A Picture of Blindness

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This thesis investigates invisibility as artistic medium, within the field of visual arts. In a first part, a handful of examples are analyzed, from Yves Klein’s Le Vide (1958) to Carsten Höller’s New World Race (1999), to show that no unified aesthetic or historical theorization is acceptable to justify the decision to turn to invisibility. Invisibility appears in general as an ad hoc choice, as an artistic device.The functions of this device are examined in a second part, by reviewing the previous examples. If invisibility characteristically operates a reflexive call upon the Imaginary, it also enables a self-critique of art. Both functions are justified theoretically by adopting a phenomenological framework. In a third part, the practice of two contemporary artists, Bethan Huws and Tino Sehgal, are investigated on the basis of these functions. For this, the idea of invisibility is unfolded around a notional “background”, allowing a generalization of this idea. In particular, the strategies of appropriation developed by Marcel Duchamp and Sherrie Levine are reframed as the production of an invisible contribution. Additionally, the complicit strategies of simulation adopted by Jeffrey Koons are studied, to understand within our media-saturated culture the strategies of resistance of Huws and Seghal.
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  | footer    = '''''A Picture of Blindness'', 2012'''
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<ref>{{cite book |last= Goy |first= Sébastien |title= A Picture of Blindness |publisher= Editions En Creux |year= 2012 |month= January |isbn= 978-29541092-0-6|pages=}}</ref>
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''Summary''
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From Yves Klein to Carsten Höller, artists have proposed invisible artworks (Warhol included). What drew these visual artists to non-visibility? Further, is there a collective movement, an “invisibilism”, beyond the artists’ individual context of production?
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“A Picture of Blindness”<ref>{{cite book |last= Goy |first= Sébastien |title= A Picture of Blindness |publisher= Éditions En Creux |year= 2012 |month= January |isbn= 978-29541092-0-6|pages=}}</ref> shows that invisible art is unique in its reflexive call upon the Imaginary and the self critique it enables for art. Tom Friedman, for example, exhibited a witch’s curse by presenting an empty pedestal. Mauriozio Cattelan claimed that his work was stolen, showing only a report of theft, as a way to dodge the pressure of art production. Against rationalism, consumerism or representation, turning to invisibility is justified in this essay as one of the few efficient strategies of resistance.
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''Distribution''
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This work is made available under creative commons Attribution-noncommercial- share Alike 3.0 license. You can [[Media: A_Picture_Of_Blindness_—_Sébastien_Goy.pdf‎ |'''download the PDF''']] or buy a copy at:
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* [http://www.mottodistribution.com/shop/a-picture-of-blindness.html Motto] online store
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* [http://www.castillocorrales.fr/section7/section7.html castillo/corrales] 80 rue Julien Lacroix, 75020 Paris, France
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* [http://www.san-serriffe.com/ San Serriffe] Sint Annenstraat 30, 1012 HE, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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* [http://www.gerritrietveldacademie.nl/nl/projecten/all/buro-rietveld Buro Rietveld] Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Fred. Roeskestraat 96, 1076ED Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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* [http://stroom.nl/ Stroom] Hogewal 1-9, 2514 HA Den Haag, Netherlands
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* [http://www.grotewittereus.nl/ Liefhertje en De Grote Witte Reus] Stationsweg 137, 2515 BM Den Haag, Netherlands
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* [http://www.colpapress.com/pages/edicola Edicola] 987 1/2 Market St - at 6th St - San Francisco, U.S.A.
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''Bibliographical data''
<references/>
<references/>
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[[Category: Writing]]

Latest revision as of 09:32, 21 January 2014

Cover
A Picture of Blindness, 2012

Summary

From Yves Klein to Carsten Höller, artists have proposed invisible artworks (Warhol included). What drew these visual artists to non-visibility? Further, is there a collective movement, an “invisibilism”, beyond the artists’ individual context of production?

“A Picture of Blindness”[1] shows that invisible art is unique in its reflexive call upon the Imaginary and the self critique it enables for art. Tom Friedman, for example, exhibited a witch’s curse by presenting an empty pedestal. Mauriozio Cattelan claimed that his work was stolen, showing only a report of theft, as a way to dodge the pressure of art production. Against rationalism, consumerism or representation, turning to invisibility is justified in this essay as one of the few efficient strategies of resistance.


Distribution

This work is made available under creative commons Attribution-noncommercial- share Alike 3.0 license. You can download the PDF or buy a copy at:


Bibliographical data

  1. ↑ Goy, Sébastien (January 2012). A Picture of Blindness. Éditions En Creux. ISBN 978-29541092-0-6. 
Retrieved from "http://sebastiengoy.com/index.php/A_Picture_of_Blindness"
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