Page 80 - Studio International - December 1973

ART THEORY& PRACTICE
right road, i.e. are they both summative and holds that evaluation is conceptually rooted in shall be referring to the book 'Art and
predictive. Or are they like signposts in an description (i.e. although it is logically possible Language' (Dumont/1972), to some copies of
institution — they point out the right direction to call anything good it is just not Art-Language, Analytical Art, and individually
within a situation of intellectual hegemony, i.e. understandable); the first suffers from the bound copies of some essays by the Coventry
do they will the direction they point in ? Or are problems of the a-moralist, the second from the group which may not all have been published.
they Kantian in the sense that they provide the problems of determinism. In the one, rationality As these criticisms are of a general order, I will
grounds for the possibility of art-activity as is not enough to overcome random not attempt to disentangle all the personal
such ? If they have the latter status they are the subjectivism, in the other, objectivism of moral disagreements involved between individuals,
only basis for art-activity; but it seems to be the meaning cannot account for the moral rather treating the group as a whole, although I
case with art's indexicality that a competition innovator, and so questions of logic and acknowledge that this is to some extent a fiction.
between categorial frameworks must be rationality are not enough to establish I refer to them as the Art-Language group.
encouraged: a monolithic rationalism will objectivism and the thesis of objectivism rules It is intended that Art-Language be the
overtake art otherwise. out totally free choice. It seems to be the case conscience of all forms of reflective art, and it
Many questions arise over the linking of art that a theoretical art wants or neeeds the good could be argued that although not to be
and conceptual rationality. Is all rationality the qualities of both theses, while evading the faults. identified with aesthetics — and those who are
same or are there competing standards of By his idea that the meaning of art is associated with the 'movement' have a horror of
rationality. If there are competing standards, determined by essential features (the logic aesthetics — its relationship to reflective art is
what if any, is the bridge between them ? If of realism as opposed to the logic of none the less similar to that of aesthetics to
there is such a bridge should this be the basis of conceptualism) Stezaker covertly implies straight 'old paradigm' art. The relationship is
art ? But that which is the basis of everything can that there is a notion of discovery in art. Reason especially similar when one considers the
be the basis of nothing in particular (in the is not to be used to just construct but to divorce between theoretical and practical
same spirit: 'total conceptual lucidity alters discover. But there is a conflict between activities that ironically arises from the Art-
nothing'). Does rationality understand anything : construction and discovery; to discover there is Language position. Whereas it seems that their
if rationality is the basis of art, this could no need to construct and to construct there is no theorizing was intended to give a philosophical
preclude an understanding of the irrational and need to discover. The implication of the notion justification or underpinning to a new paradigm
be restrictive of the understanding it entails and of discovery is that it gives a gloss of objectivity of activity, it has only managed to avoid
the foundations it builds. to a theory. How in this case does one establish becoming pure commentary, thus setting
By his assumption that it is possible to that an objective determination of what art is itself up in opposition to artistic activity, by
determine what should be the basis of valid art- obtains ? There is no test case for this.q bestowing a quasi-art status on those very
activity from what art is Stezaker implies (a) that SUE STEDMAN-JONES theoretical enterprises.
there is room for the notion of discovery in art, Footnotes In the world of philosophy there are some
and (b) the status of judgements within art about 'This term, as first noted by John Stezaker, in his articles which are constantly referred to as the
art is that they should be prescriptive theses. A `An exception to the Rule', does not signify an centres of controversy, while the typical fate
historical category but rather a framework of belief
discussion of these points entails analyzing the to which a great deal of art since Duchamp conforms. of a philosophical article is to be published,
relationship between fact and value in any field "Art and Language', edited by Paul Maenz and discussed and then to disappear from view. The
that is fundamentally evaluative. The nature of Gerd de Vries, DuMont International 1972. articles that Art-Language write are in
3Kosuth 'Art after Philosophy' Ibid. p. 104.
prescriptivism as opposed to descriptivism is Atkinson 'From an Art-Language Point of View' pretentiously bound editions, and often sold on
that it entails action whereas descriptivism is (excerpt 2 and especially note A). Ibid. Passim. the 'art market' (and for art here, read art-
4Kosuth. Ibid. See also Atkinson and Baldwin 'On
neutral as to the action which follows. This commodity). Is there anything to distinguish
the Material-Character/Physical-Object Paradigm
makes all disagreement about what art is a of Art'. Ibid. p. 226. Passim. these articles from the philosophical ones they
disagreement about principles of action not 'Atkinson and Baldwin 'La Pensée avec Images'. so closely resemble ? There are at least two
about facts of the world. Here there is an Ibid. features : firstly they are produced in the
'See especially Kosuth 'Art after Philosophy'. Ibid.
analogy between art and morality that might be 'See `Kant's Theory of Knowledge' by Graham context of an art-market in which external
illuminating — are there fundamental restrictions Bird. Routledge Kegan Paul 1966. criteria like saleability and marketing are
'See Hurrell/Baldwin 'Handbook to Ingot'. Ibid.
on what can count as art ? 'Kosuth 'Introductory note by the American Editor'. underdetermined by the internal standards of
Saying what art is, is similar to formulating a Ibid. the work; secondly, their internal standards
moral principle: each involves a principle, a ""See 'Truth' by G. Pitcher. distinguish them from normal philosophical
commitment to future action and both are free "See 'Two Dogmas of Empiricism' and 'From a articles, for while there are exceptions, it is
Logical Point of View' by Quine.
choices (at least if the notion of artistic and 12It is the explicit concern of articles 12, 13, 14, in largely true that their use of philosophy is
moral responsibilities is to be maintained). In `Art and Language'. Ibid. uncritical. They use concepts that originate
modern moral philosophy the debate between a "'Art in One-Dimensional Society' in 'Radical within wholly incompatible philosophical
Perspectives in the Arts' edited by Lee Baxandall,
kind of formalism (R. M. Hare) and a Harmondsworth, 1972. positions even in the same sentence. They
`substantialism' (Philippa Foot, G. E. M. "Priorities I' Frameworks Journal, vol. I no.1 June assume that anything a philosopher says can be
1972, pp. 1-45.
Anscombe) illustrates the problem that faces a "Unpublished, but see the discussion of verticality quoted as a stepping-stone in an argument,
theoretical art. The formalist tells us that moral in 'Two Approaches', published in The New Art without evaluating its claims to truth. The
choice is free and rational and therefore that any exhibition catalogue, Hayward Gallery, 1972. typical form can be illustrated by 'J. J. C.
kind of moral principle is permissible as long as Smart says . . .' and then moving on. Correct as
it is consistently held and acted on. The thesis of REFLECTIONS ON they undoubtedly are in thinking that traditional
substantialism tells us that the logic of the art theories were naive, often dead to crucial
formalist thesis is undeniable but that there are ART AND questions about the nature of artistic assertions,
conceptual and human restrictions on what can when Art-Language has recourse to philosophy
count as moral. Formalism presumes freedom LANGUAGE it is often no more than a displacement of
and rationality at the expense of This essay is intended to be a criticism of the naivety to a new level. Where are we to find any
understandability: substantialism preserves application of the methods of analytical criticism of a philosophical position ?
understandability at the expense of total free philosophy to the task of giving a theoretical The Art-Language enterprise seems to arise
choice. The first thesis holds a total logical gap reorientation to the practise of art and the out of the same conditions as minimal art and
between description and evaluation, the second conception of its objects. For this purpose I conceptual art, even though it cannot be

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