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The Aesthetics of Energy

The Aesthetics of Energy. Susanne Strätling, Free U, Berlin. Two basic assumptions :. Energy , resources, and the environment are not only relevant from an economic, political, environmental, or sociological point of view. They can also be regarded from a genuinely aesthetic perspective .

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The Aesthetics of Energy

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  1. The AestheticsofEnergy Susanne Strätling, Free U, Berlin

  2. Twobasicassumptions: • Energy, resources, and the environment are not only relevant from an economic, political, environmental, or sociological point of view. They can also be regarded from a genuinely aesthetic perspective. • Energy not only exists as thermal energy or electrical energy or kinetic energy. It also exists as aesthetic energy.

  3. Threebasiclevels • thematiclevel: energy/resource/environmentas a motif, a theme, an elementwithsymbolicsignificanceof an aestheticobject • material level: energy/resourceas material carrierof an aestheticobject • structurallevel: energyas fundamental conceptof an aestheticobject

  4. László Moholy-Nagy: Light-Space-Modulator (1922)

  5. „Vital constructivityistheembodimentoflifeandtheprincipleof all human andcosmicdevelopment. Translatedintoarttoday, thismeanstheactivationofspacebymeansofdynamic-constructivesystemsofforces, thatis, constructionofforceswithinoneanotherthatareactuallyattension in physicalspaceandtheirconstructionwithinspace, also activeasforce (tension). [...] We must thereforereplacethestaticprincipleofclassicalartwiththedynamicprincipleof universal life. Statedpractically: Insteadofstatic material construction (material and form relations), dynamicconstruction (vital constructionandforcerelations) must beevolved in whichthe material isonlythecarrierofforces. Carryingfurthertheunitofconstruction, a DYNAMIC-CONSTRUCTIVE SYSTEM OF FORCES isattainedwhereby man, hithertomerelyreceptive in hisobservationsofworksofart, experiences a heighteningofhisownfaculties, andbecomeshimself an activepartnerwiththeforcesunfoldingthemselves.“ László Moholy-Nagy andAlfrédKemény, Dynamic-constructive Systems of Forces (1922)

  6. „Therehasneverbeen an importantperiodofart in whichtheobjectwould not havebeendistortedforthesakeoftheexternalenergyofexpression.“ Lyubov‘ Popova (1920)

  7. Kandinsky: From Point and Line to Plane (1926)

  8. Kandinsky: From Point and Line to Plane (1926) Electricitygraph Lines offlashoflightning

  9. „The geometriclineis an invisible thing. Itisthetrack [Spur] madebythemovingpoint; thatis, itsproduct. Itiscreatedbymovement — specificallythroughthedestructionoftheintenseself-containedreposeofthepoint. Here, theleap out ofthestaticintothedynamicoccurs. [...] The forces [Kräfte] comingfromwithoutwhichtransformthepointinto a line, canbevery diverse. The variation in linesdepends upon thenumberoftheseforcesand upon theircombinations. In the final analysis, all lineformscanbereducedtotwocases: 1. applicationofoneforceand 2. applicationoftwoforces: a) singleorrepeated, alternateactionofbothforces, b) simultaneousactionofbothforces. [...] Quite apart fromdifferences in characterwhicharedeterminedbytheinnertensions, andquite apart fromtheirprocessesofcreation, the original sourceofeverylineremainsthe same — theforce.“ Kandinsky, From Point and Line to Plane (1926)

  10. Kandinsky: From Point and Line to Plane (1926) Obmochuexhibition, Moscow 1921

  11. Lyubov‘ Popova: Spatial Force Construction(1920-21)

  12. “Construction in painting = the sum of the energy of the parts.” “The line as contour and trace of a transversal plane participates in the forces of the construction and governs these.” Lyubov‘ Popova (1921)

  13. „Insteadofusing a paintbrushtomakehisart, Robert Morris wouldliketouse a bulldozer.“ (Robert Smithson, 1967) „I am for an artthatispolitical-erotical-mystical, thatdoessomethingotherthansit on itsass in a museum“ (Claes Oldenburg, 1961) „Whatartnowhas in itshandisa mutablestuffwhichneed not arriveat a pointofbeingfinalizedwithrespectto time orspace. The notionthatworkis an irreversible processending in a staticicon-objectnolongerhasmuchrelevance.“ (Robert Morris, 1967)

  14. Nikolay Polissky: Hay Tower (2000)

  15. Nikolay Polissky: Volcano (2009)

  16. Yuri Al‘bert: FromthecycleMyfavouritebooks(2001) Left: Ivan GoncharovOblomov; middle: Rainer Maria Rilke Letters on Cézanne; right: Aleksandr Pushkin Eugene Onegin

  17. Yuri Al‘bert: Jarswith Ash for Pictures fromthecycleMyFavourite Books (2001)

  18. „I havealwaysliked monochrome abstractart, itisindeterminate, unverbalized, unaggressiveyetexerts such powerful effect on theviewer, andhavealwaysbeendisappointedthatthisimportanttraditionis absent in Russianart, a traditionthatis a norm in theartofother countries. [...] Maybeitisspecificallythistensionbetweentheseeminglycalmand all-reconciling form andtheunderlyingpassionoftheartistthatappealtous. [...] Therefore, all threeseriesshownattheexhibition: “Myfavoritebooks” (paintedwiththeashesofburntbooks), and also picturespaintedwithmyownbloodandexcrements, canberegardedas an attempttodeterminewhatpaintingismadeof [...].“ Yuri Al‘bert

  19. Performance is a mental andphysicalconstructionthat I stepinto, in front of an audience. Andthentheperformanceactuallyhappens, it’sbased on energyvalues. Itisveryimportantthat a publicispresent; I couldn’t do itprivately; thatwouldn’tbeperformance. Nor would I havetheenergy. Formeitiscrucialthattheenergyactuallycomesfromtheaudienceandtranslatesthroughme – I filteritandletitgo back totheaudience. [...] It’sall aboutenergy. Yougothrough a purification, youelevateyourconsciousness, andthatreallyaffectstheaudience. [...] So whatis a goodworkofart? Ithasthatenergythattunesyouintowhatisgoing on behindyour back. Bruce Nauman alwayslikestosay‚ „Art is a matter oflifeanddeath.“ Itsoundsmelodramatic, but itis so true. Ifyoutakewhateveryou do as a matter oflifeanddeath, andifyouarethereonehundedpercent, thenthingsreally happen. Lessthenonehundredpercentis not good art. Marina Abramović: On Performance Art (2012)

  20. Marina Abramović: Rhythm 0 (1974)

  21. Marina Abramović: Rhythm 0 (1974)

  22. FiveConceptualAspects • Form/Matter: Energyasforceof form • Transformation: An aestheticsofenergytreats form in termsoftransformation. • Dynamics: An aestheticsofenergystressesthedynamic potential of a workofart • Life: Energyasdynamic-aestheticforcecrossestheborderbetweenartandlife • Technics/Science/Nature: An aestheticsofenergybridgesthegapbetweentechnofetishismandbioart

  23. Material forgroupwork

  24. Look! I stand amongthem: machines, hammers, furnacesandforgesandamonghundredsofcomrades. Aboveisiron-forgedspace. Alongthesidesrungirdersand angle bars. 
Theyrisetwentymeters. Theybendrightandleft. Theyarejoinedtogetherbytrusses in thecupolasand, liketheshouldersof a giant, supporttheentireironbuilding. 
Theyareimpetuous; theyarebold; theyare strong. Theydemandevengreaterstrength. 
I lookatthemand stand upstraight. Intomyveinsflowsnewironblood. 
I havegrown still higher. 
I myselfgrowsteelshouldersandarmsimmeasurably strong. I havemergedwiththebuilding'siron. 
I haverisen. Myshouldersforce out trusses, uppergirders, roof. Myfeetare still on theearth, but myheadisabovethebuilding. 
 I still gaspforbreathfromthese inhuman efforts, but alreadyshout: 
"Letmespeak, comrades, letmespeak!“ The iron echo coversmywords; theentirebuildingvibrateswithimpatience. AndI haverisen still higher, I am already on a levelwiththechimneys. Neitherstorynorespeech, but onlyoneironwordI'llshout: 
"Weshallbevictorious!“ Aleksej Gastev: WeGrow Out of Iron (1914)

  25. László Moholy-Nagy: Diagramof Forces (1939)

  26. Collective Actions: The Lamp(1977) On a hillnearZagorsk in thetwilight an electricalstreet-lamp was strungupbetweentreetops, itssidescoveredwithpurpleglimmer. Underneathithad a redballoon, servingassail. The wholeconstructionrevolvedandswung in the wind. Purpleflashesofvariousintensityandtimingcouldbeseenfrom a distanceuptotwokilometers. Therewerenoother light sourceswithineyesight.

  27. Erik Bulatov: I live, I see(1988)

  28. Marina Abramović: Rhythm 5 (1974)

  29. Vladimir Maslov/YevgenyYufit: Silver Heads (1999)

  30. Pavel FilonovGOELRO. Lenin andElectrification (1931)

  31. Poster Art on Electrification (1920s)

  32. PussyRiot (?): Oil Cycle (releaseJuly 16, 2013) „Federal Penitentiary Service, InteriorMinistry, Emergency SituationsMinistry, andRosnano, LUKoil, TNK, Rosneft, andGazprom, ... Evildoersattheoiltowers, Oil on thetables, Sechinwithcrocodiles, Like in a redprison.“

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