The Film-work Recomposed into Nature
Moving Image Review & Art Journal (MIRAJ), 2012, v. 1, no. 1, pp. 88-96
Kant claims that art, as a human production based on freedom and reason, is distinguished from nature. Hegel proceeds to assert that art, which belongs to the realm of spirit, is higher than the nature. Eu Jin Chua compares the works of Barry Flanagan and Jan Dibbets with Manon De Boer's Two Times 4'33": even though Flanagan and Dibbets are opposed to the Hegelian ideal, letting meaningless nature clash with the self-regulating order of art, they maintain the distinction between art and the nature. John Cage's 4'33" breaks new ground because it lets random sounds in any given space become art. Chua asserts that De Boer not only pays homage to Cage's vision of searching for undetermined (or indeterminate) content, but also proves that video as a medium has already surpassed Hegelian distinctions, and given rise to a non-dialectical field of movements. Human production of art becomes a material process that coexists with the chaos of nature.
ITEM 2012.134 – available for viewing in the Research Centre
Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited
4'33" – John Cage
Zen for Film – Nam June Paik
Two Times 4'33" – Manon de Boer
A Hole in the Sea, February 1969 – Robert Smithson
12 Hour Tide Object with Correction of Perspective, Nederlandische Koste, February 1969 – Barry Flanagan
Baby's Breakfast – Jan Dibbets
Lumiere Brothers