Studio Afterlife The Function of the Posthumous Studio in Contemporary Art David Eastwood A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Art & Design Faculty of Art & Design November 2018 Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname/Family Name : Eastwood Given Name/s : David Abbreviation for degree as give in the University calendar : PhD Faculty : Art & Design School : Art & Design Thesis Title : Studio Afterlife: The Function of the Posthumous Studio in Contemporary Art Abstract 350 words maximum: The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have seen a proliferation of posthumously “museumised” artists’ studios. This global phenomenon is characterised by the conservation or reconstruction of deceased artists’ studios within museums. The museum creates an “afterlife” of the studio, contributing to its cultural and historical significance by interpreting an artist’s work or biography. This practice-based study identifies an emergent current of contemporary art practice that engages with the posthumous studio. Significant contemporary artists Tacita Dean, Christian Jankowski, and Thomas Demand are among those who interpret or intervene in these sites. My project contributes to this underexplored area of art practice and art theory. It employs the posthumous studio as a resource for artistic practice and conceptual reflection, challenging the mythologisation of the modernist artist’s studio as the private domain of the solitary genius. The research focuses on the posthumous studios of two modernist painters, commencing with the restored studio of Giorgio Morandi in Bologna, followed by a more comprehensive study of the Francis Bacon studio reconstruction at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane. While painting is the primary medium employed within the research methodology, intersections with other media such as photography, installation, and video play a significant role. Informed by museum practices in which aspects of posthumous studios are simulated for the purposes of display, my practice similarly incorporates the reconstruction of modernist studio artefacts. Derived from engagement with selected examples, the practice adopts the posthumous studio as a site for artistic exploration. In his seminal essay ‘The Function of the Studio’ (1971), Daniel Buren denounced the modernist studio as an ivory tower confining art practice to the production of portable objects “isolated from the real world.” A more nuanced reinterpretation of the modernist studio proposed by this project presents it as an assemblage of distributed materialities and agencies, an approach informed by the thinking of Gilles Deleuze, and Jane Bennett’s notion of “vibrant matter.” The project moves beyond the postmodernist, post-studio critique, bringing to light new understandings of the artist’s studio as concept and material phenomenon via investigation of the posthumous studio. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in 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 property 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 authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). 31 August 2018 …………………………………………………………… ……………………………………..……………… ……….……………………...…….… Signature Witness Signature Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: 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.’ INCLUSION OF PUBLICATIONS STATEMENT UNSW is supportive of candidates publishing their research results during their candidature as detailed in the UNSW Thesis Examination Procedure. Publications can be used in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter if: • The student contributed greater than 50% of the content in the publication and is the “primary author”, ie. the student was responsible primarily for the planning, execution and preparation of the work for publication • The student has approval to include the publication in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter from their supervisor and Postgraduate Coordinator. • The publication is not subject to any obligations or contractual agreements with a third party that would constrain its inclusion in the thesis Please indicate whether this thesis contains published material or not. This thesis contains no publications, either published or submitted for publication ☐ (if this box is checked, you may delete all the material on page 2) Some of the work described in this thesis has been published and it has been documented in the relevant Chapters with acknowledgement (if this box is ☒ checked, you may delete all the material on page 2) This thesis has publications (either published or submitted for publication) ☐ incorporated into it in lieu of a chapter and the details are presented below CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION I declare that: • I have complied with the Thesis Examination Procedure • where I have used a publication in lieu of a Chapter, the listed publication(s) below meet(s) the requirements to be included in the thesis. Name Signature Date (dd/mm/yy) David Eastwood 31 / 08 / 2018 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 authorise 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.' 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.’ Abstract The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have seen a proliferation of posthumously “museumised” artists’ studios. This global phenomenon is characterised by the conservation or reconstruction of deceased artists’ studios within museums. The museum creates an “afterlife” of the studio, contributing to its cultural and historical significance by interpreting an artist’s work or biography. This practice-based study identifies an emergent current of contemporary art practice that engages with the posthumous studio. Significant contemporary artists Tacita Dean, Christian Jankowski, and Thomas Demand are among those who interpret or intervene in these sites. My project contributes to this underexplored area of art practice and art theory. It employs the posthumous studio as a resource for artistic practice and conceptual reflection, challenging the mythologisation of the modernist artist’s studio as the private domain of the solitary genius. The research focuses on the posthumous studios of two modernist painters, commencing with the restored studio of Giorgio Morandi in Bologna, followed by a more comprehensive study of the Francis Bacon studio reconstruction at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane. While painting is the primary medium employed within the research methodology, intersections with other media such as photography, installation, and video play a significant role. Informed by museum practices in which aspects of posthumous studios are simulated for the purposes of display, my practice similarly incorporates the reconstruction of modernist studio artefacts. Derived from engagement with selected examples, the practice adopts the posthumous studio as a site for artistic exploration. In his seminal essay ‘The Function of the Studio’ (1971), Daniel