Help a Sculpture and other abfunctional potentials Simone Ann Slee ORCiD: 0000-0001-9239-3371 Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (by creative work and dissertation) August 2016 Faculty of the VCA and MCM University of Melbourne Abstract This practice-led research investigates the relationship between sculpture and concepts of function in contemporary art. Since the Enlightenment, art and function have commonly been understood as mutually exclusive concepts. Associated with everyday life, function is considered outside the sphere of art, where the art object is predominantly positioned as “functionless” and hence “autonomous” from the everyday prerequisites of living. In the instances where art has incorporated function, this has frequently been framed in terms of dysfunction, “dissolving art into life,” or as an alternative strategy in the “dematerialisation of the art object.” Yet, a neologism that emerged from my own art practice – “abfunction,” meaning to move away from function – implies that function is implicit within art itself, suggesting that the neat separation between art and function is not so clear cut. This thesis, includes the artwork produced for the Help a Sculpture exhibition at the Margaret Lawrence Gallery, VCA in July 2016 and the written dissertation. The project asks: in what ways can the neologism abfunction reveal and divert the role of function within the production and end-effect of the contemporary artwork? Three bodies of artworks were produced for the project and have been used as case studies within the written dissertation. They are: How long (2008-ongoing), Houses that are happy to help with at least one of the possible problems of art (2010-ongoing) and the Hold UP series (2013-ongoing). These artworks comprise: video, photographic installations, photo-sculptures and sculptural assemblies. The written dissertation establishes a foundation for abfunction within contemporary art. Part I seeks to define “function” that abfunction maybe moving away from within the artwork. Given art is considered to be functionless, concepts of function are investigated by Aristotle, early modernist architectural discourse, and those involved in function theory, such as Beth Preston and Ruth Millikan. It is proposed that function can be understood from two points of view. I have termed this as, “use-ready” function (what something is for), and function as “forming” of an object or thing (summarised by the adage: “form follows function”). Part II of the written thesis investigates how these two roles of function occur within art. The Russian and Polish avant-garde from the 1920s to the mid-1930s, provides an uncharacteristic example of artists and theorists activating the role of function in art. Discussed in this written component of the thesis, are artworks and theories from the Russian Constructivists and Productivists, including artists Alexandr Rodchenko, and Karl Ioganson and theorist Boris Arvatov, in addition to the Polish Unists: sculptor Katarzyna Kobro and her husband, painter Władysław Strzemiński. Part III applies the understanding of the role of function in the artwork to investigate how abfunction both reveals and departs from function in the artwork case studies produced for the project. Abfunction represents a significant opportunity for a more complex understanding of how function might operate with the artwork. Its meaning in relation to art is not encompassed by existing terms of function including, functionless, dysfunction, malfunction and the lesser known term para-functional. Moreover, in describing a deviation away from the end expectations of function, abfunction also acknowledges the alternative materialisation of objects and things produced through this method which the terminology associated with the “dematerialised” object fails to do. This research project draws to a conclusion with the argument that abfunction offers a new insight into processes within the production of art. Revelatory in its reveal of the pervasive role of function that it generatively departs from, abfunction accounts for the alternative unimagined outcomes produced in art beyond the teleological grip of function. Declaration This is to certify that: I. this thesis comprises only my original work towards the Doctor of Philosophy except where indicated in the preface II. due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used III. The thesis is 85,000 words exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies, footnotes and appendices. IV. Signature: Preface Two artworks prior to the project were the catalyst for this project. These are the On body- suit work (2002–03) (Fig. 17) and Help a Sculpture (2005-2008) (Fig. 18), which shares its name with this project. They are discussed within the written thesis. On is an artwork comprising a series of white vinyl jackets, with a hole in the centre that exposed the wearers’ abdominal regions and belly button. This artwork has had multiple iterations over the last fourteen years. It has included installations, live performances, posters and social media sites. Help a Sculpture is a performance artwork where a goldfish helps a sculpture stand for a period of time. The artwork consisted of a range of elements: a circular cardboard ring sculpture covered with mirror foil; eight goldfish in an aquarium propped up on a celeriac; two vertically standing fluorescent lights; a collection of aquarium-type paraphernalia; a provisional work-jacket and a timer and myself as the artist who enacts the performance. I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr Hilary Maddocks for copy-editing my thesis who is knowledgeable in the academic discipline of the thesis This project was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award and an Anthony Ganim Postgraduate Award. Images of my artwork in this thesis are courtesy of myself and Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness and gratitude to this project’s supervisors. To Prof. Barbara Bolt, many thanks for her enthusiasm, intellectual acuity, care, patience and faith in this project. To Ms Jan Murray, I would like to acknowledge her nuanced artistic insights into both the artwork and writing, care, generosity and patience. I would also like to thank Prof. Marie Sierra, my initial supervisor at the project’s commencement. Their belief and ongoing support helped enormously. Thank you. Many thanks to the School of Art, VCA, University of Melbourne in general, and also to my marvelous artist colleagues and friends, whose encouragement, humour, insights, and generosity, I value tremendously – in particular thank you to: Dr. Laura Woodward, Aleks Danko, Lou Hubbard, Sanja Pahoki, Dr Kate Daw, Dr Mark Dustin, Dr Mark Shorter, Beth Arnold and Mark Friedlander. I would also like to thank all the staff of the Sculpture and Spatial Practice program, VCA, University of Melbourne for their enthusiasm interest and support. A special note to all my students (both graduate and undergraduate) who have taught me as much about art and research as the other way around. Thank you. Many thanks also to the Margaret Lawrence Gallery, VCA staff colleagues and friends: Vikki McInnes, Scott Miles and Kay Abude. I would also like to extend my thanks to Kate Barbour and once again to Vikki McInnes of Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne, who represent my art practice. To other marvelous artists, friends and curators who have been involved in the many aspects of the project along the way: Julia Powles and Peter Westwood and their children: Tilman and Casper Thorne, Tracey Lamb, Christo Crocker, Dr. Rebecca Coates, Louise Haselton, Dr. Chris Barry, Prof. Lyndal Jones, including our German artists and friends, Andreas Exner and Zylvia Auerbach, thank you. Thank you to my immediate and extended family for their love, encouragement, belief in the absurd, endless feeding and child-minding: Joan and Keith Slee, Tonya Slee and Peter Waite, Shannon Slee and Grant Liddy, all Slee nieces and nephews; Mrs Judith Harley, Roger and Bettina Harley and Harley nephews and nieces; Prof. Kate Buchanan and Prof. Andy Bennett and children and Dr. Eunice Buchanan. And most importantly thanks to my two loved ones: Dr. David Harley who has been ever- sustaining in all the ways necessary: creatively, intellectually, emotionally, domestically and nutritionally; and thanks to our gorgeous Coco for her love, humour and sage twelve-year old PhD advice, such as: “When you are at the pointy-end you really should know what you are doing.” Fig. 1 Simone Slee, Hold UP (being a prop – being a pole) (2013) Table of Contents: Help a Sculpture and other abfunctional potentials Table of Contents Simone Slee, Help a Sculpture exhibition, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, VCA, 2015 ............. x Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Problem statement ........................................................................................................................ 1 Project Aim .................................................................................................................................... 2 The origins of abfunction: On (2000-2003) and Help a Sculpture (2005) – commencing a definition of abfunction ................................................................................................................. 2 “Ab” ..............................................................................................................................................