The question of painting : re-thinking thought with Merleau-Ponty

"Since the latter half of the 20th century, committed art has been associated with conceptual, critical and activist practices. Painting, by contrast-despite its significance as a site for continued artistic experimentation-has all too often been dismissed as an outmoded, reactionary, market-led venture; an ineffectual medium from the perspective of social and political engagement. How can painting change the world today? The question of painting, in particular, fuelled the investigations of a major 20th-century philosopher: the French phenomenologist, Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-61). Merleau-Ponty was at the forefront of attempts to place philosophy on a new footing by contravening the authority of Cartesian dualism and objectivist thought-an authority that continues to limit present-day intellectual, imaginative, ethical, and indeed scientific possibilities. Taking an approach that moves between the fields of philosophical and visual culture research, The Question of Painting is organized around a closely focused, chronological account of Merleau-Ponty's unfolding project and its relationship with art, clarifying how painting, as a paradigmatically embodied and situated mode of investigation, helped him to access the fundamentally "intercorporeal" basis of reality as he saw it, and articulate its lived implications-implications that have a, productive bearing on the personal, ethical and political challenges facing us today. With an exclusive and extended conversation about the contemporary virtues of painting with New York based artist Leah Durner, for whom the work of Merleau-Ponty is an important source of inspiration, The Question of Painting brings today's much debated concerns about the socio-cultural and political potential of painting into contact with the question of painting in philosophy."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 11 List of images 13 Introduction – Painting as thought 22 Questions 22 Rethinking thought 34 Merleau-Ponty’s trans-dimensional investigations 44 An incarnational logic 58 ‘Digging in the same place’ – Merleau-Ponty’s broad project 64 Part 1: Painting – Rethinking thought beyond dualism and positivism 72 Chapter 1: ‘Nature’ and ‘consciousness’ – Merleau-Ponty’s critical encounter with dualism 76 Broken? 76 The problems of rationalism and empiricism 85 The naïve consciousness and its reconstructive powers 91 The significance of Gestalt 98 Describing behaviour – Its limitations and scope 101 Chapter 2: The symbolic forms and the question of integrated being 105 Obstacles 105 The three forms of behaviour 107 Beyond inherited structures 111 Part 2: Painting – Rethinking thought as perceptual and embodied 120 Chapter 3: Description and the re-education of sight 124 How to start again 124 Embodied perception – Our only access to the real? 129 Description – The first philosophical act 138 Into the base of ‘inhuman’ nature 146 Chapter 4: Embodied thought 152 How do bodies think? 152 Peculiar permanence 153 The body in its intentional being 160 Intersubjectivity, inter-corporeality and otherness – Foundational hospitality 166 Part 3: Painting – Rethinking thought as ‘silence’ and ‘speech’ 172 Chapter 5: The being of language, reconceived 176 A new index of curvature 176 Merleau-Ponty and the priority of expression 190 Syntax 194 Language, truth and ‘universality’ 200 Chapter 6: Visual language and the ‘unity’ of painting 205 Modern painting and the paradoxes of communication 205 Cultures of display and debate – Renegotiating particularity-generality 214 Part 4: Painting – Rethinking thought as ‘secret science’ 220 Chapter 7: Visibility, the ‘flesh’ of the world 224 ‘The common stuff ... is the visible’ 224 The visible and the invisible 227 Indirect ontology and anonymous visibility 229 Chiasm, illusion, dis-illusion 234 Immersive thought and ‘having at a distance’ 240 Chapter 8: Visual treatises and the search for depth 249 Painterly thought as secret science 249 Intermundane space 250 Depth of being and body 255 The painter’s effort and the fragility of the real 259 Visual treatises 263 Notes 280 Introduction 280 Chapter one 289 Chapter two 296 Chapter three 299 Chapter four 307 Chapter five 312 Chapter six 319 Chapter seven 322 Chapter eight 327 Bibliography 333 Index 346 Since The Latter Half Of The 20th Century, Committed Art Has Been Associated With Conceptual, Critical And Activist Practices. Painting, By Contrast, Is All Too Often Defined As An Outmoded, Reactionary, Market-led Venture; An Ineffectual Medium From The Perspective Of Social And Political Engagement. How Can Paintings Change The World Today? The Question Of Painting, In Particular, Fuelled The Investigations Of A Major 20th-century Philosopher: The French Phenomenologist, Maurice Merleau-ponty (1907-61). Merleau-ponty Was At The Forefront Of Attempts To Place Philosophy On A New Footing By Contravening The Authority Of Cartesian Dualism And Objectivist Thought-an Authority That Continues To Limit Present-day Intellectual, Imaginative, And Ethical Possibilities. A Central Aim Of The Question Of Painting Is To Provide A Closely Focused, Chronological Account Of His Unfolding Project And Its Relationship With Art, Clarifying How Painting, As A Paradigmatically Embodied And Situated Mode Of Investigation, Helped Him To Access The Fundamentally Intercorporeal Basis Of Reality As He Saw It, And Articulate Its Lived Implications. With An Exclusive And Extended Conversation About The Contemporary Virtues Of Painting With New York Based Artist Leah Durner, For Whom The Work Of Merleau-ponty Is An Important Source Of Inspiration, The Question Of Painting Brings Today's Much Debated Concerns About The Criticality Of Painting Into Contact With The Question Of Painting In Philosophy. Jorella Andrews. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.