The Import of the Sensation of the Abyss
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Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 2006 The import of the sensation of the abyss David J. Prescott-Steed Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Prescott-Steed, D. J. (2006). The import of the sensation of the abyss. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/92 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/92 Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 2006 The mpI ort of the Sensation of the Abyss David J. Prescott-Steed Edith Cowan University Recommended Citation Prescott-Steed, D. J. (2006). The Import of the Sensation of the Abyss. Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/92 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/92 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. 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Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. The Import of the Sensation of the Abyss by David John Prescott-Steed BA (Hons) Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University Faculty of Education and Arts July 2006 USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. 3 Abstract This research argues the significance of the concept of the abyss as a means to understanding key contemporary ideas such as the self, identity, reflexivity, indeterminacy, ideology, radical doubt, lack, and xenophobia. Proposing the analysis of interpretations of the abyss as informative in developing an understanding of ourselves in terms of our cultural, geographical and historical contexts, I draw on a range of visual images, explorations of language use, research into cultural constructs, religious practices and historical events. The reflections on the abyss contained in this thesis contribute to broader research by connecting the developing concept of the abyss to aspects of the material and cultural contexts of the historical periods examined. Self-reflexive creative production is the modus operandi for my critical engagement with the subject matter. The claim that research and creative practice inform one another dialogically is exemplified by a discussion of the role of research as a tool for contextualising my own visual art practice, as well as for acknowledging both my intellectual and my emotional negotiation of the theory. 4 DECLARATION I certify that this thesis does not, to the best of my knowledge and belief: (i) incorporate without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher education; (ii) contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in a text; or (iii) contain any defamatory material. I also grant permission for the Library at Edith Cowan University to make duplicate copies of my thesis as required. Signature: Date: 5 Acknowledgements Becker (1982, p. 1) writes that “all artistic work, like all human activity, involves the joint activity of a number, often a large number of people”. In his (1982, p. 25) view, the individual artist “works in the centre of a network of cooperating people, all of whose work is essential to the final outcome”. The PhD has been the most intensive and most rewarding course of study that I have undertaken. Since its commencement I have received both direct and indirect support from many people who take part in the various corners of my daily life. Even as the research process continued to demand my extended and undivided attention, the support offered to me proved to be a source of much comfort and served to reinforce my motivation. Among the many, of course, are an exceptional few. I would first like to thank my wife, Julie, for her patience and understanding, for her unreserved support throughout my immersion in this research project, for lending me her feet when I felt I had misplaced my own, and for joining me on my path through the simplicities and the complexities of the depths of the abyss. Julie has continued to be a loving companion, a smiling face waiting for me at the surface, helping me catch my breath and giving me the strength for another descent. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my Principal Supervisor Doctor Christopher Crouch who approached this project with great enthusiasm and who has taught me so much since its inception. Over the past three years Chris has become a valued friend and continues to be a highly respected colleague. His academic and artistic insight, his constructive 6 criticism and his good humour, have been invaluable in helping me to navigate my way through this relentlessly challenging and vastly enjoyable experience. Chris has shown me how to remain focussed on the particularities of the tasks at hand without losing sight of the bigger picture surrounding them. I would like to thank Doctor Dean Chan who, in his role as Associate Supervisor, has also been of great assistance throughout the course of this project. Without a doubt, I would also like to thank my family for their ongoing love and friendship, for their encouragement and confidence in my abilities, and for showing a genuine interest in the things that I am passionate about. 7 Table of Contents Introduction 11 Self-Reflexivity and Radical Doubt 16 The Abyss and Indeterminacy in My Creative Practice 21 Chapter Outlines including Research Questions 23 Action Research Methodology 27 Chapter 1. Contextualisation and Review of the Literature 30 Introduction: The Problem of Defining the Abyss 30 Abyss around the World 35 Proposing the Sumerians as a Key to the Origin of the Abyss 43 An Aquatic Origin for the Abyss: Discoveries Regarding the Black Sea Deluge 50 The Abyss in Babylonian Creation Mythology 55 The Abyss in Egyptian Creation Mythology 59 The Abyss in Norse Creation Mythology 62 Interpreting the Abyss as Hell 64 The Gendered Abyss 84 Summary 89 Chapter 2. The Pervasiveness of Indeterminacy in Everyday Thinking 91 Introduction 91 8 Indeterminacy and the Project of the Self 93 Interpreting the Individual as a Cultivated Void 105 The Role of the Abyss in a Reflexive Interpretation of My Migration Experience 110 Migration across an Abyss 111 Summary 118 Chapter 3. Contemporary Cultural Case Studies 120 Interpreting the Abyss in Nature 120 The Role of the Abyss in the Contemporary Interpretation of Aquatic Natural Environments: The Abyssal Plains 126 An Abyss on the Television: The Theatre of Indeterminacy 129 Beasts of the Abyss? 147 The Role of the Abyss in the Contemporary Interpretation of Non-Aquatic Natural Environments 173 The Abyss as Commodity 183 Summary 192 Chapter 4. The Abyss in Contemporary Creative Practice 196 Introduction 196 The Abyss in the Artwork of Anish Kapoor 198 The Abyss in James Thiérrée’s ‘La Veillée des Abysses’ 207 Summary 226 9 Chapter 5. Praxis: Constructions across Lack 228 Introduction 228 Abyss, this way 229 You could die tomorrow, you could die today 233 Black Badge 239 Black Jar 241 Speak to Me in Tongues: The Abyss in Modern Languages 244 The Shape of the Void: The Individual Inhabiting Social Space 247 A Comment on an Image of the London Underground 250 The Distance Series 254 On the Communication and Reception of Issues Relating to the Abyss and Indeterminacy 257 Summary 262 Chapter 6. Conclusion 263 Discussion 263 Appendix A A List of Publication Titles Referring to the Abyss 272 Appendix B A List of Modern Translations of the English word ‘abyss’ used for ‘Speak to me in Tongues’ 311 10 Appendix C Additional Images for Chapter 5, The Shape of the Void: The Individual Inhabiting Social Space 317 References 321 11 Introduction In this paper I examine representations of the abyss in contemporary Western visual culture. Although a more detailed interpretation of the abyss will be provided in due course, at this point I wish simply to note that the abyss can be described as “1. The great deep believed in the old cosmogony to lie beneath the earth; the primal chaos; the bowels of the earth; the infernal pit, hell. 2. A bottomless chasm; any unfathomable cavity or void space. Freq. fig. ” (Brown, 1993b, p. 11). The latter part of this definition, in particular, presents the abyss as that which is indeterminable. In keeping with this interpretation, the feature of everyday thinking that I focus on is indeterminacy. 1 There are a variety of representations of this metaphor. The role of those that I am examining is their use as cultural reference points for the reflexive organisation of sensations of indeterminacy in everyday thinking.