Page 56 - Studio International - September October 1975

Space as Praxis theoretical research, while performance
was the 'practice' of that classical
equation.
Schlemmer's circumstances become
an interesting pointer to present
preoccupations in art, if one considers
Roselee Goldberg particularly recent events in New York.
For the first time since the Bauhaus and
the twenties, there has been a coming-
Introduction together of dancers, musicians and
artists; and the resulting cross-
This article takes as its starting point the and that's the kind of space I'm talking fertilization of concepts and sensibilities
exhibition-publication A Space: A about' (Robert Barry). makes it difficult for those wishing to
Thousand Words held at the Royal The discussion developed many relocate the categories into either
College of Art Gallery, London in themes, but mainly it confirmed that space theatre, music auditorium or art gallery.
February 1975. The exhibition comprised is always inherent in art. Indeed, music, For instance, the beginnings of an idea
the work of thirty contributors on the dance, gallery space, an exhibition on could sometimes be found in a John
`production of space.' Those participating `space' of two-dimensional propositions Cage piece, before it moved to other
could professionally be categorized as about space, increased the complexity of media; alternatively its origins could be
artists, architects, musicians and film- the subject. The response by contributors, found in the more formal enclaves of
makers, but the intentions of the and subsequent discussion of the minimal sculpture, which was then
exhibition were to go beyond these exhibition, has led me to further transformed by some dancers into
categories and bring together different investigate this notion. The following performance work. In other words, there
sensibilities and preoccupations, not in text, which does not refer to the seems to have been a general consensus
order to create false relationships between exhibition, attempts to consider the way of sensibility which links that work which
them, but to hold the ideas up to one that our perception of space is challenged is now considered 'conceptual' to
another, as from a distance. ' and altered. The references are to recent performance art. This merging of related
Space became the common work of selected artists only, and not to ideas allows performance to be
denominator after careful consideration architecture. For such a comparative considered the 'practice' of much
of how this 'concept' is felt, not just in exercise would necessitate a lengthy theoretical and analytical work.
professional circles but as an obvious analysis of the ways in which space has
prime sensation that we all experience. been considered in architecture. Rather, Performance space and
In architecture, recent discussions were knowing that such an article by materialization of concepts
using as critical reference social, Bernard Tschumi will be appearing in
politico-economic and semiological this issue, I have sought to discuss the But if we think of the ways in which much
yardsticks. Space, after all an inherent particular notion of 'Space as Praxis' as conceptual art and performance work are
architectural principle, had however been learnt from various activities of artists presented, it is clear that performance
reduced to a product of such discourses. and performers working in what has come implies a different kind, ie quantity, of
Yet attempts were being made to to be considered a 'conceptual art' space, for its execution. Space becomes
question the nature of space itself, and we framework. Hopefully those architects the medium for practice and actual
wished to make this work public. reading this piece will select for experience. Put simply then, 'theory' -
In art, the lengthy debate on conceptual themselves the relevant comparisons. whether `concepts,' drawing,' or
art seldom included specific reference to `documentation' - remains essentially
the perception of space. A symposium held Theory and Praxis two-dimensional, while 'practice
on radio network WBAI-FM NewYork in performance' implies a physical context,
1969, moderated by Seth Siegelaub and Although the notions of theory and a space in which to experience the
entitled 'Art without Space',2 began with practice have co-existed over the materialization of that theory. In this way
the proposition by Siegelaub that they centuries, fluctuating in importance, recent art is to be looked at not only as the
would discuss the 'nature of the art sometimes dialectically opposed, `dematerialization of the art object' as it
whose primary existence in the world sometimes both considered to be as has been described by Lucy Lippard, but
does not relate to space, not to its general as one another, sometimes both inversely as the materialization of the art
exhibition in space, not to its imposing equally indispensable for any activity, it concept.
things on the walls.' None of the artists was in a certain Anglo-Saxon framework Considering that 'concept art is first of
agreed. that these two acquired delicate moral all an art of which the material is
`Anything that exists has a certain overtones. Theory pertained to Apollo, concepts," the materialization of these
space around it; even an idea exists within the god of intellect, while practice was concepts beyond the realm of the mind
a certain space' (Lawrence Weiner). symbolized by the wild festivities of has allowed for the inclusion of greatly
`Maybe we are just dealing with a Dionysus. varied art works, separately and
space that is different from the space For someone like Oskar Schlemmer, conveniently named body art, land art,
that one experiences when confronting a working as painter and theatre director at performance art, and so on. Although the
traditional object' (Robert Barry). the Bauhaus during the twenties, theory form of each of these works and the
`I use the word space in two specific and practice reflected a puritan ethic. medium used may differ considerably,
senses; one, as an interest or subject Schlemmer considered painting and the relationship between the intentions of
matter of the work and, two...the space as drawing to be that aspect of his work the various artists is often quite an
a condition for the awareness of the work which was most rigorously intellectual, intimate one. What really alters the
...by space I refer to the lack of space' while the unadulterated pleasure he perception of the respective pieces is the
(Robert Barry). obtained from his experiments in theatre means and places chosen for their
`I don't understand how you can think was, he wrote in his diary, constantly execution. If we 'construct' a familiar
that something that is a fact of life is not suspect for this reason. The essential example to illustrate this, we can see how
germane . .. you may not consider space investigation of his paintings, as in his intentions and preoccupations interact
an art material, but the fact that you are theatrical experiments, was that of space: with means and places. Let us consider
occupying a certain amount of space in a his paintings delineated the visual and the following instructions :
pure physical sense means that you are two-dimensional elements of space, `Take a book and lie for three hours
dealing with space whether you want to or while theatre provided a place in which in the sun, using the book to cover your
not' (Lawrence Weiner). to 'experience' space. Although beset bare chest.'
`We all make objects that don't have with doubts as to the specificity of the . This statement may be produced in a
any space around them except the two media, theatre and painting, book or framed and hung in a gallery. In
personal experience of space . . . Music is Schlemmer considered them as this form it would be typical of many
a very spatial experience. I think we can complementary activities : in his conceptual art instructions, where the
experience space in a less physical way writings he clearly describes painting as execution or non-execution of the piece is

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