Imaging the Void: Making the Invisible Visible An Exploration into the Function of Presence in Performance, Performative Photography and Drawing. By John Lethbridge A thesis submitted as fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of New South Wales Faculty of Art and Design June 2016 ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed ………… Date …………01 – 06 - 2016………………………………… COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorize University Microfilms to use the 350-word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed............ Date ……………01 – 06 - 2016…………….................................. AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed. … Date ……………01 – 06 - 2016……….................................. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I express my heartfelt gratitude and sincere thanks to my supervisor Dr. Phillip George for his unwavering theoretical support during the stormy ride of this thesis. His impressive technical mastery was equally invaluable in developing the research practice to a quality beyond previous standards. Phil’s openness to the twists and turns of the research theory and practice allowed the exploration to develop a focus from a broad perspective into an in-depth and specific inquiry into the nature of presence within performance, performative photography and performative drawing. Secondly, I would like to offer a special thanks to the support of Dr. Rosemary Beaumont who in the completing stages of thesis development gave invaluable criticism on how to address notions of ‘presence-awareness’ and much more, within an academic framework. 3 DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to Lydia Duncan (1918 – 2015) who in the mid nineteen eighties introduced me to the notion of a multiplicity of selves and the cognition of pure awareness. For thirty-five years we discussed the nuances of self, consciousness and psyche. Her presence and insights provided much depth and clarity to my understanding of these most subtle and elusive substances. 4 IMAGE LIST 1. Yves Klein: Leap into the Void. 1960 2. Selfie Images 3. Yves Klein: Leap into the Void. With and without Bicycle 1960 4. Marina Abramović: with Ulay (Frank Uwe Layiepen). Gold Found By The Artists. Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, Australia 1981 5. Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present. Museum of Modern Art, New York 2010 6. Marina Abramović: Performing Herman Nitsch’s blood performance rituals 1973 7. Marina Abramović: Thomas Lips. 1975, 1993, 2005 8. Marina Abramović made me cry. The Artist is Present. Museum of Modern Art, New York 2010 9. Marina Abramović: Re-performance. Joseph Beuys - How to explain pictures to a dead hare. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York 2005 10. Joseph Beuys: How to explain pictures to a dead hare Galerie Schmela, Düsseldorf 1965 11. Yves Klein as Orchestra Conductor, Gelsenkirchen 1959 12. Yves Klein: The Ritual Transfer of Immateriality. Series 1, Zone 6 1962 13. Joseph Beuys: I Like America and America Likes Me. René Block Gallery, New York 1974 14. Joseph Beuys: I Like America and America Likes Me. René Block Gallery, New York 1974 15. James Lee Byars: The Death of James Byars 1982 16. James Lee Byars: The Perfect Kiss performed at the University Art Museum, Berkeley 1978 17. Lucinda Childs performing James Lee Byars’s The Mile–Long Walk at the Carnegie Museum of Art 1965 5 18. John Lethbridge: Sensorama 1. 2011 - 2016 19. John Lethbridge: Flesh Bodies. 2011 - 2016 20. Francis Bacon: The Painting 1950 21. John Lethbridge: Wing Bodies. 2011 – 2016 23. John Lethbridge: Imaging the Void. Installation View, UNSW Galleries, Sydney, Australia, 2016 24. John Lethbridge: Imaging the Void. Installation View, UNSW Galleries, Sydney, Australia, 2016 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of Authentication…………………………………………...……….................................2 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………….........................3 Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………………..............4 Image List………………………………………………………………………………………..…….............5 Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………..….........7 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…10 Introduction: Imaging the Void: Making the Invisible Visible………………………..…11 Chapter One: Performative Photography 1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….……13 1.01 The Selfie……………………………………………………………………………………….......….15 1.02 Leap into the Void…………………………………………………………………………....…….18 1.03 Presence and Photographic Theory………………………………………………………...21 1.04 The Process of Revealing………………………………………………………………....….…22 1.05 Performative Photography……………………………………………………………….........22 1.06 A Procedural Description of Imprinting Presence……………………………………23 1.07 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………….....25 Chapter Two: Methodologies of Self and Presence 2.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….………………26 2.01 Self As Process……………………………………………………………………………………….26 2.02 Double Becoming……………………………………………………………………………......... 29 2.03 Three-layered Self-presence Model……………………………………………………......32 2.04 A Framework of Presence………………………………………………………………….......38 2.04.1 Timelessness………………………………………………………………………………...........39 2.04.2 The Void……………………………………………………………………………………….........39 2.04.3 Dynamic Creativity………………………………………………………………………..........41 2.04.4 Immanence……………………………………………………………........................................42 7 2.04.5 Luminosity……………………………………………………………………………………........43 2.04.6 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..…..45 Chapter Three: Presence 3.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….............47 3.01 Contemporary Presence Theory…………………………………………………………...…48 3.02 Pure presence…………………………………………………………………………………..…….50 3.03 The View……………………………………………………………………………………………......55 3.04 Transcendent Empiricism…………………………………………………………………….....56 3.05 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………......60 Chapter Four: The Case Study Artists 4.0.Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………............62 4.01 Marina Abramović and Timelessness…………………………………………………......63 4.01.1 Performing Presence………………………………………………………………………..…65 4.01.2 Divine Diva…………………………...…………………………………………………………....69 4.01.3 Presence and The Love To Be.......…………………………………………………………73 4.01.4 Re-performers……………………………………………………………………………………75 4.01.5 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….…77 4.02 Higher Self of Marina Abramović and Fundamental Self of Yves Klein...........80 4.03 Yves Klein and The Void......................................................................................................83 4.03.1 Smitten With Divinity........................................................................................................84 4.03.2 Yves Klein: The Shaman-Trickster..............................................................................88 4.03.3 Conclusion..............................................................................................................................91 4.04 Joseph Beuys and Dynamic Creativity............................................................................92 4.04.1 Everyone Is An Artist..........................................................................................................95 4.04.2 Joseph Beuys: Shamanic Artist.......................................................................................96 4.04.3 Conclusion............................................................................................................................101 4.05 James Lee Byars and Immanence..................................................................................102 4.05.1 Perfect Immanence..........................................................................................................105 4.05.2 Perfect Performance.......................................................................................................106