Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 Artificial Darkness Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 ARTIFICIAL DARKNESS An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Noam M. Elcott University of Chicago Press Chicago and London Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 Noam m. Elcott is associate professor of art history and archaeology at Columbia University and an editor of the journal Grey Room. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 2016 by Noam M. Elcott All rights reserved. Published 2016. Printed in China 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 1 2 3 4 5 ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 32897- 3 (cloth) ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 32902- 4 (e- book) DoI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226329024.001.0001 Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Elcott, Noam Milgrom, 1978– author. Artificial darkness : an obscure history of modern art and media / Noam M. Elcott. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978- 0- 226- 32897- 3 (cloth : alkaline paper) — ISBN 978- 0- 226- 32902- 4 (e- book) 1. Shades and shadows in art. 2. Art, Modern—20th century— History. I. Title. NX650.S55E43 2016 709.04—dc23 2015031842 This publication is made possible in part by the Barr Ferree Foundation Fund for Publications, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University. ♾ This paper meets the requirements of aNSI/NISo Z39.48- 1992 (Permanence of Paper). Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 For JulIE Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 Contents ackNowlEDgmENtS ix INtroDuctIoN 1 1 artIFIcIal DarkNESS 17 2 Dark thEatErS 47 3 Black ScrEENS 77 4 thE Black art oF gEorgES mélIèS 135 5 SpacElESS play: oSkar SchlEmmEr’S Dance against enlightenment 165 coDa: hIStorIcal DarkNESSES 229 NotES 241 INDEX 293 Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 Acknowledgments Nothing combats the solipsism of writing like the acknowledgment of debts. Indeed, it is impossible to name all the individuals and institutions that have enabled the research and writing of Artificial Darkness. Certain is that I never would have even ventured the project were it not for a handful of mentors. Years ago, Rosalind Krauss and Jonathan Crary initiated me into the history of art. To teach and think beside them has been the great- est privilege. During my graduate studies and ever since, Carol Armstrong and Hal Foster have provided vital support and guidance. Finally, my vi- sion of art history has been expanded incomparably by the scholarship and friendship of Branden Joseph. The manuscript was read, in whole or in part, by Arnold Aronson, Lucia Allais, Karen Beckman, Dan Morgan, Matthew Solomon, and two anony- mous readers at the University of Chicago Press. Their insights and sug- gestions deeply shaped my thinking and writing. Whatever its failings, Artificial Darkness is profoundly better for their efforts. The Columbia University Seminars on the Sites of Cinema and on the Theory and History of Media have provided forums to test my ideas and absorb those of others. My cochairs in these seminars— Jane Gaines, and Stefan Andriopoulos and Brian Larkin— have been essential partners and guides in the study of comparative media. My coeditors at Grey Room have become inspired interlocutors and fast friends: Zeynep Çelik Alexander, Lucia Allais, Eric de Bruyn, Byron Ha- mann, John Harwood, and Matthew C. Hunter. I am also enormously grateful to Alex Alberro, Nico Baumbach, Walead Beshty, Marta Braun, Kaira Cabañas, Michael Cole, Stuart Comer, Peter Geimer, Romy Golan, Tom Gunning, Chrissie Iles, Kellie Jones, Tom Levin, Anthony McCall, Tony Oursler, John Rajchman, Felicity Scott, Rafi Segal, Bernhard Siegert, and Antonio Somaini. Their impact on me pervades the book and extends far beyond it. It is difficult to imagine my academic path, let alone this book, without the scholarly rigor, intellectual dynamism, and generous encouragement of my colleagues in the Columbia University Department of Art History Copyright © 2016. University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. ix EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 6/12/2020 10:03 PM via HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AN: 1180804 ; Elcott, Noam Milgrom.; Artificial Darkness : An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media Account: s8492430 and Archaeology. I am indebted especially to Robert Harrist and Holger Klein, who as departmental chairmen offered aid at crucial junctures. Stefaan Van Liefferinge, Emily Shaw, and Gabriel Rodriguez provided in- valuable assistance with the illustrations, and Emily Gabor with every- thing else. Stephanie O’Rourke proved an ingenious research assistant; and Olympia Arco secured even the images that seemed beyond reach. The steadfast support of Susan Bielstein at the University of Chicago Press was a lifeline throughout the writing, editing, and production of the book. James Toftness provided indispensable assistance in the production process. Libraries, museums, archives, and cinematheques were the lifeblood of this project. In particular, I am grateful for the institutional and per- sonal support received from Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University (Carole Ann Fabian); Bauhaus- Archiv, Berlin (Sa- bine Hartmann); Schlemmer Archive, Stuttgart (Wolf Eiermann); Musée Marey, Beaune (Marion Leuba); Kiesler Stiftung, Vienna (Gerd Zillner); Museum of Modern Art, New York; New York Public Library; Collège de France, Paris; and Bibliothèque du film at the Cinémathèque française, Paris. I was fortunate to receive several invitations to present work in prog- ress and even more fortunate to receive the constructive criticism of- fered by my hosts and audiences at the University of California, Berkeley; Eikones, Basel; Cambridge