7/1/2016

DavidJoselit|AgainstRepresentationDISMagazine

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DavidJoselit|AgainstRepresentation
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DavidJoselit|AgainstRepresentationDISMagazine

Keywords:afterart,artobjects,CaseyKaplan,DavidAndrewTasman,davidjoselit,Eric
Garner,gradient,KevinBeasley,undercommons
Joselitlooksintothepowerofanimage

DavidJoselit|AgainstRepresentation

InconversationwithDavidAndrewTasmam
ImagescourtesyKevinBeasley

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KevinBeasley,aintit?,2014,Hoodedsweatshirt,resin,21x37x2.5/53.3x94x6.4cm,photo:Jean
Vong,CourtesyoftheartistandCaseyKaplan,NewYork
DuringFebruaryandMarchof2015,DavidAndrewTasmanmetwithDavidJoselittodiscusshisrecent
essays,MaterialWitnessandTheArtEffect,aswellasthetragicdeathofEricGarner,thelimitsof
institutionalcritique,andartscapacitiesbeyondrepresentation.
DavidAndrewTasman:InyourrecentessayinArtforum,MaterialWitness,youarticulatetheoutrage
manyofushavefeltinlightofongoingU.Sdiscriminationandpolicebrutality,contextualizingrecent
eventstoreflectonvisualpolitics.Isyourrecommendationtobeskepticaloftheideologicalpromisesof
representation,inregardstothevideoofEricGarnersmurder,anindictmentofimageorformat?
DavidJoselit:Toassesstheefficacyofanimagerequiresadefinitionofwhatwemeanbysuccess.Ive
beendismayedbytheclaimsforimageeffectsthatseemexorbitantwhilealsomissingwhatanimagecan
actuallydo.InthecaseofthevideoshowingGarnerbeingassaulted,thefactthathischokingwasrecorded
butdidntleadtotheoutcomeexpectednamely,anindictmentofthepoliceofficerinvolvedisan
instanceofthedifferencebetweenwhatanimageseemstoshowandwhatitcanactuallydo.Artcanoccupy
thatspace.WhatIdefineasaformatinAfterArtisastrategyforactivatingthespacebetweenwhatan
imageshowsandwhatanimagedoes.Thinkingabouttherealworldeffectsofimages,includingartimages,
resultsintwoquestions.Areimagesdoingwhatyouwantthemtodoinaparticularcontext?And,ifthey
arent,doestheirformatbecomeincreasinglyrelevant?Theartworkalmostalwayscontainsvestigesofwhat
mightbecalledtherootsorinfrastructuralextensionsofitsentanglementsintheworld.Thesemight
includethemeansofproductionoftheimage,thehumaneffortthatbroughtitintobeing,itsmodeof
circulation,thehistoricaleventsthatconditionit,etc.Theartworksformatsolidifiesandmakesvisiblethat
connectivetissue,reinforcingtheideathattheworkofartencompassesbothanimageanditsextensions.
Thetermformatdoesnotmerelydistinguishbetweendigitalvs.analog,asmediummightdo,butpointsto
howanimageissituatedwithinasetofrelationsthatconditionhowefficaciousitmaybe.Formatsattract
attentionandexercisepower.Thedifferencebetweenformatandmediumlieslargelyintheheterogeneityof
thecomponentsaesthetics,data,history,thesceneofanactionwhichisanathematotraditional
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conceptsofmedium.WhenBrunoLatourtalksaboutassemblages,heistalkingaboutlinkagesnotthe
abstractinfinityofanetwork.Itsdifficulttoquantifythelimitsofextension,forinstance,onemustthink
aboutwhatisfoldedintoimagesaswellaswhatextendsoutfromthem.

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KevinBeasley,Untitled(stack),2015,Polyurethanefoam,resin,soil,housedresses,tshirts,studiodebris,
soil,48x27x20/121.92x68.58x50.80cm,photo:JeanVong,CourtesyoftheartistandCaseyKaplan,
NewYork
DAT:InyouressayMaterialWitness,asonestrategytoincreasethelegibilityoftheseextensions,youcite
EyalWeizmannandAnselmFrankesinterestinQuintiliansconceptofthemediatedspeechofinanimate
objects.IsthisconceptacritiqueofBrunoLatoursParliamentofThings,orNewMaterialismandPost
humanism,insupportofVibrantMatter,Biopolitics,andSpeculativeRealism?
DJ:Well,thesetheoriesarecomplex,quitediverseandoftencontradictoryintheirpositions.WhatIthink
theydoshare,however,isanefforttounderstandtheagencyofobjects(politically,socially,materially),and
acommitmenttodecenteringtheimportanceofhumanperceptioninconceivingoftheworld.Oneofthe
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importantthingsItakeawayfromthisisthatweneedtochangeourhabitofthinkingthatartobjectsstand
forsomethingelsethattheirprimaryfunctionistorepresent.Instead,theseobjectsactinvariousways,
includingprovokingfutureeventsoreffects.Representingisalwaysretrospective:somethinghastopreexist
theartobjectinordertoberepresented.Ithinkartsspecialcapacityis,onthecontrary,itsfuturity.

KevinBeasley,MovementIV,2015,VintageSteinwaypiano,mixingconsole,effectsprocessors,diboxes,
speakers,cables,61x28x28/154.94x71.12x71.12cm,30x20x14/76.20x50.80x35.56cm,89x
42x16/226.06x106.68x40.64cm,photo:JeanVong,CourtesyoftheartistandCaseyKaplan,NewYork

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KevinBeasley,Untitled,2015,Polyurethanefoam,resin,greyjeans,underwear,studiodebris,47x17x20
/119.38x43.180x50.80cm,photo:JeanVong,CourtesyoftheartistandCaseyKaplan,NewYork

DAT:Howmightthisparadigmshiftinflectmodesofculturalproductionorthepoliticsofart?Istherea
wishforthesekindsofactionstospilloveroutsideoftheartcontext?
DJ:Ivechangedmyopiniononthatquiteabitovertime.Whenartmovesoutsideofitsowncontextit
losessomeofthepowerthatissustainedthroughitsconnectiontoartinstitutions.Thedesiretogooutside
thatcontextisalsoanimplicitstatementthattheartworldisntaplacewherepowerrelationsexistina
materialway.InAfterArt,Iarguedthat,whiletheartworldinfactshouldntbeelidedwiththeworldof
enterpriseorpolitics,itisinfactarealmofenormousculturalandeconomicpower.Paradoxically,itseems
tomethatstandardInstitutionalCritiquehasallbutdriftedawayfromengagingwiththetermsoftheactual
institutionsthatsupportartrightnowinpartbecausesuchcritiquehasfoundsuchawelcomeplacein
museumsandgalleries.ThemostpotentexamplesIcanrecallinrecentyearshaveinterrogatedthe
conditionsoflaborforarthandlers,orforthebuildersofmuseumsanduniversitiesinthePersianGulf.I
wonderifamoreproductivemodethanInstitutionalCritiqueiswhattheDIScollectiveisdoingwhichis
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tomobilizeapotentiallynewmodelinsteadofcritiquingexistingones.Thatseemstomeultimatelywhere
thefuturelies.

KevinBeasley,Untitled(JumpedMan),2014.WhitneyBiennial2014,WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt,
NewYork,March7May25,2014.Collectionoftheartist.PhotographbyBillOrcutt.

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DAT:Thelinebetweentransparencyandopacitymayinfactbeagradient:ontheonehandtransparency
seemstooperatewithinasortofjournalisticcriticalmethod,whileopacitypotentiallyoperateswithina
mobilizedformofcommunicationoraction.YouconcludeMaterialWitnesswithsomedoubtsthatthe
forensicimagewillbeabletospeak,coupledwithasanguinereferencetoStefanoHarneyandFredMotens
conceptoftheundercommons,describedintheir2013eponymousbookononeoccasionasaspacewhere,
theaimisnottosupportthegeneralantagonismbuttoexperimentitsinformalcapacity.Whatrolecanart
havein,orlearnfrom,theundercommons?
DJ:Sincetheriseofidentitypoliticsanditsimportantachievementsofthe1990s,andlaterthroughthe
writingofJacquesRancire,therehasbeenastrongassociationbetweenvisibilityorbecomingvisible
andpoliticalclaims.HarneyandMotenarguefortheusevalueofremainingoutsideofrepresentation(and
incidentally,sohasHitoSteyerlinsomeofherrecentworksandwritings).Therearealotofopaquespaces
thatarthasthecapacitytoindicateandactivate.Sincerightnowalmostanythingcanbemonetizedor
renderedasinformation,weareallharvestedandprofiledasinformationcapital.Occlusionsandopacities
mightbeameansofprotectingoneselffromsucheconomicformsofalienabilityoralienation.Ithinkyour
termgradientisveryhelpfulinthisregard.Thegradientofconsumabilityisapowerfuldifferentialata
momentwheretheprimarygoalofaneoliberalsystemistomakethingseasytoconsumeIthinkthatartcan
forestalloratleastslowdownsucheasyconsumption.
DAT:Inyourrecentpiece,ArtEffectsforTheCairoReviewyoupresentflickersofoptimisminyour
assurancethatartmayalsoparticipateintheformationofcivilsociety[]puttingintoformnewspacesof
publicinteraction.DoyouseeasimilaritybetweenthespacedescribedinAriellaAzoulayscitizenryof
photographyandHarneyandMotensundercommons?
DJ:Yes.Ithinkthatarthasalwaysbeenabletoconstitutespacesandpublicsthatwerenotnecessarily
anticipatedbyitsmakersorcommissionersthisispartofwhatImeanbyartsfuturity.Ithinkthatseeing
imagesofApartheid,forinstance,madeahugedifferenceinmobilizingoppositiontothatsystemoutsideof
SouthAfrica.SouthAfricanphotographersaddressednotjusttheirowncommunitiesthroughtheirwork,but
theworld,andthisallowedpressuretobeexertedfromoutside.Ifwelivemoreandmoreinimages,images
attainmoreandmorenewpowers.Thequestionishowtoexperimentwithsuchpower,howtolearntouseit
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forsomethingotherthanaccumulatingcapital.

KevinBeasley,Untitled(FocusBlackBoyI),2015,Resin,wood,tshirts,televisionmount,70x70x16/
177.8x177.8x40.64cm,photo:JeanVong,CourtesyoftheartistandCaseyKaplan,NewYork

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KevinBeasley,Untitled(FocusBlackBoyII),2015,Resin,wood,tshirts,jordanjacket,televisionmount,
70x70x16/177.8x177.8x40.64cm,photo:JeanVong,CourtesyoftheartistandCaseyKaplan,New
York

DavidJoselitisahistorian,critic,educatorandformercurator.PriortojoiningTheGraduateCenteratthe
CityUniversityofNewYorkasaDistinguishedProfessor,JoselittaughtatYaleUniversityinthe
DepartmentofArtHistoryforadecade,wherefrom2006to2009heservedasdepartmentChair.Aprolific
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andattimespolarizingwriter,hehasauthoredandeditedmanybooksandessaysincludingthewidelyread
AfterArt,andPaintingBesideItself.HeisaneditoratthejournalOctober,andregularcontributorto
Artforum.JoselitreceivedhisPh.DfromHarvardUniversityin1995andlivesinNewYorkwithhis
longtimepartner,SteveIncontroandtheirdogJoey.
KevinBeasleyisanartistworkinginmultiplemediumsincludingsculpture,performance,andphotography.
Inthewinterof2015heopenedhisfirstsoloexhibitioninNewYorkatCaseyKaplangallery.Hisworkhas
recentlybeenincludedinthepermanentcollectionsofTheMuseumofModernArt,TheStudioMuseumin
Harlem,andtheSolomonR.GuggenheimMuseum.In2014hewasincludedintheWhitneyBiennale,and
CuttoSwipeattheMuseumofModernArtinNewYork.BeasleyisalsopartofthecollectiveAllGold
whosemembersincludeartists,GolnazEsmaili,InvaCotaandStephenDecker.AllGoldiscurrentlythe
inauguralresidentoftheMoMAPS1PrintShop.

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