Page 83 - Studio International - December 1973

ART THEORY& PRACTICE
demand arose to establish the requirement that scheme for art is advanced only upon a new theorists and practitioners all contribute to
all descriptions, prescriptions or whatever metaphysical basis and within a subscribed given frameworks of belief, the rational
forwarded in art or within a given framework of rationale. Consequently the alternatives of organization of the latter being the function of
art be subject to their own rules. privatism and solipsism equally do not arise. theoretical art. The veiled nature of 'frameworks'
One might regard the process of art since Indeed in both endeavours frameworks for art- can be regarded as a consequence of the non-
Duchamp as a marked move towards greater activity are confirmed (by the very distinction pluralistic approach to art-activity which
and greater 'objectivity', the final consequence between theoretical and analytical art) and assumes art to be an evolutionary process
in minimal art being the merely physical or affirmed theoretically also, and these are self- intelligible only in an history. The recognition
material 'objects of art' quite apart from any evidently public rather than private by the very of the teleological character of art-activity
associated meaning or intention. In the same nature of language, and the frameworks within provides the basis for the systemization of art
way as pointed out in 'Introduction to which it is meaningful. within clearly defined frameworks and
"Categories"10' by Stezaker, aesthetic theory A comparison of the metaphysical schemes theoretical and analytical art both represent
has adopted a more and more descriptive and entailed respectively in analytical art and in two such frameworks, as well as permitting the
objective stance with regard to this real realm of theoretical art of a 'universe of linguistics' and a operation of others within their 'theories'.
art. Finally, Art & Language and analytical art `universe of meanings' can only be properly Since it is the teleological nature of art in
has developed the positivism of conventional judged by a comparison of the respective aims which these endeavours are most obviously
objective theory to allude to an hierarchy of which these metaphysical norms serve — linked, we should now be in a position to assess
formal planes (meta-positions) each legislating respectively discursiveness and meaningfulness, the manner in which the 'problem-solving'
its antecedent. The stance adopted by Art & each in a rejection of the meaninglessness of nature of their art-work is asserted
Language as theorists is radically different from minimal art conventional 'universe of things' theoretically and maintained practically.
that of Stezaker's theoretical art. In the latter (physical things). This manner of comparison
the artist is subject to his own theoretical would certainly be recommended by Stezaker's
formulations in the development of constructs, functionalist 'logic', such that metaphysical Stezaker, in the theory for art, repudiates what
whereas in the case of Art & Language the affiliations like all other aspects of a functionalist he variously calls a 'context-logic' or a
stance adopted is that of legislator to ordinary realm must be determined by their convenience `mediational logic' or a 'means logic', replacing
practitioners (`normal artists' as they are called). in achieving some definitive 'end' which the it with a functional or 'ends' logic for art-
The change envisaged by 'Art-Language' for framework might serve. activity. The determinism, which insists upon
the status of theoretical assertions in art is not That everything, in the terms of analytical an autonomous evolution of 'manners' in art, is
in their belonging to art, but in their art, be reducible ultimately to linguistical issues thence replaced by a teleological framework
prescriptivity — they retain the conventional is dually a conviction of Art & Language (and within which ends come to define a framework
theory practice relation structurally, but Kosuth) and of analytical aesthetics, where or system of art. The preference is based upon
dispense with the conventionally overriding similarly all problems of aesthetics are thought critical judgment of the consequences of an
priority afforded to descriptivity. This aspect to be reducible to problems of syntax or application of each type of 'logic' of action, both
has been most explicitly asserted by the `philosophy of language'. Indeed it is a fairly practically and theoretically. The function of
American members of Art & Language, widespread conviction in a great number of theory for him, and within this functionalist
particularly in their essay 'Four Wages Of ideational realms presently that all facts are logic, is forwarding art works, though
Sense' 11 in which the analytical artist is given reducible to certain conventions of language (in theoretical conjectures, themselves, come to
the status of legislator to a community of the fashion of Wittgenstein). In the words of count as a part of the realm of art. Therefore
`normal artists'. Kosuth: 'There are only art-propositions.'14 theoretical constructs in a constructive
Minimal art might be regarded as operating Whatever the nature of the problems which programme precede the practical constructs of
upon, as well as forwarding, the notion of is recognized in and theoretical frameworks for the realm, rather than following (which would
objective reality (and also its pertinence to art). art, the endeavours are certainly conjoined in be the conviction of descriptive theory and of
Barbara Rose notes this aspect of minimal art their presupposition of problems in the first almost all aesthetic theory).17
in 'A B C Art',12 in which she parallels the place. Whether they be regarded as linguistic, The programme of theoretical art, in
minimalist 'rejection of the personal, subjective, by their nature, or whether their identity is attempting to elevate the conventionally
tragic and the narrative, in favour of the world precisely equateable with the identity of art or subordinated human determination,
of things' with analogous tendencies in the of a given system or framework of art (as is functionally, has meant the recognition of
`French objective novel' (nouveau roman Stezaker's conviction), a teleology is advocated `frameworks of belief' and of their counterparts
school). She quotes Alain Robbe-Grillet as for the activity of art. The blandness of minimal `practically' in 'systems of art'. The
saying 'Now the world is neither meaningful nor and post-Duchampian art, assumes an individuation of art-works, functionally, has
absurd. It simply is.'13 This certainly conforms evolution for art in a deterministic fashion and additionally required the recognition that
to the minimalist doctrine of physicality. But so 'problems' as such are entirely inadmissible, theoretical conjectures, in functionally
a rejection of objectivity does not mean an beyond the merely 'practical' (in the limited contributing to a 'system of art', come to count
adoption of privatism or solipsism let alone sense of the term). As Duchamp remarked: as items of that realm. This is the 'conjunction of
emotionalism. Minimal art seems to have n'y a pas de solution, parce qu'il n'y a pas de theory and practice in the same teleological
arisen as a rejection of these values. Analytical problème'. Therefore, in generalizing about the directives', removing the conventional
art in rejecting minimal art retains a notion of application of these two different frameworks, separatism of theory and practice, which, in
objectivity in the relation between theory and it is their affirmation of a problem-solving other realms, might be ascribed to positivism'
practice, but stresses the discursive aspect of the character of art together with their rationalism (introduction to Mundus').
`realm' by stressing the language in which we which conjoins them with some theoretical A somewhat different ontological change is
talk about art (outside art) and understresses the proximity. envisaged by Art & Language. It may be, as
objectively real realm of art-works (the content A move towards rationalism and towards Terry Atkinson and Michael Baldwin suggest,
of the language). By actively engaging in natural subjectivity are far from mutually exclusive. that the concept 'art-work' is too much steeped
language discourse the alternative of privatism Subjectivity is, in Stezaker's terms, rational in the 'first-orderish' physicality often assumed
or solipsism is straightforwardly overruled. because it 'seeks to elucidate and make by artists and advocated by philosophers like
Similarly Stezaker's subjectivity entailed in the explicit the veiled evaluative framework of all Richard Wollheim, though there is nevertheless
non-heirarchical organization of his conceptual descriptions'.16 In these terms, critics, the explicit suggestion of ontological change to
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