The reduction to the gesture: Mira Schendel meets Walter Benjamin

Authors

  • Ana Maria do Valle Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
  • Jô Gondar Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Keywords:

gesture, representation, fine arts, Mira Schendel, Walter Benjamin

Abstract

The article uses a concept proposed by Walter Benjamin for understanding the artwork of Swiss-Brazilian painter Mira Schendel. In Schendel, the search for a primordial experience - a non representable core that inhabits each representation - is expressed by the reduction to a foundational gesture which is usually concealed by an excess of ornamentation, metaphors and figurative meanings. This procedure was described in Benjamin´s essay on Kafka, where he calls it reduction to the gesture. The article tries to explore the power of this concept, working the way Schendel coul formalize it in her artwork.

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Author Biography

Ana Maria do Valle, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Doutoranda em Memória Social na UNIRIO.

References

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DELEUZE, G; GUATTARI, F. Kafka: por uma literatura menor. Rio de Janeiro: Imago, 1977.

GIL, J. A imagem-nua e as pequenas percepções: estética e metafenomenologia. Lisboa: Relógio D’Água, 2005.

KLOVADLOFF, S. O silêncio primordial. Rio de Janeiro: J. Olympio, 2003.

LISPECTOR, C. Água viva. Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, 1998.

SALZSTEIN, S. (Org.). No vazio do mundo: Mira Schendel. Rio de Janeiro: Marca D’Água, 1997.

SYLVESTER, D. Entrevistas com Francis Bacon: a brutalidade do fato. São Paulo: Cosac & Naify, 1998.

VENÂNCIO FILHO, P. A presença da arte. São Paulo: Cosac & Naify, 2013.

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Published

2014-10-10

How to Cite

DO VALLE, A. M.; GONDAR, J. The reduction to the gesture: Mira Schendel meets Walter Benjamin. Fractal: Journal of Psychology, v. 26, n. 4, p. 645-658, 10 Oct. 2014.

Issue

n. esp. - Dossiê Arte, Narrativas e Subjetividade

Section

Dossiê Arte, Narrativas e Subjetividade - artigos

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To the extent possible under the law, Fractal: Journal of Psychology has waived all copyright and related rights to the Reference Lists in research articles. This work is published in: Brazil.

To the extent possible under law,Fractal: Journal of Psychology has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to Reference lists in research articles. This work is published from: Brazil.