From: gyoungblood (email suppressed)
Date: Thu Oct 26 2006 - 21:04:46 PDT
Representation is always active, never passive. It is generative. It constructs its referent. And of course representations (films, etc.) not only CAN be catalysts of action, they almost always ARE -- especially that metadomain of representation called culture. I'm just trying to focus on context (and metacontext) as the determining factor in the social construction of reality. In this time of accelerating culture wars (which thrills me deeply), I think it's a wise stance. If one wants to say that art can be political, that's fine with me. We know what that means. Just don't lose sight of the
context(s) that make this possible, and the fundamental (radical) power invested therein.
----- Original Message -----
From: db
To: email suppressed
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:28 PM
Subject: Re: [FRAMEWORKS] "political" "avant-garde"
On Oct 26, 2006, at 5:27 PM, gyoungblood wrote:
May I suggest a slight adjustment of language? A work of art can REPRESENT a political issue but it can't BE political.
Only lived situations are political, only lived conditions or circumstances are political.
Interesting points, Gene. But what if a film ends up being a catalyst of action (not that I am aware of any specific examples)? What if form and content unite to represent a new strategem (ala some of the issues discussed in "Anti-Oedipus" & "1000 Plateau," to name two examples)?
I guess my questions hinges on a kind of passive/active position regarding representation.
Politics is about possible relations among people. These situations, circumstances, conditions or relations provide the context(s) within which we claim that a work of art (or anything else) is political. Control of context is control of meaning is control of reality.
So if a film originates from this perspective wouldn't it be political by its very nature?
db
__________________________________________________________________ For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.