Katryn Saqui
UNIT 1.1
Learning folio Written paper.
24th April 2013
word count:1808
Topology of key
tropes:
transformation
though dualisms and simulacra?
Dualism (from the Latin word duo meaning
"two") denotes a state of two parts. Dualism, (e.g. the conflict
between good and evil), mind-body or mind-matter dualism
(e.g. Cartesian Dualism) or physical
dualism (e.g. the Chinese Yin and Yang). Dualism holds to the belief that
there are two elements of existence: Physical and Spiritual.
The title of this essay is
also the title of the illustrative component of this body of work, which is in
the form of a blog, these conceptual frameworks are being recorded specifically
to assist in research stages, that can be added to, changed and commented on at
any time or place that accesses the internet.
The importance of this format
is a practical one – no need to carry notebooks around all the time, and the
convenience of adding information quickly, and accessing information easily
when one may forget concepts or need reminding of ideas currently being
explored.
The blog is an aid to locate
and identify inter-relating, unifying recurring themes through various
sociological, historical and philosophical perspectives.
Researching Rem Koolhass’
essay “Junkspace” I discovered an article describing Dali’s theory of “Paranoid
Critical Method” that is a description of something by its exact opposite, this
was the starting point in exploring the various opposing parts. I began to find
resonances with my own work in which there have always been recurring notions
of dualism, traces of transformation and similacra.
Theoretical frameworks throughout
the context and method unit and other similar independently researched constructions
have contributed to the expansion of many philosophical perspectives, which are
archived on the blog. In this essay I would particularly like to focus on a
realization that my creative process has a deep and recurring need to achieve a
balance between opposites, that may function to improve existing conditions or
address positive change in someway. This manifests in film, photography, text
or branded packaging.
Dualities in capitalism:
Jean Baudrillard’s text ‘Simulacra
and Simulation’ was written in 1981 and is still relevant today. He talks about
dualities in capitalism and states that capitalism opposes equality, capitalism
is a self destruction system that does not mobilize society. He talks about
‘truth’ and ‘deceit’, ‘good’ and ‘evil’ being tools to control power and
order. Truth and deciet is being harder
to identify in mass media and photo manipulation. He states that power has
produced a resemblance. His proposed solution to this deceit is to re introduce
the real meaning of ‘truth’ and ‘false’ into the production of mass media. Not
only is this a duality in Baudrillard’s text, but his suggested solution helps
to think about how to turn the methodology of branding and advertising on its
head, to awaken, guide and empower society by using the language of persuasion
to reveal what mass media is covering up.
As an example, this has been
explored in the artwork titled ‘Jar of Paper Rollmops’ (2013) made both to raise
awareness of the degeneration of the fishing community and critique information
contained on the mass produced packaging of actual Sainsbury’s brand roll mops.
The Missing ingredients: cultural values, social importance, fishing
cultures identity and economic support.
Added Ingredients: Alienation, lack of values, isolation, estrangement
and depersonalization.
Preservatives: History, museums, postcards and films.
Benefits: They help fight against a variety of
degenerative policies and fading economic insights.
Allergy advice: contains a processed fish alternative.
Safety: every care has not been taken to prevent the
removal of the fishing industry.
‘The first problem of the media is posed by what does not get
translated, or even published in the dominant political languages”. Jaques
Derrida
Baudrillards (1929-2007) text
talks about Carl Marx theory of alienation – ‘entfremdung’, meaning the
separation of things that naturally belong together, perhaps opposites belong
together in order for existence and finding a balance between the two opposites
is what is important to life. Baudrillard uses the term ‘absurd paradoxical
formula’ on p28 a paradox of reality and illusion, the TV is an example of this,
which passes reality into the ‘hyperreal’. Baudrillard is questioning
authenticity, truthfulness of origins and intentions of power, capitalism,
politics and mass media and material culture.
The drive to mimic branded
goods could also be visually critiquing authenticity of mass production and an observation
of the inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of
reality (hyperreality). Perhaps if we lived in a more ‘syntonic’ (described
below) environment hyperreality would not be such an ongoing unresolved topical
issue for sociologists, philosophers, cultural theorists and political
commentators.
Erik Erikson (15
June 1902 – 12 May 1994) theorist on psychosocial development, social and
cultural engagement uses the term ‘syntonic’ which means individuals living
harmoniously within their culture, happy in their own skin, The dualities of
‘syntonic’ (derives from self –assurance, certainty and the drive to be ones
self) is ‘dystonic’ (a symptom of unresolved autonomy and self determination as
an adolescence) are harmonious and disharmony between an individual their
environment and culture. Erikson also
talks about the development of stages of man, through parallels in mistrust and
trust, autonomy and shame, initiative and guilt, industry and inferiority,
identity and confusion, intimacy and isolation, integrity and despair. These
are informing..
The Carl Jung (26 July 1875 – 6 June
1961) term Conjuntio means
marriage of opposites. The work I
produce in the context of mimicking mass products, is about creating a balanced
relationship between the syntonic and dystonic, hyperreal and real, the male
and female perspective. Entwining traces of opposites in touch and sound, taste
and , duality of mediums such as text and image. Perhaps through a
Marc Auge, author of Non-places,
talks about dualities in spaces, a paradox between a place and non-place and how
they are tangled together. About ‘here’
and ‘elsewhere’. Auge concludes that non-place is the opposite of utopia. on
page 112, Auge mentions Sylviane agacinski Prime minister of france 1945-2008
and feminist philosopher, who happens to argue that the human condition can not
be understood in any universal way without reference to both sexes.
Michel Foucault (15 October 1926 – 25 June 1984). French Philosopher and social theorist
describes in his essay ‘Of other spaces’ (1967)
dualities in spaces as simultaneous
juxtopositions, side by side of the dispersed, a network of connections. This
essay also describes his hierarchy of place through cosmology history and
theory. Opposing spaces, protected, open, exposed, urban, rural, private,
public, family, social cultural, useful, leisure and work, homogeneious, empty.
These could relate the photographs of chairs on the on the beach (click on
ARTWORKS tab on the right hand side of the blog to view these) the chair could
be seen as metaphors for internal and external spaces of emplacement, alienation - a duality within the chair
photographs. What about a transient, temporary space that’s always there but
never stays the exact same – like a beach? He describes a crisis hetertopia
which is similar to Eriksons dystopic.
An example of the balance of dualities
in a photograph by the author:
Between the chair being out
of place, Isolated in an expanse of sky and water. There is a duality in the horizontal and vertical
boundaries between the sky and sea, the upright chair and the jetty. There is a balance between the duality of the
calm sea and stormy sky, the black and white colour of the photograph. And te
blackness of the sea and the whiteness of the chair. There is a balance between
the opposing sense of purity of the still white chair and the black turbulent
changing clouds.
Teresa Grimes (director of Tintype gallery),
states that the Italian novelist Italo Calvino (1923-1985) is at the heart of
artist Flora Parrots work.
Calvino writes about
geometric tensions between romance and violence, two sides of reality. This
stands out as another form of dualism in literature.
Caroline Belsey describes in
her Postproduction essay that a trace of an opposite is present at the same
time.
Meanings in language are
identified by the meaning of their opposite.
Using these dualities as a
form to process transformation is particularly interesting. Joseph Beuys used debate as a platform for
negotiation and reflective exchange to develop new abilities, debate as a
platform for transformation. Perhaps the mimicked packaged branding could be a
platform for debate in a similar way, to distinguish hypereality and the authenticity
of mass production? Artist Anne Rook,
manipulates food packaging to question
awareness of the standardization of food production. These two opposites are
finding a way of entwining together in materials, the idea of mimicking what is
being critiqued, and the marrying of function and form. In order to truly know
what the work is critiquing, perhaps, one needs to either deconstruct it’s
opposite, has it been a success for Jaques
Derrida (1930-2004), Dali suggest, Buddha, ying and yang?
The ministry of stories has a
shop called ‘Monster supplies’, it is an organization that ‘uses’ products from
its shop for story telling workshops, to inspire young people to ‘use’ their
imagination, building their communication skills, confidence and self respect. The
branded products consist of Impacted Earwax, Cubed Earwax, Fang Floss, Thickest
human Snot and much more. These products are a gimmick, they have a dual
purpose between their ‘use’ of a gimmick and how they are ‘used’ as a prompt to
tell a story and also to support the cause financially in a playful and
humorous way. This could be seen as a micro-utopian therapeutic transformative
organization.
Could artwork marry function
and form by mimicking packaging and branding to communicate the ‘real’?
When working creatively with
text, there occurs a cross over point where there is an ‘Eureka’ moment where
there is a transformation of the exact opposite.
This ‘Eureka’ moment is
currently believed to be the point of positive/therapeutic transformation that
crosses over into notions of micro-utopia.
Within these constructions is a cross over at which point, the work
transforms into its opposite at this point it may cross over into social
renewal, emplacement and notions of micro utopianism in art.
The realization that some artworks may not necessarily have all three
elements (transformative dualism and simulacra), an expression of an opposite, or
balance of opposites could also make the work complete in its own right. An
important outcome of this research is finding simplicity within complex
conceptual frameworks is an important challenge that waits.
From a postproduction perspective, what way can justify the value in
creating more products to bring into the world? And exactly how may this
influence the experience of culture, society and identity? A practical problem
arises, where more space is needed to explore and make artwork. How can this be
done with such a lack of space available, and minimum funds? Is an online
studio and office the way to go?
Bibliography:
(accessed 07.04.13)
Jacques Derrida.brainyquote.comEplore
Inc,2013
(Accessed 23.04.13)
