Page 62 - Studio International - April 1971

emphasized, revealed, three quarters of a Questions raised
century ago by Cezanne. One can also say as of Paul Cezanne Still Life
With Water Jug
now that they have all—with more or less Courtesy : The Tate
brilliance and diverse talents—been resolved Gallery, London
tens of times; i.e. in real terms, distorted, or, Solutions given
better, censured [discredited]. 2 Georges Braque
Mandolin
In order to clarify our exposé, we will not Courtesy: The Tate
deal here with the historic, the how and why Gallery, London
reasons for the emergence of questions we call Questions ignored
strong or essential points [key issues]. We will 3 Marcel Duchamp
limit ourselves to the recognition of their Bottle Rack 1914
existence and to the examination of the outcome.
In effect, Cezanne did not, miraculously, all
alone, coincidentally, raise these problems, not distortion may hold the stage at the expense of
even the first of them, but let us say he posed the question itself which is thereby prevented
them best and most clearly, and in such a from gaining prominence. At the same moment
decisive way that even if we cannot consider his as one thus camouflages the embarrassing
work as representing a `rupture', it certainly set question/questions, one pays homage to that
in motion an irreversible process. These 'strong work which raised them—overwhelms it with
or essential points' [key issues], these realities, praise—in order to naturalize them, so that the
are as we said recognized by everyone and about work is choked to death; and so that it can no
everyone. Of these 'realities' two are essential, longer deliver its message, its real meaning, it
since they derive to a greater or less degree is in turn hidden behind the image of its creator
from all the others. Although they are who becomes a 'genius', with all that that implies
commonplaces—perhaps because they are in terms of the irrational and inexpressible : a
such —we won't hesitate to recall them. myth whose essential role is to disarm, to turn
A) TO QUESTION2 THE SUBJECT, that is the 'CATALYST QUESTIONS' into
the appearance of painting to the detriment of `ETERNAL TRUTHS'; the inspired creator
what is being painted. thus comes to overshadow his own product.
B) TO QUESTION PERSPECTIVE, that is This is so with Cezanne, real universal
the appearance of and the regard to the support monument difficult to rediscover, covered as he
on which the 'message' is inscribed, i.e. a flat is by successive layers of all kinds of alluvia.
surface. Nevertheless although it is necessary to
In order to pinpoint ideas, we can define `dismantle' what has been made of Cezanne's
several strong points deriving from A and B: every gesture is dictated by (or linked to) a work, in order to rediscover it, to clarify the
precise social, historical situation, then art is a questions raised—we hope this text will leave a
A B fortiori ruled by these `truths'.3 trail—we do not believe more in Cezanne than in
a) Progressive a) Emphasis on the So the problem is posed quite differently Watteau, Pollock or Buffet. If we use Cezanne,
disappearance of any surface in its totality, and if not more clearly then at least in a more it is only as a reference point and to try to distil
representation, even i.e. no areas of greater instructive and interesting fashion. This is not, from his work the essential points it raised and
an illusive one. or less priority. for us, a hypothesis, but a statement of the which were carefully deflected, stifled,
b) Attempt to b) Questioning of obvious : what we call 'strong or essential truncated or annulled.
neutralize the painted composition. points' i.e. the problems examined are only We consider the questions raised by
`touch' mechanization attempts at discrediting or unmasking the Cézanne—his work—to be essential, yet if they
directed towards the existing system, i.e. the dominant ideology, i.e. were so easily camouflaged, it is because at the
end of appearance the bourgeoisie. It is for this reason that we same time they carried within them the
for its own sake. consider these `questions' not only as taken for partiality that made it possible to ignore them.
c) Questioning the c) Questioning of the granted but also as issues to be restated or This criticism of the theoretical weakness of
tools of painting `tableau' i.e. of the redefined. Hence, of course, their freshness and work which raises only empirically, and in a
(brushes ) and their support itself as an appositeness. It is not surprising, then, to see partial way, questions which are essential yet
consequence; object to be respected. these commonplaces constantly reappearing, does so in ignorance of the whole, holds good
disappearance of the then being muzzled, extinguished until their in our view in general up to the present day
transmission (and the next appearance, and so on in this way, because for the work of any artist whatsoever, including
gesture it required) these `commonplaces' are in effect very of course even those who asked the fundamental
between the body and dangerous questions, in the final count, for the questions which enable us today to suggest that
the canvas. established order. a theoretization of art has become possible—
If social revolts against the established has become the only possible path.
One will note that these problems, already order are generally repressed by violence—by The task of recovery and examination of the
raised by Cezanne— disavowed, camouflaged— the police or by wars—it is not so in art. The `essential points' raised by Cezanne's work was
on the one hand reappeared as of constant repression is much subtler and therefore even carried out for the first time by the cubist
necessity at the strong moments of artistic more efficient because it is harder to expose. movement as a whole.
production since the beginning of the century, Generally the method is this (we'll be We have described diagrammatically, that is
and on the other hand are now posed to us with diagrammatic so that the differences in the we have exposed in clinical fashion, the process
remarkable acuteness, even freshness. As we methods and their variations will emerge of of camouflage and the motives, which we
see it there is one fundamental reason for this; their own accord): to the posing of a question believe to be in essence political. Let us examine
a political reason. If it is true, and we believe one gives a formal, seductive response, with the now how this happened practically/formally
it to be so, that every act is a political act, that least possible delay, so that the solution/ with Cubism.