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anthropology of art
Katerina Ailova (Katerina.Ailova@PEDF.CUNI.CZ)
Fri, 8 Mar 1996 12:19:32 +0100
I am a Czech student that only slightly opened the door of antropology, yet,
took a strong interest in it.
Writing my thesis on the minimalist tendencies in 20th century art (from
Malevitch, Mondrian to Ad Reinhardt and the later minimalists), there is a
question that I cannot so far answer.
All the artists I mentioned, dealt in a way or other with using art as a
means of "opening the doors to Universe" or touching the "absolute". The
similarities in the way they express their thoughts on the subject are
striking. All of this has a wider philosophical and religious context (from
Hegel, through mysticism, theosophy up to taoistic and zen-buddhistic
practices).
My question is WHY did Malevitch and Reinhardt (Mondrian too, but in a
different form) finally arrive at the MONOCHROMATIC BLACK SQUARE as the
ultimate art form?
Both of them refer to the viewer's concentrated attention that can
take him, by means of the black square painting, through to Universe, the
Absolute (or at least give him the sensation of those).
Such a description reminds one of the meditative techniques of Eastern
religions.
I wonder if there exists a society in which a similar technique by which the
spiritual leaders (shamans, gurus etc.) reach altered states of consciousness
eexists. CAN A MONOCHROME FIELD OF CERTAIN MEASURES MAKE A PERSON ENTER A
"METAPHYSICAL" WORLD?
Also can a regular geometric grid (spatial or planar) have similar effects?
I will welcome all opinions and references to books even more. One more
question - is there a branch of anthropology that deals with issues of art
and its functions in a given society (not necessarilly the Western one)?
Thank you.
Katerina Ailova, Prague.
<katerina.ailova@pedf.cuni.cz>
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