Page 82 - Studio International - December 1973

ART THEORY& PRACTICE
upon the programme of post-Duchampian Art Duchampian conventions 'Art-Language' seek
PROBLEM SOLVING Stezaker sees the remedy for the current discursiveness. Both can be seen initially as a
AND QUESTION malaise in art in a radical inversion of its reaction against minimal art's meaninglessness
`contextual' involvements. But the change also and afunctionality and the sorting out of the
BEGGING: THE WORKS requires a change of metaphysical framework - problems in the situation inherited from
OF ART-LANGUAGE this is his Intentionality thesis. minimal art in whichever stance, has required
the adoption of a more theoretically exacting
One might characterize the manner of
AND JOHN STEZAKER transcending the materiality of minimal art manner of approach. This much is common to
engaged by Art & Language as the adoption of a both the theoretical art of John Stezaker and the
I. `meta-position'3 with respect to the real realm analytical art of Art & Language. However,
With the outset of conceptual art a shift from of art in which the physical 'art-objects' reside. even the reason for utilizing theory differs
the idea of art being part of the natural world In a meta-language, discourse concerning the considerably in these two areas of work.
to being an ideational realm is discernible in the object language can be meaningfully engaged With Art & Language, theory is a necessity
less material orientation of the art-works in accordance with the strictures of modern presently in sorting out the problematical
advanced. In Britain and America this tendency analytical philosophy. Art & Language are issues which face artists, but the implication is
first manifested itself in about 1968, when the unconcerned with the nature of the thing that when these problems have been adequately
first analytical and theoretical art-works became declared an art-object, but solely with the articulated and solved, then artists may return,
forthcoming from Art & Language and later manner of declaration. armed with a better manner (language) of
from Stezaker as well as a number of other If the declarative act is deemed to be the form articulation, to the proper activity of art.6
works of a less theoretical orientation which of the art-object or in Kosuth's terms the 'art- Naturally this begs the question of propriety.
implicitly affirmed a less material orientation proposition', then 'Art-Language' and However, Stezaker's use of theory is somewhat
without necessarily indicating a commitment to analytical art is concerned with the various more permanent. He regards the 'sorting out'
the concept of art as an ideational realm. contexts within which such assertions might be feature of art- activity to be a fundamental
In the earlier works of Art & Language the meaningful. This can be regarded as an aspect of the activity proper, and adequate
`contextual' issues (which might be regarded as extension of what Stezaker refers to as 'post- solution of the dilemma facing artists currently
being within the Duchamp tradition and his Duchampian context-stressing' in which the being possible only upon a recognition and
`ready-made' norm, as determining the content is traditionally subordinated firstly to a acceptance of the mutuality of art-theory and
`content' of the art-works) are further stressed `form' (form of apprehension or form of art- practice. Indeed he dispenses with the
to the point where in later work context presentation) and secondly to the context conventional theory-practice separation and
problems seem to dispense with 'content' within which the form is intelligible. introduces a tri-categorization of art-activity7 in
altogether. The specification of 'context' or Stezaker's abandonment of the 'context- terms of reductionism, criticism and
`art ambience' becomes for Art & Language the stressing' of post-Duchampian Art has not constructionism, all art-activity being
begin-all and end- all of their activity as artists. meant a re-stressing of the subordinate compounded of these norms and each aspect
The precedent for this attitude is implicit in materiality which is the only accessible 'content' serving the eventual forwarding of constructs
Duchamp's 'ready-mades', though the outcome in minimal and post-Duchampian Art. Instead, (theoretical or practical) in constructionism.
of the attitude as transposed in the writings of a new metaphysical status for the art-work, as an The abandonment of notions involving
Art & Language is radically different, where an intention or meaning is forwarded. What he `objectivity' in art-theoretical judgment is
array of ideas connected with modern analytical seeks to establish is a manner of individuating central to the adoption of this 'internal'
philosophy is utilized to stress more and more art-works as meanings or as functional beings theoretical and critical stance. This is the
`remote' contexts which might be thought to rather than as mere physical items or 'acts' tendency which Stezaker consistently sought to
`hold the key of art'. (like the act of assertion). Art-works thence exemplify in his earlier works, and which gave
The point of departure for Art & Language achieve their status within a given framework rise to the requirement for which he is probably
has been in a rejection of the simple materiality by their interrelations with other items best known - the self-referential consistency
of minimal art, in order to establish a more contributing to the same framework and to the demand.8 The notion of an 'objectively real'
discursive activity in art. The theoretical same 'constructive programme'. So he is able to realm of art within which objects are elected the
starting point has been in the 'declarative assert the more normal priority-ordering : 'A status of art-ojects is precisely the situation
methodology'1, as it is called, whereby an art- thing is not art because it is called 'art', but is from which Stezaker sought to extricate
work is deemed to achieve its status as such by simply called 'art' because it is art'4 i.e. it art-activity. The conventional relation of
the nominal act of asserting implicitly or belongs to a given and acknowledged framework theory and practice implicitly affirms
explicitly its 'art-context'. The logical and for art-activity by virtue of how it functions `objectivity' in theoretical judgments by its
linguistic issues which surround this simple act meaningfully within that framework rather than descriptive ambience and its 'external'
are made more central to art-activity by their by the merely nominal assertion of its genus. stance. Consequently, what is affirmed is
stress in analytical conceptual art. Attending this 'reversal of conceptual the traditional conviction to a real factual
In Stezaker's theoretical art, however, the priority-orderings there is involved in status for art-works. Accordingly, Stezaker's
inversion of the 'post-Duchampian' Stezaker's 'Theory For Art' an inversion of the theory is formulated to the criterion of
methodology is his principal aim. He regards post-Duchampian characteristics of reductionism prescriptivity (as contributing to the realm
the whole activity as it has been conducted and scepticism as well as the determinism which of art). Instead of the artist or theorist in
since Duchamp as being rooted in a 'reversal of sustains these paradoxical norms in an developing anything but merely practical
the normative (logically) priority-orderings for evolutionary development. Consequently judgement concerning an art-work, attaining to
action'2. Indeed he regards the 'declarative Stezaker affirms certain functionalist 'first an external objective standpoint (like Art &
methodology' of post-Duchampian Art as being principles' (most significantly the intentionality.") Language and the 'meta-position')9 theoretical
a symptom of an underlying logic in art which principle of individuating the realm of art) in art requires an acknowledgement of the
has committed art further and further away opposition to the nihilistic sceptical attitude of inherent subjectivity and internal character of
from meaningfulness ending historically in the `anything goes' which has characterized the such judgments. Both the art-works forwarded
bland emptiness of minimal art. Where Art & post-Duchampian programme of 'reduction'. and the theoretical conjectures forwarded
Language seek to be discursive, Stezaker has Where Stezaker seeks intentionality, it might belong to the same 'realm of meanings'.
sought intentionality in art. Instead of continuing be said that by an extension of the post- Consequently the self-referential consistency
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