Jan Świdziński

Thirt Context (Galeria Sztuki Najnowszej)

The Recent Art Gallery, Wrocław, February 1977

ART IN THE CONTEXT OF ART
If something is named by some person (persons), group that something is art – than it is art.

A
We can state the truthfulness of the contemporary meaning of the word “art” only if we know the manner of using it; we cannot state however, distinguishing through observations, the characteristic features of on object named art. We define correctly by means of the word “art” such objects which came into being in the context of culture and its institutions to become art. (everyday object acquires meaning of a piece of art when it is placed for that reason at an exhibition; when it is described as work of art).

B
The operations performed in modern art lead to tautology as they do not create new meanings. One does not make art but defines something as “art”.

ART IN THE CONTEXT OF CULTURE

A
Culture: the output (achievement) of mankind in social development. The society considering its social interests decides upon what is the achievement. Social group decides what is the achievement, establishes the system of values. Culture influences reality which we create giving it the value to copy.

B
The patterns of culture. Reality, as a perpetual process of change, is preserved, is being retained in the patterns of culture. (The patterns of culture idealize history givinig it a pretension of reality.

C
We create reality on the basis of ideas (conceptions) which we have of it.
The patterns of pretended reality lead to the construction of objects of pretended value.
Reality which performs the correction functions with a fixed delay.

ART AS ACTIVITY IN THE CONTEKT OF REALITY

A
ceases to be object “description” immobilized in cultural patterns of history.

B
ceases to be an active subject, which takes a relativistic view of culture, cultures (as such) as these which have no values but obtain them in the contexts of constantly self – actualizing realities.

26.01.77 Jan Świdziński