[-empyre-] Process as paradigm

[baruch gottlieb]

Dear All,

I have been enjoying the beginnings of a theoretical discussion here, while
moving eastward from Berlin to Seoul.  Finally on the plane I had a few
moments to consider all your considerations.

I would like to start from the most recent, Raquel's questions::

 "There are many groups developing very good
work that are not reduced to a piece or have their process as the main thing
in their work. Is it really possible to have it in a exhibition in a way
that can be revealing and stimulating to the visitors or we should always
have "complete" pieces to be shown as usual? Could this new scenario be
incorporated in what we´re discussing in terms of process being a new
paradigm for arts?"

This brings back the institutional question and the question of context.
 When we think of the process being the 'product' or even being the
'material' we must be able to perceive the process in some way.  This means
the process must become manifest to someone, whether they are part of the
process or not.  It must become manifest that there is a process going on.

And it is implied, because this process is presented to the public that
there is something good about this process. So first of all to have a
processual work we must also have a manifestation of that process which we
may perceive in some way.

And, of course, the notion of process involves continuity.  A process has a
narrative sense of connection between events.  Now this may be a very
complex narrative, for example, that of the start of the current Gulf War,
but there is a unifying context and, to some degree, readable temporal
relations between events. So that, when we perceive the process it appears
like a process.  I would like to call this paradigm or processuality, one of
inherent/intrinsic related events', or 'intrinsic coherence'.

However some processual work will derive its  coherence or unity from the
context or frame in which they are perceived.  Seemingly random events
produced by processes and presented as a 'work' in an exhibition or
conference, garner their processuality from extrinsic relations.  The
institution, or authority of some kind, gives the necessary context for the
work to be perceived as a process.  So this a case of 'extrinsically related
events' or 'extrinsic coherence'.

I'm not sure if these labels are useful, and of course they are not mutually
exclusive, but I am trying to help (myself) analyse the problems of
distinguishing processual (art) work from other processes, such as in
'Nature', industry, or human imagination.  So in this sense, coming back to
Raquel's questions I think that processuality in the arts helps us to
understand, and begin to map out, trace, and otherwise articulate our
growing awareness of the complex meteorologies of processes we exist
enmeshed in.

One more point I would like to raise, and it is more of a personal one.  I
don't think it is fair to describe processes as a material for art.
Materials are, for me, always something physical, so processes themselves
must become physical first for them to be a material. In French they have
the wonderful convergence in the word 'materiel' which means both 'material'
and 'hardware'

Now I don't think anyone would argue that hardware is a material for art,
but the question is really whether (keeping to the
informational/instruction/programming paradigm) software is a material for
art.   My opinion is that software cannot be a material.  It can generate a
material but it is not, itself a material, unless it is printed out or on a
screen as code. I may be completely off base here, but I think that software
is like an idea and ideas are not materials, until they actually appear in a
material form, at which point they can be appropriated for any purpose.  So
I would say rather than 'process is a material for art', 'processes generate
material art'.   Here we might get into the old debate about whether code is
literature or engineering or something else..

I will leave it here for now, very much appreciative of the chance to
reflect together with you all.

Baruch

http://gratfortech.blogspot.com
http://g4t.info
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