Discuss Love and Passion in relation to either Contemporary Art - Assignment Example

There is probably no so clichéd so as to reverberate through and through for generations such as that of love and passion. No human being canpossibly instigate so as to the imperative reality of the subject which causes for its banality and consequently its utter cohesion that it can never truly be set aside succinctly. The Fine Line between Passion and Madness This subjective differentiation of what madness and passion is will be a topic that lingers on for some valid reasons. What is passion anyway? Does it really propel a person to do things that are not of his nature? And can a conclusion be drawn between the link of passion and love? Is love parallel with passion? And if so, does it mean that it can lead someone into that dreaded state of self folly? Passion is best described as the rendezvous of the body and the soul. The place where the body’s activity is amalgamated with the soul’s passivity all in intertwine and imposing upon each other. The different make-up of the body allows for the disposition of the passion that exists and gives necessary motion into action. Passion diffuses the spirits which ultimately leads to the realization of passion. When this object of passion becomes the pivotal point then it charges for the union of the senses (Foucault 1985, pp. 85-87). The Notion of Madness Foucault relates on how passion can lead to madness as it at certain degrees transcend beyond a simple cause but through its dominance becomes the foundation of its possibility. These ‘diseases,’ like madness, can then be deemed as an illness of both the soul and the corporeal. In the moralist tradition, madness is defined in correlation to consternated passion. This chase for the gratification of passions can lead to transient lunacy. Previous thoughts directly associated madness with the notion of passion and desire and its fulfillment (Foucault 1985, pp. 88-89). If this is true, then it must mean that when love leads to insanity then that is the ultimate consummation of this fusion gone awry. This manifestation of lurid emotions can often be seen in many artists’ works. The fury and passion of relentless and point blank overbearing love is a subject that is not too uncommon in past or present art. The deep burdens of the soul and of the body showcased in many art forms are a subject for raptness. Madness is more than a possibility when passion is spoken of and many great artists have the propensity towards such delirious but rather creative circumstance. Madness, clinical or otherwise, temporary or permanent, leads to greater heights. Not that it objectifies the state but it does cause for much deliberation. It can be something positive and it can even be a means to influence. It is nowadays a commonly accepted disorders ranging from delusions to depression but it is also a reality that is experienced by many. This is not to say that it does not call for proper attention but just a recognition that it happens and it happens more often than we might think. Can one claim that there are not creative minds that sometimes border madness? Deleuze and Dualism The famous adage by Rene Descartes goes: Cogito Ergo Sum (I Think Therefor I am) which becomes the basis for Cartesian dualism and relates the connection between body and soul and the extension of thought to the enunciation of the statement. The difference therein causes for much of discrepancy that this two varied aspects have. This dualism which prevents actual conclusion and what is to be enunciated equates to doubt with the mere statement: “I think.” For all that it is the main problem lies in the fact that it does not have the necessary finality that is attached to it. Between seeing and projecting a mental image. The statement or idea thereof can either be a reality or a fallacy. Yet it remains true that there is the image whether real or imaginary (Deleuze 1973, p.94). This then divides a subject between statement and enunciation. What this all leads up to, in the Cartesian level, is the unity between the soul and the body. Psychoanalysis ultimately enters the picture as the end all for the cogito involved in this reasoning. There is also in this three moments; first is doubt which may lead to certain paranoic machine, second is the miraculating machine referring to God who is extends no deceit and third is celibate machine which concerns with the ‘I think’ part of the equation. Dualism, in all of this, is what causes the impeding of thought. It always prevents the vitality of thought and its process (Deleuze 1973, p.95). Monism and Multiplicity The moment that the multiple becomes substantive and expounds beyond adjectives then it becomes only multiplicities. When substantive overrides monism then multiple and one defeats the meaning both in enunciation and in statement involving the practice as well as the theoretical of the multiplicities then it reverts back to dualisms such as non-thought. Deleuze maintains that thinking and desiring are one and the same. And the best way to circumvent desire is through thought. Rejecting to see the object of desire is the best was to avoid it. Maintaining it to a distance that it is associated to lack, then it falls under the pretext of dualism so as to keep away from it. There are two ways of keeping desire into the realm of lack, one is through the ‘Other’ and the perceptive other way of dualism (1973, p.96). The primary malediction goes back to ancient civilization while the other is as simple as the notion the pleasure satisfies desire. The relation of desire-pleasure-jouissance is an uncharacteristic trail that can be regarded as pretty much one and the same. Pleasure on the other hand when looked upon in a Freudan context is regarded as unnecessary and unwarranted tension. It is attached with much unrequited detestation, it is seen as a converse opposition of peace as it causes the necessity for another discharge to follow it. It is perceived as what causes the vicious cycle that thwarts tranquility in its eventuality. Between the linking if desire and luck and of pleasure and discharge process (Deleuze 1973, p.96). Passion and pleasure are two parallel aspects of human desires that are apparent in life. A preoccupation towards its dismissal as a perfectly natural emotion against rational thought is to an extent an expected reaction. It causes for much deliberation that this powerful aspect of personality can at times lead to irrational thought or action. It is rather misleading to think that love and all that ensues is all amusing and explorative in nature. At the same time, it is impertinent to assume that all passion leads to is destructive and uncanny behavior. Yes it can lead to the latter but it can also be productive and it can also be creative. Jouissance and the Text Texts of pleasure gives off a feeling of euphoria without breaking away from the culture one is attuned to. It is a means of comfortable reading. While text of jouissance is accompanied by a feeling of discomfort and an unsettling of the primary core of a person’s sociological and psychological assumptions. He therefore seeks losing himself in his quest for jouissance. Thus it manifests the duality between statement that causes pleasure and enunciation commendable of jouissance (Deleuze 1973, p.97). This unnerving quality of desire that best distinguishes it from other emotions inexplicably preoccupies one culture more than the other. It is not the negativity that it unfolds that anxiety sets in. It is more the fear of abandonment of rationality towards the purpose of passion that makes it a discomfort and an altogether subject for rethinking. Jouissance as exemplified by Deleuze in his discourse of dualism is rather in the end dismissed as a mere subject for contention and its significance as questionable. Postmodernism and Today’s World In today’s world where everything is fast-paced, people are bombarded with the different ideas that seem to bring a whole new flatness to world that we are living in. Information can be gained in a manner of seconds and all the tip of one’s fingertips all available for consumption. There are certain elements to this new emerging culture that is consequent of the new age of technology and globalization that surrounds everything with. The importance of a person’s purchasing power as well as the fixation towards instant gratification makes for an unnerving and simultaneously exciting new culture. Borderlessness can only be to in a majority of the time being attributed to the Western hemisphere and to the capacity of the affluent to intake the rest though capitalism. Postmodernism is considered a movement in various aspects of the culture. It encompasses the arts, politics and other aspects of sociological and cultural existence. It is a whole new different ‘ism’ that is here to stay and its presence is visible everywhere. Thus, acceptance for its existence and how it affects daily lives is something that is no less than what could now be considered a convention. Postmodernism can be vague in definition as it contains many aspects that at certain points vary even among itself. A large influence of the significance of postmodernism can be seen in the art, not only as a successor of modernism but as a whole new culture altogether in form and in substance. It contains a certain plurality that envelops cultural and artistic practice (Malpas 2005, p.12). Challenging Conformities in Modernism Modernism is characterized by a great challenging of the many classical art forms that have been integrated for generations. It is composed of a number of movements that aims to overturn the conventions of what art is and what it should represent. This includes the emergence of Avant-garde as well as Surrealist movements and the Dadaists to name a few which greatly differs from the customary art forms that most have been familiar with for ages. It aims to challenge the classics and re-establish a different kind of form that is diverse and current from all the rest. It focuses more on impact rather than strict form and a re-definition of what is beautiful or otherwise. Its primary purpose is to shock and question taste in the hopes of transforming the means in which the world is represented (Malpas 2005, p.18). A non-conformist attitude may just be the simplest definition of this new form. It aims to disrupt pre-conceived notions regarding the general ideas already present in the world. Surrealists are convinced of the evils of the capitalist world and seek to undermine the culture of ‘affluenza’ common to the elite and the rest of the capitalist world. The main idea is to shock the audience in the hopes of transforming the world. An optimistic thought that may not be as relevant or as often seen nowadays but a noble thought, suffice to say. Salvador Dali’s ‘The Persistence of Time’ takes the viewer to the perspective of the artist towards the severity of time which rules their lives. The Spanish artist’s most renowned work gives off the feeling of honesty as it reveals the authenticity of the working class’s apprehension towards time. While the mutated dolls in the work of surrealist Hans Bellmer represents the sexual sadism perceived in traditional art’s depiction of the female form (Malpas 2005, p.20). Its primary purpose is to distress the audience in such a way that they are transformed and become aware of the mundane facts of life that are most often unseen or unrealized by the public. The shock value that they aim for is as seen by the artist as the best possible way to stir emotion and quite possibly conversation towards their goal of transforming people and their attitudes and ultimately the world. It is an admirable conviction that not many share. In a world where everything goes by so quickly it is no wonder that certain forms such as these are the best means of opening up what could otherwise be absurd topics and ideas. If attention can best be caught through scandalizing means then it may just be that what these artists are doing is the best and most appropriate way (Malpas 2005, p.20). The Emergence of Postmodernism Postmodernism covers a lot of ground which makes it difficult to give one singular definition for it. It has prompted many debates among critics and thus far has not yield a consensus among them. It has many varied theories that differ among themselves. A deeper look into literature which contains much of the influence and growth postmodernism has had over the past years would hopefully acquiesce a better comprehension of it. A good example of which is the rewriting of ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley in ‘Poor Things’ which replaces the male monster with a sexually charged woman invented by one doctor Goodwin Bysshe Baxter (Malpas 2005, pp.23). Baxter place a fetus’ brain into the body of his dead mother who drowned in the pretext of saving them both. This is a parody of the widely popular story by Shelley. This shows the plurality of the text of ‘Poor Things,’as it entails varied range of confounding styles and voices. Considering it in sections will not make up a whole coherence but rather will proliferate its inert contradiction and destabilizes its own elements. The story questions what is real and what is not? It contains a history of nineteenth century medicine as depicted in its setting (Malpas 2005, pp.23-24). The primary concern of the postmodernist is knowledge and truth. Postmodern literature mostly poses queries on the essential status of the world and reality. Fiction under this genre challenges the reader to re-evaluate the world through the text. Including on who and what they can or cannot believe (Malpas 2005, p.24). We will never be certain as to what we can regard as reality and the postmodernist would continually question and initiate thought for this matter. Postmodernism’s Amorous Relevance What interests’ postmodernism holds is the fact that it brings forth many levels of thinking that makes it hard to adhere to one frame of mind. It redefines the human aspect in its execution and tries to challenge our rationality. It does not contain a certain bind that feeds all that the author or the artist would just let his audience sit back, relax and take in all that he is feeding. It aims to rekindle thought and not just merely entertain but affect the very foundations of thinking. Love is not the main subject for much postmodern art. At times it can contain a certain aversion that does not necessarily exclude it but for the most part does not necessarily consciously include it. It always defies convention and it is not limited by its own, on contrary, it always distinguishes itself to be limitless. It allows the audience to give it its own definition according to how they perceive it. It remains open and inviting much like love. Much of Passion and Rationality Passion as previously stated often inflicts many irrational thoughts and deeds that can by means of rationality be avoided. But if we lack love, if we do not adhere to passion then our daily existence will be filled with nothing much but pleasantries and congenialities. This is not to say that this would not be an ideal world so much that it is well, to put it quite bluntly, boring. We will not have the epics and the tragedies and even the sometimes over-sentimental arts that contemporary pieces are surrounded with. It is regarded as a destructive emotion capable of destroying peace and inhabiting madness though those who are possessed by it. There is much truth to this but if this emotion, this incompliance of the soul to the very civilization of human beings can be a source of great works then this is not totally a lost cause. The Renaissance was a period that celebrated love though art. If not for it, we will never have the image of Laura as idealized by Petrarch and the sonnets that he has created. Being so, we may have never has the Shakespearean romances which was greatly influenced by the previous artists’ writings. The Renaissance contains many images of marriage which is considered to be the pinnacle of tradition during its time. There is no doubt that this period boasts some of the best works of art in literature, sculpture and painting just to name a few. The Facets of Love Love can cover many different matters, it could be passionate love, Christian or religious love, amicable love and the list goes on. What we are focus on most of the time is passionate love and how it is the subject of desire. This desire then can be an object of obsession and wherefore can lead to mindless acts all for the purpose of begetting whatever the great object of desire is supposed to be. This sense precept of the realization of desire is the subject of many artists’ works. In some versions of the Greek mythology it is said that man and woman was created as one synthesized being but that it became so powerful that they were separated by the gods. In the same way, in Christian theology, Eve was created as a gift for Adam and then temptation ensues that cast them away from the Garden of Eden. The question of why Adam ate the apple despite his knowledge that God will punish them can be answered sufficiently in one word, love. He could have opted not to take a bite and let Eve suffer the consequences but he did not. He wanted to satisfy her curiosity and though aware of its cost he still did so. An examination of the past which considers passion as a state that could be synonymous to madness to the present day adoption for the reverence of it shows for the varied opinion of whether passion is good or bad. An analysis, on a rational perspective would definitely render that is a form of madness whereas postmodernism would regard it as a means towards the conception of an artist. Love is often seen as a weakness. And mindful that it is yet everyday we are inundated by its presence. This is because for all it is, it is the primordial aspect of our lives that we cannot astray from. If anyone considers a person to be mad out of passion then it is more than likely to be true. But the ultimate manifestation of this raw emotion is if it can be translated is such a way that it is seen through creativity. This is one of the beauties of postmodern art, it does not give out rules for the artist and so he is free to create whatever he feels. There is no set of rules he has to follow. This is not to say that rules are not necessary for the production of great art but it a premise for the production of genuine feelings through art. Bibliography Barthes, R. 1972, Mythologies, Noonday Press, New York, USA. Deleuze, G. 26 Mar1973, Dualism, Monism and Multiplicities (Desire-Pleasure-Jouissance.). Foucault, M. 1985, Madness and civilization: a history of insanity in the age of reason, Vintage Books, New York, USA. Foucault, M. 1994, The order of things, Vintage Books, New York, USA. Malpas, S. 2005, The postmodern, Routledge, New York, USA. Read More