Page 78 - Studio International - December 1973

ART THEORY& PRACTICE
to ideas is not analytic, discussive or explicatory. definitions of matter. The visual elements understanding and culture. A more orthodox
The basis for the choice of philosophical ideas is relating to how questions that lead to art as linguistic scholar like Saussure makes a
at best eclectic and the connection between the entertainment, and so to the close relationship distinction between langue' (that which
ideas is random, intuitive and inspirational. The to an audience is also rejected. Two points arise transcends culture and history and is the basis of
feeling one gets is that this is a collage approach from this : firstly, the eradication of the all communication) and 'parole' (particular
to ideas. A world of a dadaist or surrealist visible/material element seems to rest on the languages or forms of speech according to
nature arises from the pages of conceptualist art dubious discovery that the meaning of culture or history). None of these views of
writing, the objects or heroes of which are the `substance' (for example) rests in the use of the linguistics legislates any special or reductive role
most rational and staid men and theories of concept of substance. This may be true, for communication within art. To view
twentieth-century philosophy. There is thus a particularly in the light of conceptual analysis linguistics narrowly and to claim that art belongs
strange and ill-fitting relation between the (which is the only philosophical method which here is an unwarranted and ideological
`rational' content of their theories and the the artists (intermittently) use) but since reductionism.
irrational structure. So, no philosophical critique conceptual analysis does not reduce 'the stuff in So too is the connection made between art and
in the obvious way is available or even fair, since the world' to the mere status of conceptual logic, prevalent in all the writings but stated
it would not correlate with their intentions or meaning, then neither does this argument in clearly and explicitly by Kosuth in 'Art after
the nature of their art. The reasons for the itself legislate any special r ole for the artist's Philosophy'.
espousal of the theories of Whitehead, Russell, relation to the visible/tangible. Conceptual It remains an unexamined but interesting
Frege and Quine by the conceptual artists are analysis does not imply dematerialization and assumption as to whether and what the
not the same reasons for the making of these does not constitute a rejection of the physical connection is between art and truth. Art
theories by the philosophers. Therefore, entrenchment argument.° Secondly, these certainly seems an uneasy bedfellow with either
whatever legitimacy conceptual art has, it does arguments° rest on a weak distinction between of the two best known theories of truth :
not derive from a reasoned or fair representation perception and conception that is denied by the Correspondence (where truth is a relation between
of the philosophers; but neither is the traditional nature of art itself and by all schools of a statement and a state of affairs : this
art-theory, art-criticism approach available, philosophy except the most empirically might be available to the most laboriously
since the distinction between theory and art is orientated. It has been a philosophical truism mimetic type of art) and coherence (where
challenged. If this challenge is successful and (except to the British empiricists) that truth is a relation of consistency within any
the dichotomy overcome, the result would perceptions are formed and constrained by system)." To make art analytic is to make
appear to make the one or other activity conceptions. This has been the dominating all art necessary and true (which is
redundant. To do this effectively, the group epistemological force in continental philosophy obviously not the case) but more seriously
would need an extremely strong and solid since Kant effected his Copernican revolution of it makes all art vacuous. Analytic truths
criterion of its own identity. The impression, the relationship between consciousness and the are true by established definition: in a
however, is that it has no such sense and world: that there is an intelligible, describable different world the notion of what is necessarily
therefore slips uncomfortably between the two empirical world and this depends not on the true would change.11 As such, in our world,
traditional concerns (their writings have a world, but on the categories of the analytic truths are lengthy re-statements of the
market-value as objects2). Its ambivalence here understanding - which provide its grounds of obvious. To make analyticity the cornerstone of
can be said to be a block to a genuine possibility. 7 If this is true generally, how much art-activity is therefore to make it
understanding of the work. more true is it of the artist, who out of his epistemologically dependent on the status quo
Conceptual art can be seen in the wider light `conceptions' creates new things to perceive or and, also, to make it logically tight, but
of group activity. All disciplines or areas of to heighten/expand our perception. In this tautologically empty. If artists intentions have
activity are intermittently but regularly shaken sense all art-activity and its products carries something to do with having an effect on
by radical doubts about the nature or validity of its own theories and justifications within people's consciousness such that our knowledge
what has been going on so far. Declarations of itself; in this sense is not the art object its own or perception of the world is expanded or
the death of a subject are usually a prelude, if handbook ? 8 That this seems to be the enlarged, the status of these intentions cannot be
not to a new movement, at least to a re-drawing fundamental epistemological basis of art reduced to established definitions. Art has a
of the boundaries and a disturbing of the (as opposed to mere decoration) means necessity, but this is to do with the nature of
complacent. This type of radical assessment is firstly, that a basis for genuine art-criticism is art, human nature and society and is not
healthy because it is fruitful of new activity. available and, secondly, that this is one of the subsumable under any pre-established logical
Conceptual art is an assessment of the nature of reasons for having art rather than mere theory law. Art is therefore a type of activity which is
art from within art; the group accept no or description. not tied to any states of affairs (therefore is not
legislation from critics, aestheticians or A theory which all the artists share is that of empirical) nor to any logical laws (therefore is
audience. But is their type of assessment the understanding of the linguistic nature of all not 'logical') for validation. To search for this
regenerative - a form of radical enquiry that will art propositions, be they past or present and kind of validation is an indication of ontological
lead to new work ? Or is it the tail-end of 'Post- regardless of the elements used in their and epistemological insecurity. To try to tie it to
Duchampian' art turned into a conceptual construction.° On what basis is art called logical necessity is to imply that this is the only
enquiry with no future direction ? propositional and therefore linguistic ? kind of necessity it can have and similarly it is to
Conceptual art as an enquiry into the nature Propositions are strange entities whose deny art a unique kind of freedom. The only
of art3, implies that the old duality between philosophical function is to give an answer to the reason possible for such an attempt is that the
perception and conception is overcome, the puzzle of how different grammatical artist is unsure of his intentions or the validity
division of labour between the art critic and the constructions can have the same meaning: of his action.
art producer, why and how questions are propositions are the bearers of truth or falsity, The questions asked determine the answers
dissolved into the one activity. The visual and they are the sense of a sentence. If the basis of that are supplied. Here, rather than asking 'What
material quality of art is radically re-assessed calling art propositional is that it communicates is art ?' and slotting answers into established
within the framework of 'the investigation of the sense or meanings, then the obvious rejoinder philosophical paraphernalia, ask instead 'What
function, meaning and use of any and all art- is that not all communication is linguistic. More are the grounds of the possibility of art ?' This
propositions'.4 fundamentally, what is 'linguistic' ? In a involves a consideration of those qualities or
Definitions and explanations are now internal Chomskian or Lévi-Straussian theory the idea of defining characteristics that provide for the
to art activity: 'matter' becomes mere the linguistic becomes the very basis of both continued flourishing of the activity - whatever

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