Thursday, March 8, 2007

Djerassi: Comment to Anker

From:Carl Djerassi
Date:Thu, 8 Mar 2007 08:54:59 -0500


At 06:32 PM 3/7/2007, Anker wrote:"To pickup on Carl Djerassi's descriptive introduction of himself as"a scientist turned playwright" and in keeping with previious questionswith regard to comparisons between linguistic and iconic modes ofcommunication, I relay to you some of Nelson Goodman's parentheticaldescriptions of the structural differences inherent in various artforms. In "Languages of Art: An Approach to A Theory of Symbols,"published in 1976, he differentiates between works of art as being autographic or nonautographic."

I WOULD LIKE TO REFER ANKER TO MY REPLY TO CUIR, JUST POSTED. The stamp image I cited is a curious "biographic" example.

CARL DJERASSI

Anker continues "To those works that are categorized as nonautographic,he assigns the term allographic. In this differentiation, which in factmay or may not be extrapolated to include laboratory science, anautographic work is a fait a complait, executed by an artist with nofurther elaboration or revision. It's solitary stance as an objebject inthe world is its unique stature. For the allographic arts, such as themusical and dramatic arts, there is a two step externalization processat hand. The scripts, scores or notations continue over time as fixedelements but simultaneously have the capacity to incorporate manifoldvarieties of future productions and interpretations. Hence in allographic works, alternative "readings" become part of the aestheticoutput.Carl Djeraassi also points out that many "theatre scholars as s well aspractitioners are inherently science phobic." I must agree with this interpretation, particularly as it relates to the visual arts. What baffles me, however, is why scientific metaphors are marginalized in artworld parlance while often trite reruns of "receiveded ideas" are applauded. Even images which embed questionable social narratives areapplauded for their ironic stance. Why is banality ironic?"

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