The paradoxes of art

Abstract

Art’s paradoxical character lends itself to being elaborated upon by identifying several paradoxes at the heart of it. This goes for all of the arts – architecture, painting, sculpture, dance, music, literature and cinema. The first paradox of art is that all artworks are “singular” – particular and yet generically belonging to art in general. Art’s second paradox is that it reveals and conceals at the same time. In Heidegger’s terminology, this makes of art a privileged instance of aletheia, or “unconcealedness”. Paradox number three is that “art objects” are not to be merely “aesthetically” appreciated for their own sake, given their world-and-person-transforming capacity – it is ergon (work) and energeia together (Gadamer). Fourthly, although art is usually taken as an object of analysis, it (psycho-) analyses the viewer, listener or reader. In the fifth place, art indicts, and also redeems the world. The sixth paradox of art is that it is image as well as thing (Nancy). Paradox number seven about art is that (through the imaginary function of its images), it both liberates and enslaves. The eighth paradox is that the very faculty which enables artists to “create” artworks to begin with – the imagination – proves powerless in the face of the task confronting artists today, namely to find inventive ways of “presenting the unpresentable”. The ninth paradox of art is that of its visuality or “sensuousness”, in relation to its increasing “spirituality” (since the 18th century). Art’s tenth paradox is the fact that the political and the aesthetic, which are usually regarded as being mutually exclusive, converge demonstrably in both art and politics (Ranciére)

Die paradoksale karakter van kuns leen sigself daartoe om verduidelik te word aan die hand van ‘n veeltal paradokse wat intiem daartoe behoort. Dit geld vir al die kunste – argitektuur, skilderkuns, beeldhou, dans, musiek, letterkunde en filmkuns. Die eerste paradoks van kuns is dat alle kunswerke “eenmalig” (of “singulier”) is – partikulier en tog generies deel van die sfeer van kuns in die algemeen. Kuns se tweede paradoks is dat dit tegelykertyd blootlê en verberg. In Heidegger se terminologie maak dit van kuns ‘n bevoorregte geval van aletheia, of “onverborgenheid”. Die derde paradoks is dat “kunsobjekte” in die lig van kuns se wêreld-en-persoon-omvormende funksie nie alleenlik “esteties”, op sigself, waardeer moet word nie – kuns is tegelykertyd ergon (werk) en energeia (Gadamer). Vierdens, ofskoon kuns gewoonlik as voorwerp van analise benader word, word die kyker, luisteraar of leser self daardeur ge(psigo)analiseer. In die vyfde plek beskuldig kuns die wêreld, maar beredder dit terselfdertyd. Die sesde kuns-paradoks is dat dit beeld sowel as ding is (Nancy). In die sewende plek verslaaf en bevry kuns in gelyke mate deur die verbeeldingsfunksie daarvan. Die agste paradoks is dat die vermoë wat kunstenaars in die eerste plek in staat stel om kunswerke te “skep” – die verbeelding – magteloos is in die aangesig van die opgawe wat kunstenaars vandag konfronteer, naamlik om op vindingryke wyse die “onvoorstelbare voor te stel”. Die negende kuns-paradoks is die sigbaarheid of “sinnelikheid”, in verhouding tot die toenemende “geestelikheid” daarvan (sedert die 18de eeu). Die tiende paradoks is die feit dat die politiese en die estetiese, wat gewoonlik as wedersyds-eksklusief beskou word, demonstreerbaar in sowel die politiek as die kuns konvergeer (Ranciére).