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Hal Foster reviews Aisthesis by Jacques Rancire, translated by Zakir Paul LRB 10 October 2013

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Whatstheproblemwithcriticalart?
HalFoster
Aisthesis:ScenesfromtheAestheticRegimeofArtbyJacquesRancire,translatedbyZakir Paul Verso,272pp,20.00,June,ISBN9781781680896

InthefiercecritiquesthatthecharismaticthinkersofpostwarFrancedirectedateachother LviStraussv.Sartre,Foucaultv.Derrida,DeleuzeandGuattariv.Lacan,topickoutjusta fewthetheoreticalstakeswerehigh,andthepoliticalimplicationsseemedmomentous.One couldtalk,seriously,ofthepoliticsoftheory,andmanyofusdistantonlookersdidso.But thatwasafewdecadesago;whataboutnow?Arethereanymatrespenserleft?Dowestill wantsuchfigures? OnecontenderisJacquesRancire,whorecentlyretiredasprofessorofphilosophyatthe UniversityofParisVIII.Rancireemergedattheageof25asacoauthor,withAlthusser,of ReadingCapital(1965),butbrokewithhimovertherevoltsofMay1968:Althussertookthe Partyline,accusingtheparticipantsofinfantileleftism.ForRancirethelessonofAlthusser (thetitleofhis1969critiqueofhisformermentor)waselitistinitstheoreticalfocusonthe scientificMarx.Asanantidoteheundertookhistoricalresearchintouprisingsin19th centuryFrance,turningtolabourarchivesofthe1830sand1840s,outofwhichhedeveloped anaccountofthestrugglesofworkersforemancipationandequalityinTheNightsofLabour (1981).ThisemphasisonegalitarianismwasagainevidentinTheIgnorantSchoolmaster (1987),hismostinfluentialessayinhistoricalreflection,inwhichRancirerecoveredthe signalprincipleoftheearly19thcenturyFrenchpedagogueJosephJacototthatallmenare equalinintelligenceandsoequallydisposedtolearningiftreatedaccordingly.Insubsequent booksontherapportbetweenphilosophyandpolitics,Rancireinsistedontheessentialrole ofdissensusinbothfields;itwashere,too,thathefirsthighlightedthedistributionofthe sensibleastheprimaryterrainoftheoryandactivismalike.Rancirehascarriedthese concernsovertohisstudyofthearts,whichhaspreoccupiedhimforthelast15years. Aisthesisistheculminationofthislineofhisthinking.

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Hal Foster reviews Aisthesis by Jacques Rancire, translated by Zakir Paul LRB 10 October 2013

Thekey,forRancire,isthenotionofdifferentregimesoftheseeableandthesayable,or,as heputsitinTheFutureoftheImage(2003),differentarticulationsbetween[artistic] practices,formsofvisibilityandmodesofintelligibility.InhisviewtheWesterntraditionhas experiencedonlythreeregimesonthisgrandscale,whichhecallsethical,representative andaestheticrespectively.Theethicalregime,firstarticulatedbyPlatoinTheRepublic, aimedtoensurethatallimages(thiswasanagebeforeartwasconsideredadistinctorder) wereproperlyfoundedandappropriatelydirected,thatis,thattheywereconcernedwith idealformsandservedtheethicaldevelopmentofthecommunity.Intherepresentative regime,outlinedbyAristotlebutcodifiedonlyinthe17thand18thcenturies,theintelligibility ofhumanactionsbecamethecentralcriterionofart,whichmadetherefinementofmimesis itsessentialtask.Tothisendtheliberalartswereseparatedfromthemechanical,thefinearts fromtheapplied,andrepresentationswereorderedinastricthierarchyofsubjectsand genres,withepicpoetryandhistorypaintingatthetop.Theaestheticregimethenemerged astherepresentativeorderbrokedownintherevolutionarytransformationsofthelate18th century.Intheaestheticregime,RancirewritesinTheFutureoftheImage,theimageisno longerthecodifiedexpressionofathoughtorfeeling;wordsnolongerprescribe,asstoryor doctrine,whatimagesshouldbe.Theredevelopedanewequalityamongthesubjectsthat couldberepresented,andanewfreedominthestylesthatcouldbeused.Asaresult,the hierarchyofsubjectsandgenreswasoverthrown,andeventhedivisionbetweenfineand appliedartswaschallenged.Artasaprivilegedcategoryofitsownwasfinallysecured. Clearly,moreisatstakeinthisaccountoftheaestheticregimethananylocalreadingof modernistartasapassagefromfigurationtoabstraction;theshiftfromtherepresentative order,RancirewritesinTheFutureoftheImage,doesnotconsistinpaintingwhiteorblack squaresratherthanthewarriorsofantiquity.Noristheaestheticregimestrictlyamatterof theconquestofautonomybyeachart,hetellsusinthefirstpagesofAisthesis.Infact, Rancireattests,15yearsofworkhavebroughthimtotheexactoppositeconclusionthatthe artsintheaestheticregimearedriventoblurtheboundariesthatseparatethemfromeach otherandfromordinaryexperience.Itisnotthatabstractionandautonomyarenot indicativeoftheaestheticregime,onlythattheembeddednessofartisticpracticeinsociallife isequallycharacteristicofit.Indeed,itispreciselythisbelongingtogetherofpureformand everydayworldlinessthatcomprisestheaestheticregime. Rancirefindsthisdoublingineachofthe14scenesthatmakeupAisthesis(thetitle indicatesthathisloosemodelisErichAuerbachsMimesis).Althoughhemovesfromthe publicationofTheHistoryofAncientArtbyWinckelmannin1764totheappearanceofLet UsNowPraiseFamousMenbyJamesAgeeandWalkerEvansin1941,hisfocusisonthe artsofthelate19thandearly20thcenturies,thatis,onhighmodernism.Hisrangeof interestsisimpressive:RanciredelvesintothepoetryofWhitman,theacrobatic
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Hal Foster reviews Aisthesis by Jacques Rancire, translated by Zakir Paul LRB 10 October 2013

performancesoftheHanlonLeesgroup,thedanceofLoeFullerastakenupbyMallarm andothers,thetheatreasreimaginedbyEdwardGordonCraigandAdolpheAppia,the appliedartsaspractisedbyEmileGallandchampionedbyRogerMarx,thesculptureof RodinasunderstoodbyRilke,thedifferentcinemasofChaplinandVertov,andthe photographyoftheStieglitzcircle.IneachinstanceRancirefindstheimperativesofthe aestheticandthemundaneatworktogether:withChaplin,forexample,theexactgestures ofthepopularmimetransformthemselvesintothepureplasticformsdeployedonscreen; andwithStieglitztheobjectivityofphotographymakestheloveofpureformscoincide withtheapprehensionoftheinexhaustiblehistoricityfoundateverystreetcorner,inevery skinfold,andateverymomentoftime.Ininfluentialaccountsofthisperiod,suchasTheory oftheAvantGarde(1974)bytheGermanliterarycriticPeterBrger,theprojectofaesthetic purity,whichweusedtocallmodernist(asinabstractpainting),andthemissionto reconnectartandlife,whichweusedtolabelavantgarde(asinDadaorsurrealism),are usuallydistinguishedastwodifferentstages.Infacttheyarenotonlydistinctbutopposed,as thefirstisseentosetuptheinstitutionalautonomyofartthatthesecondisthoughtto attack.ForRancire,however,thereisnocontradictionbetweenthetwoimperatives:the aestheticregimeispreciselythisdialecticofmodernistpurityandavantgardeworldliness. SofarsogoodandyetRanciredoespromptquestions.First,howoriginalishisschemeof differentregimes?Hisdescriptionoftherepresentativeregimeissimilar,ontheonehand,to acceptedaccountsofacademicdecoruminarthistory,and,ontheother,totheoretical expositionsoftheclassicalepistemebyMichelFoucaultandLouisMarin.(InTheOrderof ThingsFoucaultdefinesthisepistemeasoneinwhichwordsintersectwithrepresentationsto provideaspontaneousgridforknowledge,asinthebotanicalclassificationsofLinnaeus.) Thedescriptionoftheshiftfromtherepresentativeregimetotheaestheticisalsofamiliar:the undoingofthehierarchyofsubjectsandgenresisconventionallyregardedasthe foundationalactofthe19thcenturyavantgarde,andarthistorianslikeThomasCrow alerteduslongagototheturntocommoncultureineliteartofthe18thcentury.That Rancirebringstogethertheimperativesofpurityandworldlinessmightbeanadvancein aestheticphilosophy,butitisonealreadyachievedinmoderniststudies.Moreover,thatthese twocommitmentsarenotcontradictorywassurmisedbyFoucaultasearlyasTheOrderof Thingspublishedin1966inhisaccountoftheempiricotranscendentaldoublet characteristicofmodernknowledgeandevident,forexample,intheinsistenceofClement Greenbergandothersonboththepurityofartandthematerialityofitsmediums. Howusefulisthenotionofregimeinanycase?AlthoughRancirebrokewithAlthusser,he retainedanAlthusserianfascinationwithepistemologicalorders.LikeAlthusser,Rancire wantstoavoidagrandHegelianarctohistory,andoptsforthecategoryofregimesin resistancetotheteleologiesinherentintemporalmarkers,asheputsitinTheFutureofthe
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Hal Foster reviews Aisthesis by Jacques Rancire, translated by Zakir Paul LRB 10 October 2013

Image.Thisapproachdoeshelphimtotaxonomisetheartisticdiscoursesofthemodern period,butitalsomakesitdifficulttounderstandhowtheyaredetermined.Itisanold complaintaboutthismethodoftenmadeagainstFoucaultthatitturnsdiscoursenot onlyintoitsowncausebutalsointoanagentinitsownright.Arelatedcomplaintisthatit doesnotgrasphistoricalchangeverywell:epistemes,regimesandthelikeseemtocomefrom nowhere,andtovanishjustassuddenly,asifcatastrophically.Finally,theycanhavetheodd effectofexplainingalotandalittleatthesametime,whichistosaythattheinsightsare oftensogeneralastoappearatoncemomentousandobvious. Iftheseobjectionsareatalllegitimate,whyisRancireembracedsofully,especiallyintheart world,whereheisreadavidlybyartistsandcriticsalike?Certainlythereisgoodreasonfor theinterest:hisabilitytoconnectphilosophy,politicsandartmightbeunparalleled,andthe sameistrueofhiscommitmenttoegalitarianismasbothatopicofresearchandagoalof struggle.Moreover,unlikemostintellectualsofhisstature,Rancireactuallyattendstoart, especiallytocontemporaryartwhichis,naturallyenough,welcomedbyitspractitioners. Alas,heisntsoattentivetoarthistory.Aestheticphilosopherstendtofixononemomentor onemodelofartisticpractice,toontologiseitasartassuch,andthentousethisreifiedtoken fortheirownconceptualschemes.Thismoveisfairenoughiftheyareexplicitaboutit,but notsofairwhenthetruthofarttherebybecomessingular,andtheyaloneareallowedto adjudicateit(ArthurDantospringstomind).Thereisnoneedtoopposetheorisationand historicisationinthisway;infactitiscounterproductive,fortheonecannotdowithoutthe other. AnotherreasonRancirehasanabundantfollowingintheartworldhastodowithits fatiguewithcriticalityasaprincipalcriterionofpractice.Itisnotonlythathisaccountof theaestheticregimeplaysdownthecriticaldimensionoftheavantgardesofthepast; Rancirethinkscriticalityisunderminedinthepresenttoo.Inhisviewitiscompromised,in thefirstinstance,byitsarrogantpostureofdemystification.Initsmostgeneralexpression, RancirewritesinAestheticsandItsDiscontents(2004),criticalartisatypeofartthatsets outtobuildawarenessofthemechanismsofdominationtoturnthespectatorintoa consciousagentofworldtransformation.Hehasseveralobjectionstothisapproach(which hecaricatureshereforhisownpurposes).First,notonlyisawarenessnottransformativeper se,buttheexploitedrarelyrequireanexplanationofthelawsofexploitation.Second,critical artdependsonitsownprojectionofapassiveaudiencethatitthenpresumestoactivate. Third,criticalartasksviewerstodiscoverthesignsofcapitalbehindeverydayobjectsand behaviours,butinsodoingonlyconfirmsthetransformationofthingsintosignsthat capitalismperformsanyway.Finally,criticalartistrappedinaviciouscircleofitsown making.Ifthereisacirculationthatshouldbestoppedatthispoint,hecommentsinan interviewforArtforumin2007,
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Hal Foster reviews Aisthesis by Jacques Rancire, translated by Zakir Paul LRB 10 October 2013

itsthiscirculationofstereotypesthatcritiquestereotypes,giantstuffedanimals thatdenounceourinfantilisation,mediaimagesthatdenouncethemedia, spectacularinstallationsthatdenouncethespectacleetc.Thereisawholeseries offormsofcriticaloractivistartthatarecaughtupinthispolicelogicofthe equivalenceofthepowerofthemarketandthepowerofitsdenunciation. Rancirehasapointhere:toooftencynicalreasonmasqueradesascriticalpracticein contemporaryart.Yetwhatheoffersinitssteadbordersonwishfulthinking.Aestheticacts, RancirearguesinThePoliticsofAesthetics(2006),areconfigurationsofexperiencethat createnewmodesofsenseperceptionandinducenovelformsofpoliticalsubjectivity.This formulationofaestheticactsgivesartanagencythatitdoesnotpossessatpresent.Thatit caninterveneeffectivelytodayinthedistributionofthesensibleisfarfromclear;certainly artisnomatchfortheimageandinformationindustriesthatcontrolandconcentratethe sensiblewithsucheaseandefficiency.(Thisisnottototalisethemarket,themediaor spectacle;itisonlytosizethemuproughly.)Atleastforthetimebeing,anyredistributionof thesensiblethroughcontemporaryartisamirageand,whenpittedagainstthecapitalist transformationofthingsintosigns,itislittlemorethantheopiateoftheartworldleft. Vol.35No.1910October2013HalFosterWhatstheproblemwithcriticalart? pages1415|2290words
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