DOI Artikel:
Morawski, Stefan: Nurt główny aktualnych postaw anarchoartystycznych
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14268#0255
252
STEFAN MORAWSKI
vision; thirdly, the manifested self-definition in the discursive language and certain graspable équivalents of this credo in the subject
of arranged spectacles or performances. The appearance of anti-ait, as thèse phenomena weie called by some authors, was consi-
dered as one of the boundaries of this continuum; and on the othei hand, there is a clear adequacy between créative actions and the
declared ideological program. Those, who create happenings or fluxus of a ludistic character or of the environmental type, cannot
be suspected of an empty formai game. Also in this case, we may find a subject référence but the mutinous ideas entangled in thèse
works strike, above ail, against présent day art and related institutions. The situation changes when the subject of attack through
anti-art — not only indirectly but in fact — is the entire supporting culture. Such contestation is often misleading (Ben Vautier's
anti-art constitutes an excellent example), because it is doubtful where to begin interprétation analyses. What is most important,
actual cultural structures may be questioned from various points of view, a kind of challenge made by the artist is, therefore, essen-
tial. Usually, the shaip negativism towards the status quo, with a simultaneous emphasis on sovereignty and freedom principles
contrasted with the prevailing bureaucracy and uniformity of life, represents an index of anarchistic attitudes. A deepening and furt-
her enrichment of this attitude is caused by a multi-storey référence to social reality — i.e., criticism of ail its aspects together with an
indication of principles on which — according to artists — another more appropriate human existence can be based. This brings
into relief such principles as individual freedom in a community, unrestrained spontaneity, total expression etc. and contrasting thèse
principles with présent day, barrack, super-organized societies, in which things considered by artists as most valuable are ignored or
trampled upon, allow to discern a para-anarchistic orientation. In turn, depending on wherther socio-political ideology, religion and
secret knowledge, libertine patterns of sexual culture or a connection of thèse "frreedom stratégies" have been chosen as paradigms,
the artistic para-aranchism took a defined practical visible and discursive form. This is where a shift towards the neoanarchistic
stance occurs. In case of an obvious engagement in anarchism the rebelious play in the sphère of anti-art or post-art may give place
to actions or utterances clearly extra-aesthetic, directed against the state Moloch or civilization pathology.
Difficulties in making the sought for type of revolt tendind towards neoanarchism unequivocal have a common source not only
in the weakened discourse of artistic media but also, probably above ail, in their usually obliterated Weltanschauung contents. It is
not easy to reconstruct, with the exception of few examples, the philosophical (or socio-political, or ethical-aesthetical) substructure,
even in literary works where this substructure can be moulded or elucidated by the use of verbal medium. The situation of a research
worker, involving the actual avant-garde work in philosophical aspirations, is much more troublesome than research concerning.
old works, because the internai logic of the reasoning, the contents and expression have been now undermined with préméditation.
But when the créative commentary takes a discoursive from or when we are forced to seek its, usually illegible, équivalents in actions,
we find generally, that this discourse is only a collection of several notions or even catchwords. This does not change the fact that
a convergence between the revolt of contemporary artists and principles advanced by anarchist ideologists are felt intuitively. They
are so striking that a substantiation for them must also be sought when — in a particular créative activity or at a particular artist —
it is possible to indicate only a revolt against the artistic establishment. Anyway, there is an analogy in mutual relations of the French
symbolism, the Swiss-German dadaism and the views represented by Bakunin, Kropotkin, Sorel etc. This leit-motiv obviously runs
through the history of modem art up to the moment when the most ambitious artists broke off with the gênerai public and when,
having lost the pertinent Maecenas and, later, guiding Unes supplied by religion or philosophy, they themselves began to search for
a Weltanschauung. Occurring corrélations are based on the rejecion of the whole social system in its actual édition and of the entire
artistic héritage accepted by this system at the cost of its incapacitation and fïattening. The présent day anonymity of the avant-garde
programmed in revenge is a distored reflection of an anonymous society. The human subject disappears giving way to figures, signs
and technology. Corrélation piocesses also take their course on the psycho-social level — here and there we may note the position of
outsiders at the source, a conscious sélection of contestation and at the same time a persistent Don Quixotery. This corrélation may
also be noticed from the point of view of values recommended as the highest i.e. of individual freedom which does not contradict
collective needs, créative impulses concordant with nature, the exploration of ail human possibilities, a transgression of what is
currently given towards something that ought to be, the respecting of the secret of existence and a contact with cosmic rhythms which
cannot be fully penetrated. Finally, a mistrust towards the system, doctrines, an ideology changed into a catechism or a blad treatise
competing against a scientific theory are common to artistic activities and anarchism. This, insolvable antinomy (disideologizing
ideology) in anarchism itself, is also something obvious for the outlook most often moulded by artists. Several main principles,
such as négligence concerning their coherency, their strong axiological saturation, openness to various trends adapted from various
Systems and théories, a practical-ethical approach, a particular type of utopia coupled with a constant struggle for perfection and
a permanent uneasiness and fear in regard to final perfection link together the artists of the récent avant-garde and the neoanar-
chistic ideologists. This is why, a moment ago, we mentioned potential anarchism, since — as the fate of the most interesting repré-
sentatives of the Bohême has shown — straight paths led most often from this loose artistic Weltanschauung to a para-anarchistic
attitude. This is why this process of osmosis between differentiated orientations excludes the errection of fixed fences between them.
A comparison with symbolists and dadaists suggests that the présent day avant-garde is not particulary characterized by anything
in regard to anarchism. But this is only a half-truth. A peculiar sign of the new arrangement is an increased sensitivity to the critical
situation in present-day civilization and culture, since actual contradictions are much more acute than those of fîve or nine décades
ago. Inconséquence, the most natural tendency at présent leads to neoanarchistic opinions, especially be cause constructive propo-
sitions are usually supplied by science and technology, which appear suspicious to relevant artists as guides through the world laby-
rinthe Other propositions, e.g., ideological option, such as the Soviet communism, which fascinated the avant-garde in the years
1917-1937, or the conception of a welfare society, have been unacceptable to happeners or related artists, since thèse ideas were
unable to соре with problems of individual and collective existence. Thus, anarchism — not discredited and still looming on the hori-
zon of dreams and desires for a happier social reality — represents nowadays an increased attraction. Dissatisfaction, résistance,
revolt and helplessness, moving through darkness and thirsting for light — ail this, which has not been rationalized and expressed
to the end is experienced by the artists themselves and in its final shape takes usually the form of an neoanarchistic outlook — partly
or in fuli. At présent, most important four our délibérations is not the conclusion that the anarchistic ideology became deeper and
more widely rooted among the avant-garde than at any time before but the counterpart to H. Read's reflection, which was our star-
ting point, namely the thoroughly valid assertion that a considérable part of the latest avant-garde broke off radically with the aest-
hetic taboos because it was of a para-anarchistic orientation. This generalization can be also reversed: just because of the presentday
artists'neoanarchism, a further tolerating of art and the found aesthetic héritage seems impossible for them.
STEFAN MORAWSKI
vision; thirdly, the manifested self-definition in the discursive language and certain graspable équivalents of this credo in the subject
of arranged spectacles or performances. The appearance of anti-ait, as thèse phenomena weie called by some authors, was consi-
dered as one of the boundaries of this continuum; and on the othei hand, there is a clear adequacy between créative actions and the
declared ideological program. Those, who create happenings or fluxus of a ludistic character or of the environmental type, cannot
be suspected of an empty formai game. Also in this case, we may find a subject référence but the mutinous ideas entangled in thèse
works strike, above ail, against présent day art and related institutions. The situation changes when the subject of attack through
anti-art — not only indirectly but in fact — is the entire supporting culture. Such contestation is often misleading (Ben Vautier's
anti-art constitutes an excellent example), because it is doubtful where to begin interprétation analyses. What is most important,
actual cultural structures may be questioned from various points of view, a kind of challenge made by the artist is, therefore, essen-
tial. Usually, the shaip negativism towards the status quo, with a simultaneous emphasis on sovereignty and freedom principles
contrasted with the prevailing bureaucracy and uniformity of life, represents an index of anarchistic attitudes. A deepening and furt-
her enrichment of this attitude is caused by a multi-storey référence to social reality — i.e., criticism of ail its aspects together with an
indication of principles on which — according to artists — another more appropriate human existence can be based. This brings
into relief such principles as individual freedom in a community, unrestrained spontaneity, total expression etc. and contrasting thèse
principles with présent day, barrack, super-organized societies, in which things considered by artists as most valuable are ignored or
trampled upon, allow to discern a para-anarchistic orientation. In turn, depending on wherther socio-political ideology, religion and
secret knowledge, libertine patterns of sexual culture or a connection of thèse "frreedom stratégies" have been chosen as paradigms,
the artistic para-aranchism took a defined practical visible and discursive form. This is where a shift towards the neoanarchistic
stance occurs. In case of an obvious engagement in anarchism the rebelious play in the sphère of anti-art or post-art may give place
to actions or utterances clearly extra-aesthetic, directed against the state Moloch or civilization pathology.
Difficulties in making the sought for type of revolt tendind towards neoanarchism unequivocal have a common source not only
in the weakened discourse of artistic media but also, probably above ail, in their usually obliterated Weltanschauung contents. It is
not easy to reconstruct, with the exception of few examples, the philosophical (or socio-political, or ethical-aesthetical) substructure,
even in literary works where this substructure can be moulded or elucidated by the use of verbal medium. The situation of a research
worker, involving the actual avant-garde work in philosophical aspirations, is much more troublesome than research concerning.
old works, because the internai logic of the reasoning, the contents and expression have been now undermined with préméditation.
But when the créative commentary takes a discoursive from or when we are forced to seek its, usually illegible, équivalents in actions,
we find generally, that this discourse is only a collection of several notions or even catchwords. This does not change the fact that
a convergence between the revolt of contemporary artists and principles advanced by anarchist ideologists are felt intuitively. They
are so striking that a substantiation for them must also be sought when — in a particular créative activity or at a particular artist —
it is possible to indicate only a revolt against the artistic establishment. Anyway, there is an analogy in mutual relations of the French
symbolism, the Swiss-German dadaism and the views represented by Bakunin, Kropotkin, Sorel etc. This leit-motiv obviously runs
through the history of modem art up to the moment when the most ambitious artists broke off with the gênerai public and when,
having lost the pertinent Maecenas and, later, guiding Unes supplied by religion or philosophy, they themselves began to search for
a Weltanschauung. Occurring corrélations are based on the rejecion of the whole social system in its actual édition and of the entire
artistic héritage accepted by this system at the cost of its incapacitation and fïattening. The présent day anonymity of the avant-garde
programmed in revenge is a distored reflection of an anonymous society. The human subject disappears giving way to figures, signs
and technology. Corrélation piocesses also take their course on the psycho-social level — here and there we may note the position of
outsiders at the source, a conscious sélection of contestation and at the same time a persistent Don Quixotery. This corrélation may
also be noticed from the point of view of values recommended as the highest i.e. of individual freedom which does not contradict
collective needs, créative impulses concordant with nature, the exploration of ail human possibilities, a transgression of what is
currently given towards something that ought to be, the respecting of the secret of existence and a contact with cosmic rhythms which
cannot be fully penetrated. Finally, a mistrust towards the system, doctrines, an ideology changed into a catechism or a blad treatise
competing against a scientific theory are common to artistic activities and anarchism. This, insolvable antinomy (disideologizing
ideology) in anarchism itself, is also something obvious for the outlook most often moulded by artists. Several main principles,
such as négligence concerning their coherency, their strong axiological saturation, openness to various trends adapted from various
Systems and théories, a practical-ethical approach, a particular type of utopia coupled with a constant struggle for perfection and
a permanent uneasiness and fear in regard to final perfection link together the artists of the récent avant-garde and the neoanar-
chistic ideologists. This is why, a moment ago, we mentioned potential anarchism, since — as the fate of the most interesting repré-
sentatives of the Bohême has shown — straight paths led most often from this loose artistic Weltanschauung to a para-anarchistic
attitude. This is why this process of osmosis between differentiated orientations excludes the errection of fixed fences between them.
A comparison with symbolists and dadaists suggests that the présent day avant-garde is not particulary characterized by anything
in regard to anarchism. But this is only a half-truth. A peculiar sign of the new arrangement is an increased sensitivity to the critical
situation in present-day civilization and culture, since actual contradictions are much more acute than those of fîve or nine décades
ago. Inconséquence, the most natural tendency at présent leads to neoanarchistic opinions, especially be cause constructive propo-
sitions are usually supplied by science and technology, which appear suspicious to relevant artists as guides through the world laby-
rinthe Other propositions, e.g., ideological option, such as the Soviet communism, which fascinated the avant-garde in the years
1917-1937, or the conception of a welfare society, have been unacceptable to happeners or related artists, since thèse ideas were
unable to соре with problems of individual and collective existence. Thus, anarchism — not discredited and still looming on the hori-
zon of dreams and desires for a happier social reality — represents nowadays an increased attraction. Dissatisfaction, résistance,
revolt and helplessness, moving through darkness and thirsting for light — ail this, which has not been rationalized and expressed
to the end is experienced by the artists themselves and in its final shape takes usually the form of an neoanarchistic outlook — partly
or in fuli. At présent, most important four our délibérations is not the conclusion that the anarchistic ideology became deeper and
more widely rooted among the avant-garde than at any time before but the counterpart to H. Read's reflection, which was our star-
ting point, namely the thoroughly valid assertion that a considérable part of the latest avant-garde broke off radically with the aest-
hetic taboos because it was of a para-anarchistic orientation. This generalization can be also reversed: just because of the presentday
artists'neoanarchism, a further tolerating of art and the found aesthetic héritage seems impossible for them.