776. They openly confronted the boundaries set for them by the white elite class of men whose visions of what they considered ‘just’ and ‘good.
One of the aAfro American women writer, Lameul Haynes said tha,t English men in America often complain that they are ill-treated by England, while they themselves ill-treat the negro’s (refers to slavery). Though the Afro American learned how to read and write, the white elite class people did not allow their writings (mostly which criticized the white’s) to go into print.
“In fact the whites were generally deaf to the subtle complexity of black oral expression permitted Afro American culture to maintain a resilience, integrity and subversive thrust that played an important role in the spiritual survival of the slaves”. That is, the white’s did not recognize the subtle interaction within the Afro American community though their writing, which helped them to fire up their spirit and keep the spiritual movement going.
Mark Weber once said, “Voice of the oppressor is minus the voice of the oppressed; while the voice of the oppressed has the voice of the oppressor.”
There was a conflict as to what should be written and publicized more: Human Nature or Moral Instructions. Human nature became an important aspect which lead to national freedom. Human nature writers like Thomas Hobbes, author of Levation believed in exploration. Roussean gave the idea of Social concept theory which states that man is born free though he is always bound by chains/ limitations. Supporting him is John Loche, who believes that men are not born with a memory; they are a clean slate and he disagrees with the concept of Original Sin. “Humans by nature are harmonious”, was the main idea.
“In philosophical terms, the contradictory ideas expressed during the revolutionary era seem to have risen from conflicting opinions about human nature and the extend to which mankind could progress.”
Moral instructions have its roots in the 17th century; it talks about God’s desire. Paine said that, in struggle, America cannot be with England (moral instructions) but she has to break away from them (Human Nature). It talks about the struggle between science (progressive), which is supported by Thomas Jefferson and religion (limitations) which was supported by John Adams.
Enlightenment refers to the philosophical outlook of Europe in the 1700’s upto the 18th century. It states that men, not God is the center of everything. This concept has its base from the Roussean theory, which believed that men are the epicenter of action; there is shift from the ancient traditions which believed that God is above everything. It is romantic in nature, i.e it is about the ordinary people, the common man. Enlightenment believes that justice is not about punishing but listening to people, giving a fair chance to everyone.
Revolutionary visions also contain the same idea as that of Roussean. It began in 1700’s with the idea that all mankind should be given equal respect. Roussean believed that, “Social betterment might result from individual freedom, in both inquiry and action”. It is said that the American past was ‘great’, as there was equal representation of people irrespective of their caste, race, status and colour. That was enlightenment. The notion of believing that a king is a father figure, a representation of God was held during the revolution era.
“They considered that in ancient Brittany, the people freely choose to constitute themselves into one body for their own better protection and governance. The officials of the commonwealth represented the body of the people and determined the laws and enacted statues for the whole. Yet more recent kings, they instated took away the colonists rights as citizens, forcing them in subjection without offering a suitable of representation in the English common body.”
Contested Boundaries, National Visions
Contested boundaries refer to ‘challenging’ limitations. This dispute was rampant during late 1700’s when America talked about a free nation country. There was a lot of gender inequality going on at that period, and many writers challenged it. “In the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.”
Afro American and Native American women started to write from the period of 1776. They openly confronted the boundaries set for them by the white elite class of men whose visions of what they considered ‘just’ and ‘good.
One of the aAfro American women writer, Lameul Haynes said tha,t English men in America often complain that they are ill-treated by England, while they themselves ill-treat the negro’s (refers to slavery). Though the Afro American learned how to read and write, the white elite class people did not allow their writings (mostly which criticized the white’s) to go into print.
“In fact the whites were generally deaf to the subtle complexity of black oral expression permitted Afro American culture to maintain a resilience, integrity and subversive thrust that played an important role in the spiritual survival of the slaves”. That is, the white’s did not recognize the subtle interaction within the Afro American community though their writing, which helped them to fire up their spirit and keep the spiritual movement going.
Mark Weber once said, “Voice of the oppressor is minus the voice of the oppressed; while the voice of the oppressed has the voice of the oppressor.”
Mapping of the essay by Sreetama Ghosh
SREETAMA GHOSH
1024118
CIA2
MEL 132
WESTERN AESTHETICS
JULY 15, 2010.
Map of Stephen F.Eisenman’s “The Intransigent Artist or How the Impressionists got their name”
Paragraph 1: Routes how the movement Impressionism got its name-exhibition in Paris studio on 15 April 1874-Claude Monet’s painting titled Impression-‘impression’, ‘effect of an impression’; used by press to refer to the paintings-‘Le Charivari’ by Louis Leroy, speaks of a school of Impressionists-Jules Castagnary explains Impressionism for readers of ‘Le siècle’- The Sociѐtѐ itself accepted the name, voting to title its third exhibition the ‘exhibition of Impressionists’.
Paragraph 2: Arguments concerning the origin of the name- accuracy of the account-popularity of the term Impressionism in period between April 1874 and February 1877-why did the Sociѐtѐ anonyme adopt a name that had been used in mockery?-the necessity to name the new art- why did the artists and their critics regard the term significant?-impressionism constitute a single moment of the ongoing debate over modernism itself.
Paragraph 3: Inclusion of the word Impression in the vocabulary of art criticism and what it implied-the term entered the vocabulary at about the same time that the French positivists were pursuing their studies of Perception- Charles Baudelaire described the “Impression produced by things on the spirit of M.G(uys)”-Studies of Richard Shiff and Charles Stuckey provide base for generalization of the meaning of the term- art based on impressions or sensory experience must resemble, what Ruskin had earlier called,’ innocence of the eye’-Theodore Duret said of Manet that his paintings reflects his impression of things ‘in a variant coloration’.
Paragraph 4: The dual nature of Impressionism-individuality and juxtaposition of colour ‘notes’ with their adjacent tone- Castagnary cites that “Impressionists leave reality and enter into full idealism”-idealism signifies the individualism of the artists, determined by the reflection of the macrocosmic world on his senses.
Paragraph 5: Connotations of the term Impressionism in 1874-technique of painting and an attitude of individualism shared by a group of artists unofficially led by Manet-political and radical connotations of the term-“does it constitute a revolution?” asked Castagnary of Impressionism- Impressionism deemed individualism as an necessary instrument for the freedom of citizens from political, economical and religious dogma-reconstructing France after disastrous Franco- Prussian war and commune.
Paragraph 6: Debate on the sanguinity about the political moderation of the new art and appearance of the word Intransigent-the word Intransigent popular until the Impressionists self-naming in1877.
Paragraph 7: Derivation and meaning of the word intransigent- derived from Spanish neologism los intransigentes-designation for the anarchist wing of the Spanish federalist party of 1872-the intransigents were opposed to the compromises offered by the Federalist benevolent-intransigents claimed for cantonal independence against benevolent Republicans-dispute resulted in war.
Paragraph 8: Political unrest in Spain due to the dispute between the intransigents and Benevolent Republic-attempted intransigent coup in July 1873 fuelled civil war-rebels routed-last Intransigent stronghold, Cartagena, submitted to the Republic-end of 1874,the Republic defeated and the Spanish bourbons restored to power.
Parahgraph9: Support of the assertion that Impressionists had joined hands with the Intransigents in politics-preface to the catalogue for an auction of Impressionist paintings, Philippe Burty described the paintings of the new group, “who are here called Impressionists, elsewhere the Intransigents.”-in the review of second Impressionist exhibition, Albert Wolff wrote, “The self- proclaimed artists call themselves the Intransigents, the Impressionists Intransigents in politics had alliance with Impressionists were further stated by Emile Blemont and Louis Eaul.
Paragraph 10: A critic for La Gazzette, Marius Chaumelin take on politics of Intransigent Art and the appropriateness of its name-Chaumelin claims that the fundamentals of the new art were derived from the principles of the political Intransigents- but little help offered to readers in determining as how political turned in to artistic intransigence.
Paragraph 11: Stѐphane Mallarmѐ clarifies the link between radical, or intransigent, art and politics-Mallarmѐ perceived the new art as an expression of working -class vision and ideology- argument justified in Mallarmѐ’s essay ‘The Art Monthly Review’.
Paragraph 12: Mallarmѐ argues that new Impressionist art marked a significant new stage in social evolution-Impressionism was a movement with a radical co-operative programme.
Paragraph 13:Set of homologies offered by Mallarmѐ between Impressionist art and working class, or radical vision-he suggested that this radical erasure was positive, akin to the popular art usually indigenous to the working class-key term in his dialectic was ‘the theory of the open air’.
Paragraph 14: The function of the open-air painting; what makes Impressionist painting appealing to the rising class of workers and petit bourgeois and Mallarmѐ’s view of the ideal Impressionist painter-Open-air painting justifies for the discarding of academic traditions or individualist whim-Impressionists’ stripping away results in a pictorial clarity and flatness that imitates the look of the simple- thus favored by the rising class of workers and petit bourgeois.
Paragraph 15: The essence of the new art, that emerged between 1874 and 1877, occupies the position between the polarities Impressionist/Intransigent- new art as an single instance of Modernist dialectics-works exploring their own physical origins are Intransigent rebukes to a society-on the other hand, the apolitical self-regard of Modernist art creates an environment suitable to industrial appropriation of the works-‘free space desired by Modernism significant to culture industry.
Paragraph 16: Intransigent the alter ego of Impressionism-opposition between Impressionist and Intransigent art unresolved in the criticism of Claretie, Chesneau, Burty, Wolff, Enault, Chaumelin, and Mallarmѐ.
Paragraph 17: Ambiguities of the new art-assumption that it was deliberate steps by the artists to create a zone of aesthetic freedom that could remain autonomous from political polarizations-new art embodied a ‘theory of open air’, so did its criticism based on ideological unease-critics on the left no more confident than those on the right-Renoir’s rejection of the name further fuelled critical uncertainty over the new art- prolonged ideological antinomies to prevent painting absorbed into ‘cheap tinsel.’
Paragraph 18: Success of the new art apparently owing to the manner of style adopted by Manet and refusal of a proper name by Renoir-Manet chose to expose the Enlightment fissure between subject and object or word and thing through an art that called attention to its status as fiction-he refused Romantic symbolism and Jacobian tradition.
Paragraph 19: Impressionist followers of Manet succeeded in eliding ideological oppositions still offering scope for knowledge-evidence of knowledge in pictures-Manet’s art rhetoric of binaries-new art provides free space between Impressionist and Intransigent.
Work cited:
Eisenmam, Stephen F. “The Intransigent Artist or How the Impressionists Got their Name.”
Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and
Jonathan Harris. London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.Print.
1024118
CIA2
MEL 132
WESTERN AESTHETICS
JULY 15, 2010.
Map of Stephen F.Eisenman’s “The Intransigent Artist or How the Impressionists got their name”
Paragraph 1: Routes how the movement Impressionism got its name-exhibition in Paris studio on 15 April 1874-Claude Monet’s painting titled Impression-‘impression’, ‘effect of an impression’; used by press to refer to the paintings-‘Le Charivari’ by Louis Leroy, speaks of a school of Impressionists-Jules Castagnary explains Impressionism for readers of ‘Le siècle’- The Sociѐtѐ itself accepted the name, voting to title its third exhibition the ‘exhibition of Impressionists’.
Paragraph 2: Arguments concerning the origin of the name- accuracy of the account-popularity of the term Impressionism in period between April 1874 and February 1877-why did the Sociѐtѐ anonyme adopt a name that had been used in mockery?-the necessity to name the new art- why did the artists and their critics regard the term significant?-impressionism constitute a single moment of the ongoing debate over modernism itself.
Paragraph 3: Inclusion of the word Impression in the vocabulary of art criticism and what it implied-the term entered the vocabulary at about the same time that the French positivists were pursuing their studies of Perception- Charles Baudelaire described the “Impression produced by things on the spirit of M.G(uys)”-Studies of Richard Shiff and Charles Stuckey provide base for generalization of the meaning of the term- art based on impressions or sensory experience must resemble, what Ruskin had earlier called,’ innocence of the eye’-Theodore Duret said of Manet that his paintings reflects his impression of things ‘in a variant coloration’.
Paragraph 4: The dual nature of Impressionism-individuality and juxtaposition of colour ‘notes’ with their adjacent tone- Castagnary cites that “Impressionists leave reality and enter into full idealism”-idealism signifies the individualism of the artists, determined by the reflection of the macrocosmic world on his senses.
Paragraph 5: Connotations of the term Impressionism in 1874-technique of painting and an attitude of individualism shared by a group of artists unofficially led by Manet-political and radical connotations of the term-“does it constitute a revolution?” asked Castagnary of Impressionism- Impressionism deemed individualism as an necessary instrument for the freedom of citizens from political, economical and religious dogma-reconstructing France after disastrous Franco- Prussian war and commune.
Paragraph 6: Debate on the sanguinity about the political moderation of the new art and appearance of the word Intransigent-the word Intransigent popular until the Impressionists self-naming in1877.
Paragraph 7: Derivation and meaning of the word intransigent- derived from Spanish neologism los intransigentes-designation for the anarchist wing of the Spanish federalist party of 1872-the intransigents were opposed to the compromises offered by the Federalist benevolent-intransigents claimed for cantonal independence against benevolent Republicans-dispute resulted in war.
Paragraph 8: Political unrest in Spain due to the dispute between the intransigents and Benevolent Republic-attempted intransigent coup in July 1873 fuelled civil war-rebels routed-last Intransigent stronghold, Cartagena, submitted to the Republic-end of 1874,the Republic defeated and the Spanish bourbons restored to power.
Parahgraph9: Support of the assertion that Impressionists had joined hands with the Intransigents in politics-preface to the catalogue for an auction of Impressionist paintings, Philippe Burty described the paintings of the new group, “who are here called Impressionists, elsewhere the Intransigents.”-in the review of second Impressionist exhibition, Albert Wolff wrote, “The self- proclaimed artists call themselves the Intransigents, the Impressionists Intransigents in politics had alliance with Impressionists were further stated by Emile Blemont and Louis Eaul.
Paragraph 10: A critic for La Gazzette, Marius Chaumelin take on politics of Intransigent Art and the appropriateness of its name-Chaumelin claims that the fundamentals of the new art were derived from the principles of the political Intransigents- but little help offered to readers in determining as how political turned in to artistic intransigence.
Paragraph 11: Stѐphane Mallarmѐ clarifies the link between radical, or intransigent, art and politics-Mallarmѐ perceived the new art as an expression of working -class vision and ideology- argument justified in Mallarmѐ’s essay ‘The Art Monthly Review’.
Paragraph 12: Mallarmѐ argues that new Impressionist art marked a significant new stage in social evolution-Impressionism was a movement with a radical co-operative programme.
Paragraph 13:Set of homologies offered by Mallarmѐ between Impressionist art and working class, or radical vision-he suggested that this radical erasure was positive, akin to the popular art usually indigenous to the working class-key term in his dialectic was ‘the theory of the open air’.
Paragraph 14: The function of the open-air painting; what makes Impressionist painting appealing to the rising class of workers and petit bourgeois and Mallarmѐ’s view of the ideal Impressionist painter-Open-air painting justifies for the discarding of academic traditions or individualist whim-Impressionists’ stripping away results in a pictorial clarity and flatness that imitates the look of the simple- thus favored by the rising class of workers and petit bourgeois.
Paragraph 15: The essence of the new art, that emerged between 1874 and 1877, occupies the position between the polarities Impressionist/Intransigent- new art as an single instance of Modernist dialectics-works exploring their own physical origins are Intransigent rebukes to a society-on the other hand, the apolitical self-regard of Modernist art creates an environment suitable to industrial appropriation of the works-‘free space desired by Modernism significant to culture industry.
Paragraph 16: Intransigent the alter ego of Impressionism-opposition between Impressionist and Intransigent art unresolved in the criticism of Claretie, Chesneau, Burty, Wolff, Enault, Chaumelin, and Mallarmѐ.
Paragraph 17: Ambiguities of the new art-assumption that it was deliberate steps by the artists to create a zone of aesthetic freedom that could remain autonomous from political polarizations-new art embodied a ‘theory of open air’, so did its criticism based on ideological unease-critics on the left no more confident than those on the right-Renoir’s rejection of the name further fuelled critical uncertainty over the new art- prolonged ideological antinomies to prevent painting absorbed into ‘cheap tinsel.’
Paragraph 18: Success of the new art apparently owing to the manner of style adopted by Manet and refusal of a proper name by Renoir-Manet chose to expose the Enlightment fissure between subject and object or word and thing through an art that called attention to its status as fiction-he refused Romantic symbolism and Jacobian tradition.
Paragraph 19: Impressionist followers of Manet succeeded in eliding ideological oppositions still offering scope for knowledge-evidence of knowledge in pictures-Manet’s art rhetoric of binaries-new art provides free space between Impressionist and Intransigent.
Work cited:
Eisenmam, Stephen F. “The Intransigent Artist or How the Impressionists Got their Name.”
Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and
Jonathan Harris. London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.Print.
Thormas Paine : American Crises
American Literature has its beginning in the 18th century. The American literatures were pamphlets and writings extolling the benefits of the colonies to both a European and colonist audience. The religious disputes that prompted settlement in America, the revolutionary period containing political writings were also the topics of writing. The strength of America lies in its culture.
Literature and not philosophy became the topic of discussion for the elite class. “Colonization is about capturing minds and not capturing terrorist”, was the idea. During the emergence of World War I, England stopped imparting education to the Germans as they were their enemies; in reply to this, Dental science started emerging in the Germen camps.
In 1492, Columbus reached America, and by 1600’s Native Americans, Red Indians started to settle there. It is said that Aryans ‘came’ from central Asia, Mughals ‘invaded’ and Britishers ‘colonized’ America. Evidence of this can found in the linguists of America as it is similar to Sanskrit, Greek and Latin. The Mughals came from Mangolia with their army and settled down there. Genetically, Native Americans are Magnolian.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
Thomas Paine was a renowned pro American writer, who used ‘plain’ language in an attempt to engage even those people who never read. His works promoted the struggle for American independence and for the rejection of government based on hereditary monarchy. He rejected hierarchies in church and state.
During that period local aristocracies were being challenged by the rising artisan class. He used his rhetorical powers to argue for American independence. On January 9, 1776, he published Common Sense which argued for American independence from Great Britain and for a republican form of government as superior to heredity monarchy. Common Sense helped in spreading a national spirit and led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
His writings showcased how emerging state uses the vocabulary of religion to sanctify their cause. Religion is used to defend states, although religion and state are completely different entities. Religion becomes a tool to justify their cause for a national state. Religion in turn relates to Puritanism which is based largely on Old Testament and it also has its roots in the Jewish history.
From The American Crisis
In the introductory paragraph itself, Paine represents the current state of affairs in America. America was undergoing both domestic and outer (external) crises. He aims to attain a free nation, free from the tyranny of British. He wishes to break free from the bindings, he believed that binding is slavery.
He also points out the faults, the mistakes made in the past and he counters how to redress it. Lack of preparation becomes one of the main reasons for their folly, for the downfall of America. Paine also justifies their goal of FREE AMERICA, as he feels that it is a just claim which has been sanctioned by God himself. “God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupported to perish”. Nation state action is sanctioned by religion. Political struggle kept alive though divine invocation.
He also talks about the panic which has gripped America. He gives examples of the previous situations in France and England, where panic became a downfall and a cause of misery. He believed that now it was the right time to attack; he wanted all the people to fire up their spirits and fight together, unite and gain independence. He gives a detailed account about the experiences of the troops at Fort Lee. He talks about the fragile and temporary army and the mistakes committed by both armies.
The essay has a Biblical tone to it. Paine’s language is similar to that of Bible (Old Testament); especially the text relating to Jewish struggle; there is also the use of imagination from the Jewish: the journey towards the Promised Land (Israel). The notion of “All nations”, is taken from the Bible.
There is also the imagery of Joan of Arc, wherein there is divine intervention where someone will be blessed to lead America towards her independence. Also there are references to enlightened visions and contested boundaries.
Literature and not philosophy became the topic of discussion for the elite class. “Colonization is about capturing minds and not capturing terrorist”, was the idea. During the emergence of World War I, England stopped imparting education to the Germans as they were their enemies; in reply to this, Dental science started emerging in the Germen camps.
In 1492, Columbus reached America, and by 1600’s Native Americans, Red Indians started to settle there. It is said that Aryans ‘came’ from central Asia, Mughals ‘invaded’ and Britishers ‘colonized’ America. Evidence of this can found in the linguists of America as it is similar to Sanskrit, Greek and Latin. The Mughals came from Mangolia with their army and settled down there. Genetically, Native Americans are Magnolian.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
Thomas Paine was a renowned pro American writer, who used ‘plain’ language in an attempt to engage even those people who never read. His works promoted the struggle for American independence and for the rejection of government based on hereditary monarchy. He rejected hierarchies in church and state.
During that period local aristocracies were being challenged by the rising artisan class. He used his rhetorical powers to argue for American independence. On January 9, 1776, he published Common Sense which argued for American independence from Great Britain and for a republican form of government as superior to heredity monarchy. Common Sense helped in spreading a national spirit and led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
His writings showcased how emerging state uses the vocabulary of religion to sanctify their cause. Religion is used to defend states, although religion and state are completely different entities. Religion becomes a tool to justify their cause for a national state. Religion in turn relates to Puritanism which is based largely on Old Testament and it also has its roots in the Jewish history.
From The American Crisis
In the introductory paragraph itself, Paine represents the current state of affairs in America. America was undergoing both domestic and outer (external) crises. He aims to attain a free nation, free from the tyranny of British. He wishes to break free from the bindings, he believed that binding is slavery.
He also points out the faults, the mistakes made in the past and he counters how to redress it. Lack of preparation becomes one of the main reasons for their folly, for the downfall of America. Paine also justifies their goal of FREE AMERICA, as he feels that it is a just claim which has been sanctioned by God himself. “God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupported to perish”. Nation state action is sanctioned by religion. Political struggle kept alive though divine invocation.
He also talks about the panic which has gripped America. He gives examples of the previous situations in France and England, where panic became a downfall and a cause of misery. He believed that now it was the right time to attack; he wanted all the people to fire up their spirits and fight together, unite and gain independence. He gives a detailed account about the experiences of the troops at Fort Lee. He talks about the fragile and temporary army and the mistakes committed by both armies.
The essay has a Biblical tone to it. Paine’s language is similar to that of Bible (Old Testament); especially the text relating to Jewish struggle; there is also the use of imagination from the Jewish: the journey towards the Promised Land (Israel). The notion of “All nations”, is taken from the Bible.
There is also the imagery of Joan of Arc, wherein there is divine intervention where someone will be blessed to lead America towards her independence. Also there are references to enlightened visions and contested boundaries.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
V Semester Literary theory class notes 4
18 June 2010
The topic that were to be discussed in today’s and the next class are
1. Saussure’s idea of language- the sign system
2. The arbitrary nature of language
3. Signifier exists in time
4. Thought and language
5. Question of language/ parole
6. Signification
7. Value
8. Difference
9. Syntagm and paradigm
SAUSSURE’S IDEA OF LANGUAGE
Saussure says that word represented thing. For example the term ‘duster’ represents a something that a teacher or lecturer uses to clean the blackboard. All words have certain objects to represent.
This means that any word has two properties,
· The word itself
· What it suggests
·
For example when the word auditorium is used in a classroom, there is no auditorium in the class, yet when the term is mentioned everyone gets the picture of, or understand what is being implied by it. It is the idea of the word that exists in the classroom. And this is what happens
most of the time. What we have is the sound through which we get the picture of things. Be it buildings, objects, even feelings.
So we have the word and what it suggests.
Then Saussure labels the word and says that the word is actually a sign,
And the sign has two parts- signifier and the signified.
Here the signifier is the word, the sound or the combination of sounds. And there is a sound image. The sound controls the imagery of mind
The example given by Saussure is that of a tree. When the word ‘tree’ is pronounced, the image of a tree comes in your mind.
Here Saussure is talking only about the spoken language.
So when you make the sound tr-ee or /tri:/, the image created in the mind is the sound image or a visual image.
ARBITRARY NATURE OF LANGUAGE
Saussure says that relationship between signifier and signified, sound and image is at any point of time arbitrary. He said there is no natural relationship between the sound and the image.
This is because when you say, vriksha (hindi), paed (hindi) or mara (kannada) you are creating the same image as tree. Therefore there is no natural relationship. We can decide and create new words or a language if the community agrees to it.
For example if the entire college agrees to calling the tree “taro”, and gives the ‘swaying of tree’ the term “taroying”, the same image will be created in the dead as tree or swaying of tree when I say “taro” or “taroying” respectively.
Thus the relationship is arbitrary and not natural.
If it was natural, when I say 'Tree' everybody all around the world must get the same image in their head, but this is not the case. A person who does not know English, this image with not be created. Also, there would have been only one language in the world, which is not the case.
Now the question arises is what about Pantomime and Onomatopoeic expressions.
Pantomimes are movements or certain gestures that are acted out to create a meaning. If through an action you are able to create the same meaning, and everybody in the world understands that meaning then this theory of this arbitrary relationship is wrong.
But this is not true. Take the example of road signs, only a person who drives/rides or travels much by road will recognize the road signs. A particular tribe from an area where these signs are these signs will not make sense to them.
If this example seems to extreme, you can take the example of clapping. Clapping can have many different significations. Clapping can be for example, an applaud, or simply to tell a speaker that he/she has exceeded time or is boring. A clap can be to call someone also. So is also the case with laughter. This ambiguity of significations explains the arbitrary relationship of signifier and signified.
Coming to Onomatopoeic words. Consider an example of your hand getting caught in the door, now if you’re an Indian you would scream “Aaaa!” or “Aiyo!”, although if you are a British you might say “Ouch!”
Also the words we use to term the sounds of animals like Dogs. In India it is “Bhow-Bhow” whereas in Europe it will be “Woof-Woof”
SIGNIFIER EXISTS IN TIME
Saussure says that signifier exists in time, which means that nobody in this world can produce or say two words simultaneously.
When we speak, we speak one word plus another word plus another word and so on. It is impossible to say two words at once, one will always be after another.
THOUGHT AND LANGUAGE
For Saussure thought and language are inseparable. He says that without language there can be no thought and thought gets order, expression and meaning only because of language. If there is no language there can be no thought and thought is only in language.
Question by Anusha: “Can thought not be in images?”
LANGUE AND PAROLE
Saussure says what we have is langue. What we learn as children is a structure that is there. There is a basic structure in every language this structure never changes.
For example the SVO (subject-verb-object) structure of sentence in English and the SOV (subject-object –verb) structure in Indian languages.
What we speak is parole and parole will have different combinations all the time.
So every language has a langue, which is a basic structure from where people pick up thousands of combinations. They are so numerous that no two piece of writing or speech are exactly similar.
The proof of this can be seen in a software which detects whether what you have written is original or copied from some other work. Therefore no two assignment or essay or any piece of writing can ever be same.
And if you are given any sentence in the language you know well, you can tell whether it is grammatically correct or wrong. Therefore there is a universal rule to that, which Saussure terms as langue.
SIGNIFICATION
Saussure does not use the word meaning. He uses the word signification. When signifier and signified come together or when you relate them, what you have is signification.
Consider a modern art gallery, if you have no background on modern art, art pieces will just seem as some colourful designs without any meaning. But if someone comes and explains to you what the strokes and colours signify you begin to understand the significations that the artist uses.
Pinto, Anil. Class Lecture. Introduction to Literary Theory. Christ University. Bangalore, India. 18 June 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)