Reading Diary - The World As Sculpture

THE WORLD AS SCULPTURE

I'm sharing something that might be a source of amusement!

 http://www.critical-theory.com/deleuze-guattari-biography/

Erik Koed – Sculpture and The Sculptural

What I find interesting in this essay is the idea of “sculpturality” as a quality.

The sculptural can be found in that which is not intended as sculpture – as with the effects of nature’s elements – on a landscape as one sweeping mass, or on individual objects of nature – like driftwood or weathered rock.

It is when this organic use of “sculpturality” is implemented by a sculptor in their work, that it carries the most appealing plasticity.

Koed briefly touches on the idea of the plastique – I wish he had expanded on this thought, as it is what I find to be the most tangible definition of the sculptural in sculpture. It suggests a dynamic force, a fluidity between sculpture and viewer, a connection with the plasticity in the mind of the viewer, which is thus shaped in turn by viewing the sculpture.

Plasticity also extends to the dynamic shaping of space itself – as an equal presence.

Koed quotes F David Martin’s idea of “enlivened space” – all are in relationship – object, space and viewer.

Anthony Gormley – Reflection

I find myself resonating strongly with Gormley’s delivery in this interview.

His ideas of being centered in the body, inhabiting the body, then creating a representation of that body which inhabits a space really make sense to me.

The fact that the marks from the mold are still present actually seems to give the piece a sense of living rawness, as if that sculpture-body itself possesses life.

I appreciate his distinction between the archetype and the individual / subjective.

His idea of the subjective is not an alienating one, it is representative of individuality and encourages the sense of individuality in the viewer.

Jean Baudrillard – Simulations

My thoughts on this are a little fragmented – however, I will do my best to communicate them!

In his comparison between the abstracted (and even the represented) to the simulated,  Baudrillard seems to be saying that abstraction and representation still give space and place to the REAL  (by describing it, or some quality of it) – whereas in a simulation, the direct copy leaves nowhere for the imagination to go in order to consider the qualities of the thing.

I find it interesting that this was written in the early 80s, well before the current virtual reality world where the lines between real and simulated are almost ignored altogether. Of course it is still addressed as a (maybe slightly outdated) ethical debate and there is still a sense that the simulated is not quite the real thing but there is a resigned acceptance of the fact.

Everything is considered as “some kind of real”.

And in the art world, the virtual or simulated has become it’s own medium.

Marcus & Saka – Assemblage

I feel like I need the “Assemblage For Dummies” guide!

As this is my first foray into the subject, this text is rather a weighty discussion to serve as an introduction. I get a sense from it about HOW assemblage is USED – however, I am still not at all clear as to exactly what it IS!

With the term being associated with the psychological / philosophical / political writings of Deleuze & Guattari as well as to describe a collage type of process deployed by many artists from the Dadaists onwards, it appears to have many applications.