[-empyre-] Part Duex: Ranciere: The Political Is Rare, so Is Queer? And Is Relationality Rare? (More to follow ...)

[Robert Summers]

I hope you speak more on Kaprow (esp. the European works; you seem, or
are, and expert, no?) and relationality -- and, perhaps, not what is
"gay" (read: "queer") in Kaprow's work, practice, etc. (he wasn't
"gay," of course, but that does not preclude a "gay" / "queer"
reading), but to read it in a "gay" (read: "queer") way -- so reading
slantwise, anamorphically, from a "gay," or better, if you will,
"queer" orientation (I am reading Felix Guattari's essay [I forget
which one] in _Chaosophy: Interviews and Texts, 1972-1977_ and Sara
Ahmed's _Queer Phenomenology_ together, beside each other).  Would you
say all of Kaprow's work is an enactment of relationality?  I think
so.  And, would it be efficacious to trace a "genealogy" or
"archeology" of Kapros's work to "queer" and/or feminist performance
and body art and other art that is rather relational -- are these
aforementioned practices relational?  Have we (somewhat) an agreement
on what we mean by realtional?  And queer?

With regard to an art-historical line(age), I am thinking of Amelia
Jones tracing of the photographs and film by Hans Namuth of Pollock
painting to body artists such as Shigeko Kubota's "Vagina Paintings"
(feminist) to Keith Boadwee's "Squirt Paintings" ("queer"), and if you
have not see these images, then go here, but for give me for my lame
paper: http://ospace.otis.edu/robtsum/Contemporary_Video_and_Body_Art_Practices
-- both images are under "week one."  Are these artists able to fall
under the category "queer relational"?  Does it matter?

I find it interesting, intriguing that you bring up the account in
Tehran: so we can see this as an enactment that "queers" tradition?
So, we need not stay in "art" proper, which sounds good for a "queer"
discussion, given "queer," among many things, is not proper!  I think
you surfacing this incident, this event is crucial in opening up the
dialog that has been taking place at this proverbial dinner table, or
symposium -- if you wanna go Greek.

On another note, I do not know what to make of Annie Sprinkle.  I like
her as a person, but I am ambivalent about her art, even though I
discuss it.  It often devolves (when I teach it in contemporary) into
the same old straight, male students not being bothered or made to
re-think anything, but this never happens with Vag.  I don't know.  I
get Annie's point/s, but I think it is too easily absorbed, if you
will, into a traditional discussion of sexuality without any trouble:
Mapplethorpe causes more trouble -- not to mention a few phone calls
from parents.  Does it have to do with race and queer, or homo,
sexuality?  I don't know.  I will try again to surface Annie; I will
try to re-tell and re-think her project, and I hope it works better
this time.  Your thoughts?  Others thoughts?  Her website:
http://www.anniesprinkle.org/

So "Scareface" -- I love the friendship between Scareface and that hot
guy (for me; the tall, dark and handsome one -- who Scareface KILLS!).
 Ironically, I am going to see "Brokeback Mountain" (then "Bareback
Mountian") again tonight: porn makes me laugh!  Why are these friends
(in both films) always kissing (always erotic -- even "Scareface") and
punching each other?  The kiss and the blow.  Violence.  Is it a male
bonding thing?  I've never hit anyone: to much of a dandy?

I am digressing ...

Judith:

Interesting, Robert, and others should weigh in. I've been trying to finish
Ranciere's Ignorant Schoolmaster, a book I've been worming my way through
for a while (I read rather slowly). Kristin Ross's intro, on my first
encounter with it, made me think about Allan Kaprow, especially the
workshops he did in the 1970s and in particular those done in Europe (a more
receptive ground, fwiw).
Queerer of Christina's work than the pink thing is the little clip in the LA
basin she put up on Facebook. I know she's the effing moderator, but I do
think it's on the way to brilliance. I also read a really amazing account on
one of the Tehran sites today of last Friday's prayers in which the
raconteur details the divagations from the "proper" format of various
religious practices: women doffing the chador and praying, sexes praying
together, burning chadors to mitigate teargas, etc. The latter is so
allegorically beautiful.
Out of curiosity, too, since Vaginal Davis is on the roster, where you
(Robert) are with Annie Sprinkle and her current projects? I don't want to
get too deeply inside the topic, to coin a phrase, but I think her oeuvre
might go into the mix.
Must go watch Scarface with the partner's daughters. Something wrong with
this particular gynocracy...


Robert Summers, PhD/ABD
Lecturer
Art History and Visual Culture
Otis College of Art and Design
e: rsummers at otis.edu
w: http://ospace.otis.edu/robtsum/Welcome