Jan Świdziński
Contextual Art (1)
(text was published in two different versions. The differences are mostly stylistic ones, but there are shifts in meaning and supplements, and an order of sentences has been changed).
Contextual artists oppose the whole tradition of conceptual art, regarding it as an art which cannot be the answer to the problems of modern civilization. They also oppose all modifications of contemporary Modernism as being a stylistic version of art of the past. Artists present Contextual art as a model of art of the modern civilization with quick changes which the relativistic models of art and science of the first half of the twentieth century were not able to describe.
1
Contextual Art does not act in the sphere of aesthetics.
2
Contextual Art acts in the sphere of meanings used by civilization in its contact with reality.
3
Contextual Art is interested in the continuous process of the decomposition of meanings which do not correspond to reality and in the creating of new and actual meanings.
4
Contextual Art operates with signs whose meaning is described by the actual pragmatic context.
5
Contextual Art opposes the division into what is objective and what is subjective. The opinion is held that in the dialectic process of continuous changes, one cannot separate the acting subject from the object which is the result of its action.
6
Contextual Art opposes the exclusion of art from reality as a separate, independent object of artistic contemplation.
7
Contextual Art is a dependence from reality and is action which stimulates new realities.
(+) no this sentence in the second version of this text
8
Contextual Art does not look for its solutions in science. Science and art are confronted with the same difficulties in the face of the speed of changes which take place in modern civilization.
9
Contextual Art does not act in the field of formed logic with its criteria of truth and falseness.
10
Contextual Art acts in the field of epistemical logics. It is interested in such expressions as: I consider, know, believe, presume, discard, understand, forbid, allow. It is interested in the deep layer of civilization which creates its ideologies and myths which rule over its social practices, science, culture, and art.
11
Contextual Art operates with assertions, statements expressed with conviction.
12
Contextual Art operates with occasional statements. Its expressions are not descriptions of traditional art and are not extensional statements of conceptualism either. They are intentional expressions. Their meaning does not depend on the meaning of the component expressions in which they appear.
* this sentence in a second version is devided in two sentences 12 and 12a
13
Contextual Art also operates with the occasional morphology of the media because of the situation and the pragmatic aim.
14
Contextual Art is a social practice. Theoretical generalizations do not interest it. It is not concerned with the production of prepared objects for cultural consumption.
15
Contextual Art is a form of acting in reality, through the following transformation of meanings: REALITY –> INFORMATION –> ART –> NEW OPEN MEANINGS –> REALITY
(+)functions as a pure sign, cleansed of stereotypes; a sign which is filled by the present reality.
(+) no this part of the sentence in a second version of the text
CONTEXTUAL ART (1) second version
2
Contextual Art acts in the sphere of meanings used by civilization in its contact with reality.
1
Contextual Art does not act in the sphere of aesthetics.
12
Contextual Art operates with occasional statements. Its expressions are not descriptions of traditional art and are not extensional statements of conceptualism either.
6
Contextual Art opposes the exclusion of art from reality as a separate, independent object of artistic contemplation.
10
Contextual Art acts in the field of epistemical logics. It is interested in such expression as: I consider, know, believe, presume, discard, understand, forbid, allow. It is interested in the deep layer of civilization which creates its ideologies and myths which rule over its social practices, science, culture, and art.
4
Contextual Art operates with signs whose meaning is described by the actual pragmatic context.
3
Contextual Art is interested in the continuous process of the decomposition of meanings which do not correspond to reality and in creating of new and actual meanings.
13
Contextual Art also operates with the occasional morphology of the media because of the situation and the pragmatic aim.
12a
Contextual Art signs are intentional expressions. Their meaning does not depend on the meaning of the component expressions in which they appear.
15
Contextual Art is a form of acting in reality, through the following transformation of meanings:
REALITY –> INFORMATION –> ART –> NEW OPEN MEANINGS –> REALITY
14
Contextual Art is a social practice. Theoretical generalization does not interest it. It is not concerned with the production of prepared objects.
5
Contextual Art opposes the division into what is objective and what is subjective. The opinion is held that in the dialectic process of continuous changes, one cannot separate the acting subject from the object which is the result of its action.
8
Contextual Art does not look for its solutions in science. Science and art are confronted with the same difficulties in the face of the speed of changes which take place in modern civilization.
9
Contextual Art does not act in the field of formal logic with its criteria of truth and falseness.
(+) no this sentence in a first text
Contextual Art as pure sign, cleansed of stereotypes; a sign which is filled by the present reality.
11
Contextual Art operates with assertions, statements, expressed with conviction.