First thesis draft. Boy!!!!!

Ernest Mundt explains in ,Three aspects of German Aesthetic Theory, that post-Kantian philosophers dealing with the issue of “pure form” realized the concept of empathy theory

. Originally developed in the 18th century by the German philosopher Robert Vischer, empathy theory and its iterations, offer avenues of reflection and discussion about the connection and the universality of emotions in the life of the human mind. The aim of this paper is to develop a critique on contemporary art using empathy and embodiment theory, taking a stand from the art practices of the Colombian sculptor Doris Salcedo and the American artist James Turrell. I plan to reconcile their approach to space, materials and symbolism (or lack of it) to my own art practice.   I hope to understand how the emotional and mental mechanisms of an observer are affected when they are confronted with the image of a fracture, a fissure, or a crack. I seek to explore the idea of a fracture as something mutable from abstraction to empathy by the use of metaphor and light.  

To understand Robert Vischer’s work on empathy theory, we have to take as starting line the notions of beauty and form of Immanuel Kant. This Prussian philosopher of the 18th century changed the course of intellectual history by developing profound ideas that would change the philosophical paradigm of the renaissance into modernity

. Pre-Kantian ideas of beauty revolved around two seemingly conflicting schools of thought. The first one was the Intellectualism of Leibniz and Baumgarten. Although, Leibniz was a great influence in the development of Kant’s ideas about aesthetics, there is a realization on Leibniz work as only representing a small fraction of the human capacity, because, Intellectualism contemplates beauty merely as an intellectual exercise. One word: cerebral. In contrast, Burke’s sensualism.  Sensualism assumes the position of explaining beauty exclusively based on feelings of pain and pleasure, a rather visceral avenue

. Kant is revolutionary in aesthetics, because he is able to reconcile both intellectualism and sensualism advancing a comprehensive discussion of pure form. 

Within Kant’s context we begin to understand the notion of empathy theory. Vischer adapts the transcendental critiques proposed by Kant and finally develops empathy theory saying “We will have to assume that every mental act is brought about and is at the same time reflected in certain vibrations and neural modifications, in such a way that the latter represents its image, that is to say that they produce a symbolic picture inside the organism.”

  In other words, empathy theory posits that we are born with a conditioned and intuitive ability to assign emotional content to all the objects we observe. Sensorial input creates mental representations of objects as they become an internal analogy of the outside world.  

Empathy theory, however, can be a blurred and freed it from the strict optical sense. August Schmarsow explains in The Emergence of Architectural Space that in 1709 George Berkeley established the concept of “experimental or associational perception.”

 These two terms refer to the haptic and the optic combined elaborating  raw materials for perception. Berkeley argues that eye movement and/or physical movement in space is fundamental to perception. And that motion in space will dictate how objects or even space itself is perceived. His argument was based on the issue that we see three dimensional objects with a pair of eyes that record two dimensional patterns of light and color. Berkeley argues that we cannot understand the world with the eyes alone and to form mental images of distance and magnitude we require the sense of touch

. In other words, Berkeley realizes that human beings are more than a stationary relations of eyes to the brain. Human beings are participants by the merit of the movement. The three dimensions and the objects that exist in it, including pictures an two dimensional objects, require motion as  a mechanism to approach in or out  the experience to produce a physical reality. Movement is an intrinsic quality human existence  therefore, perception is altered by the interaction of the space with both touch and sight.  And by deduction of my observations, its within this space you experience the universality of the self. These elastic and revolutionary ideas of empathy theory three hundred years ago are at the hearth of the investigation of the American artist James Turrell. Point in case, Turrell’s Wolfsburg Project is a continuation of this conversation between perceptual phenomena and spatial relationships; between science, art, and philosophy. And according to Markus Bruderlin, the director of the project, “The Wolfsburg is the largest walk in installation ever created anywhere in the world in a exhibition avenue.”

 It is composed of two Ganzfeld Pieces. The work is based on experimental space travel and psychology during the nineteen-sixties. Turrell aims to make light a “tangible” phenomena and on his own words “Light is a charged substance that we have a primary connection with. Situations in which you notice the presence of such a charged substance are fragile. I mold it... So you can feel the presence of the light in the room.”

   

I recently visited Turrell’s Skyspace at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and had very interesting ideas about being, time and purpose. I actually felt a strong connection to Turrell, I admire his vision and the execution of his work. And Indeed, I am grateful to School, because I am able to think about space, meaning, glass, and light.    Even though I am not I am not a linguist, I like to think about the function of words and how they translate different meanings in different languages. For instance Spanish does not difference between heaven or sky. For us there is only one cielo; or himmel in German.  I became aware of that logic, by reading Turrell.  I empathize with the work that alters the perceptual relations of space by the use of light. If I could string words and ideas like pearls in a necklace I would string deatached-non-cognitive-sense-of-oneness-and-perceptual-awe. 

Giving form to materials like glass and light is a particularly meaningful experience for me as it forces me to examine events and places staged in between my memory and my imagination.  I am a glassblower and installation artist with a strong interest in architecture, architectural glass and lighting.  My work explores multiple social, political and personal tensions, mainly inspired by events that took place in Colombia in the decades of the 80’s and 90’s when it was arguably the most dangerous place in the world.  With my work, I attempt to evoke a feeling of empathy for my generation by merging symbolism and medium with collective memory.   Central to the theme of my work is the symbolic meaning of cracks, fissures and fractures. I explore the metaphor of these elements and their relation to the human condition.  I  define a crack as the split of a surface, the space where things separate. In other words, fractures alter the integrity of a unit.  In my work, cracks embody the emotional and/or physical scars we carry in our skins, memories and hearts.  For me, fractures reveal the tribulations of geographic displacement, as I have lost connections to my native environment, emotional relationships and cultural practices. 

 Empathy theory explains the universality of emotions when a viewer is confronted with an object. In contemporary art, empathy is fundamental, because, the heart of the artistic endeavour is to explore and to materialize the emotional and mental life of the artist with the world beyond the self. In other words, as an artist I am trying to create a sense of unity and universality between my emotions and viewers. I can do this by the use of light and glass engages the viewer to investigate the object as a reflection of him or herself. Light is one of nature’s way of transmitting energy through space. In many cultures, it symbolizes justice and truth.  In my installations, I celebrate both the symbolic and physical powers of light because without it no life, growth or healing would exist. In my art practice I seek to engage the viewer in a conversation in which the feelings of a large group of people are merged into the image of a crack. Im my work, empathy exists in the intention and in the metaphor, and not in the abstract quality of the images. For instance, in my installation “The Siege” I confront the viewer with the calamity of a historical event that divided the history of Colombia in two. During the siege of the Palace of Justice 93 innocent people died, most of them related to the high ranks of the judiciary system in Colombia. My gesture as This is the glass plate being projected onto the wall- and Hand written on the plate. but invisible in the projection the first paragraph of the Report of the Special Inquiry Commission on the Palace of Justice. "At dawn all was desolation and ruins. Among the rubble lay the incinerated remains of hostages and guerrillas, their weapons, also calcified, beside them. Few of the bodies retained their human form. The air exuded an unbearable, penetrating stench, record of the destruction of human life.” Light reverts the abstraction of the fractures and makes the images dramatic, emotive and empathic. As a natural phenomena, a crack is the result of forces operating against the unity, light and glass shelter empathy. 

Dealing with the same conceptual issues as my previous installations, but taking a more loose approach my ATC show is largely about experimentation and risk taking. I am using a 3 dimensional object and transposing it into an image of photographic qualities. Light is nature’s energy carrier through space. What is relevant about this work is that glass becomes an sculptural lens allowing me to activate the space by the use of light. What interests me is the ability for a non tangible energy to alter a physical space. Space is not a place. space is an idea. I have chosen  ambiguous faces as the because its neutral features that in turn makes it approachable to a more universal audience. The cracks on the face allude to past experiences and the fragility of the human psique. I allow the viewer to bring their own interpretation. And the piece becomes succesfull when they apply their own scars. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mundt, Ernest K. "Three Aspects of German Aesthetic Theory." JSTOR. Blackwell Publishing. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/427810>.

Vischer, Robert. "On the Optical Sense of the Form." Getty Center for the History of Arts and Humanities. Web.

Turrell, James. Foreword. James Turrell, the Wolfsburg Project: Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, 24.10-2009-05.04.2010. Wolfsburg: Kunstmuseum, 2009. Print.

Schwarzer, Mitchell W., and August Schmarsow. "The Emergence Of Architectural Space: August Schmersow Theory of "Raumgestalung"" JSTOR. The MIT Press. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3171125>.