Iconoclasm & Iconoclasm & IconoclashIconoclash

Readings: Mitchell Readings: Mitchell “Offending Images” and “Offending Images” and Latour “Iconoclash”Latour “Iconoclash”

Silencing the pastSilencing the past

Public OutragePublic Outrage

Vandalism & IconoclasmVandalism & Iconoclasm Vandals as ignorant, silly, Vandals as ignorant, silly,

senseless, stupidsenseless, stupid

Goya No sabe lo que hace

Iconoclasm vs. Vandalism?Iconoclasm vs. Vandalism?

•deliberate destruction of images rooted in religious, political, deliberate destruction of images rooted in religious, political, cultural beliefs or groups etc. vs. Ignorant behaviour. Which is cultural beliefs or groups etc. vs. Ignorant behaviour. Which is it?it?

Example: Example: Destruction of 3rd c. A.D. Buddhas by Taleban in Afghanistan completed March 12, 2002--completed March 12, 2002--

Iconoclasm? Iconoclasm? Destruction of images Destruction of images

linked to “rational” acts, linked to “rational” acts, meaning or connections meaning or connections of images to of images to something-- but how?something-- but how?

Ofili Virgin Mary

Why are some images kept & Why are some images kept & others destroyed? others destroyed?

Personal Personal (family) Networks & Values(family) Networks & Values CommunityCommunity-based criteria-based criteria Other factors Other factors (sometimes concurrent)(sometimes concurrent)

– Scholarly Scholarly – PoliticalPolitical– EconomicEconomic– Moral & ethicalMoral & ethical– Class-based (elite, popular) agendas etc….Class-based (elite, popular) agendas etc….

Variations in meaning over timeVariations in meaning over time

Inclusion --Exclusion & the Inclusion --Exclusion & the democratization of image censorshipdemocratization of image censorship

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhGx4Rh0Qo8

“Headbangers”--Heavy metal fans Mid-Summer Night Swing Dancing at the Lincoln Center, NYC

Identity issues & the meaning Identity issues & the meaning of imagesof images

Inclusion/cohesionInclusion/cohesion– Visual images as expression Visual images as expression

of identity, difference of identity, difference (distinction)(distinction)

ExclusionExclusion– Discriminatory Dimensions Discriminatory Dimensions – Censorship and/or Censorship and/or

DemocratizationDemocratization

Mitchell--Why do some images Mitchell--Why do some images offend?offend?

False False Assumptions: Assumptions: – Images Images

transparently linked transparently linked to what it to what it represents (doing represents (doing something to something to image, does image, does something to what something to what it represents)it represents)

– Images “feels” Images “feels” what is done to itwhat is done to it

Examples from MitchellExamples from Mitchell

Richard Richard Serra’s Serra’s Tilted ArcTilted Arc

Maya Lin’s Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veteran’s War Vietnam Veteran’s War MemorialMemorial

Lin Lin

MapplethorpeMapplethorpe

Michelangelo Michelangelo DavidDavid

SwastikaSwastika

Confederate FlageConfederate Flage

Jasper Johns Jasper Johns FlagFlag

Marcus Harvey Marcus Harvey MyraMyra

Damian HirstDamian Hirst

Poussin Poussin Adoration of the Golden CalfAdoration of the Golden Calf

Serrano Serrano Piss ChristPiss Christ

OffiliOffili

Outrage overOutrage over Virgin Virgin Mary?Mary?

Outrage about Outrage about symbolic desecrationsymbolic desecration

Latour: Why do images inspire Latour: Why do images inspire hatred? hatred?

ways of understanding iconoclastsways of understanding iconoclasts– Inner goalsInner goals– Roles ascribed to imagesRoles ascribed to images– Effects of destruction on othersEffects of destruction on others– How reactions of those assocciated with images How reactions of those assocciated with images

are interpreted by iconoclastsare interpreted by iconoclasts– Effects on the destroyer’s own feelingsEffects on the destroyer’s own feelings

Fuseli: Fuseli: Artist weepingArtist weeping

in despair in despair …. …. diverse diverse meanings of the meanings of the disappearance & disappearance & rejection of rejection of artworksartworks Vandalism vs. Vandalism vs. IconoclasmIconoclasm

•VandalistVandalists: s: ignorant, ignorant, senselesssenseless•IconoclastIconoclasts: s: deliberate deliberate opposition, opposition, “rationale” “rationale” grounded in grounded in system of system of valuesvalues

Censorship as an outcome of Censorship as an outcome of democratizationdemocratization

artists’ & minority publics’ rights toartists’ & minority publics’ rights to– ““self-expression” or self-expression” or – freedom of speech (1st Amendment in US)freedom of speech (1st Amendment in US)– But systematic suppressionBut systematic suppression

VS. public’s rights & government’s duties to VS. public’s rights & government’s duties to enforce standardsenforce standards

issues-- what standards, whose standards?issues-- what standards, whose standards?

Typology of IconoclastsTypology of Iconoclasts

A-- against imagesA-- against images B-against “freeze-frame”B-against “freeze-frame” C-against opponents’ imagesC-against opponents’ images D-Unwitting destroyersD-Unwitting destroyers E-Ironic destroyersE-Ironic destroyers

Message? Interrupte vs. cascading imagesMessage? Interrupte vs. cascading images