Death of the Author - leonsooi.files.wordpress.com fileHistory of the Author • Explanation of a work is sought in the person who produced the work – Baudelaire his failure –

Death of the AuthorDeath of the AuthorRoland Barthes, 1968Roland Barthes, 1968

IntroductionIntroduction

• Reference to Reference to Sarrasine Sarrasine (Balzac, 1830)(Balzac, 1830)

• Unable to determine the voice Unable to determine the voice of the text:of the text:– ““Who is speaking thus? Is it the Who is speaking thus? Is it the herohero…? Is it Balzac the …? Is it Balzac the

individualindividual…? Is it Balzac the …? Is it Balzac the AuthorAuthor…? … We shall never …? … We shall never

know.”know.”

• Implies that writing Implies that writing “[destroys] every voice, … and “[destroys] every voice, … and every point of origin.”every point of origin.”

History of the AuthorHistory of the Author

• Ethnographic societies – Ethnographic societies – responsibility of narrative responsibility of narrative assumed by “mediator”assumed by “mediator”

• The Author is “a product of The Author is “a product of our society”our society”– English EmpiricismEnglish Empiricism

– French RationalismFrench Rationalism

– Capitalist ideologyCapitalist ideology

• ““prestige of the Individual”prestige of the Individual”“I think, therefore I am.”

– Descartes

“Shaman” by Leonard Paul


• Explanation of a work is Explanation of a work is sought in the person who sought in the person who produced the workproduced the work– Baudelaire his failureBaudelaire his failure

– Van Gogh his madnessVan Gogh his madness

– Tchaikovsky his viceTchaikovsky his vice

Charles Pierre Baudelaire Vincent van Gogh

Tchaikovsky


• Ways of Seeing (John Berger, 1972, p. 27):Ways of Seeing (John Berger, 1972, p. 27):– ““This is a landscape of a cornfield with This is a landscape of a cornfield with

birds flying out of it.”birds flying out of it.”

Wheatfield with CrowsVincent van Gogh, 1890


• Ways of Seeing (John Berger, 1972, p. 28):Ways of Seeing (John Berger, 1972, p. 28):– ““This is the last picture van Gogh painted This is the last picture van Gogh painted

before he killed himself.”before he killed himself.”

Wheatfield with CrowsVincent van Gogh, 1890

Desacrilization of the AuthorDesacrilization of the Author

• Writers and artists have Writers and artists have attempted to loosen the attempted to loosen the sway of the Author:sway of the Author:– MallarmeMallarme

– ValeryValery

– ProustProust

– SurrealismSurrealism

– LinguisticsLinguistics


• Stephane MallarmeStephane Mallarme– ““suppresses” one’s own authority to set the suppresses” one’s own authority to set the

definitive meaning of the workdefinitive meaning of the work

– ““restores the place of the reader”restores the place of the reader”

– Use of deliberately ambiguous meaningsUse of deliberately ambiguous meanings

(e.g. same-sounding words)(e.g. same-sounding words)


Rhythm 0Rhythm 0Marina Abramovic, 1974Marina Abramovic, 1974

• Rhythm 0 (1974)Rhythm 0 (1974)• 72 items (grapes, scissors, 72 items (grapes, scissors,

etc.) placed on a tableetc.) placed on a table• A sign informs the audience A sign informs the audience

to use any of the objects on to use any of the objects on AbramovicAbramovic

• A gun and a bullet were A gun and a bullet were among the itemsamong the items


• SurrealismSurrealism– The “surrealist jolt” – abrupt disappointment The “surrealist jolt” – abrupt disappointment

of expectationof expectation

– E.g. Salvador Dali’sE.g. Salvador Dali’s

“Slave Market with the Apparition of the “Slave Market with the Apparition of the

Invisible Bust of Voltaire”Invisible Bust of Voltaire”, 1940, 1940


Salvador DaliSlave Market with the Apparition of the Invisible Bust of VoltaireSlave Market with the Apparition of the Invisible Bust of Voltaire1940


• SurrealismSurrealism– ““Automatic painting/writing”Automatic painting/writing”

– Creating the work from one’s Creating the work from one’s

subconscioussubconscious

– E.g. Jackson Pollock’s Drip PaintingsE.g. Jackson Pollock’s Drip Paintings

Lavender MistJackson Pollock, 1950

Removal of the AuthorRemoval of the Author

• Author Author Scriptor Scriptor• Traditionally, authorship is based on two Traditionally, authorship is based on two

metaphors: temporal and paternalmetaphors: temporal and paternal– ““The Author, …, is always conceived as the The Author, …, is always conceived as the past of his own bookpast of his own book…”…”

– ““The Author is thought to nourish the book, …, in the same relation of antecedence The Author is thought to nourish the book, …, in the same relation of antecedence

to his work as to his work as a father to his childa father to his child.”.”


• Author Author Scriptor Scriptor• For the modern scriptor, For the modern scriptor,

“every text is eternally “every text is eternally written here and now.”written here and now.”

• Writing cannot depict or Writing cannot depict or representrepresent

• Writing has no other content Writing has no other content other than the act of other than the act of enunciating itenunciating it


• ““pure gesture of inscription pure gesture of inscription (and not of expression)”(and not of expression)”

• Formalism “Art for Art's Sake”Formalism “Art for Art's Sake”– Cezanne's still-lifes are focused on the Cezanne's still-lifes are focused on the formal aspectsformal aspects of of

the work, rather than its the work, rather than its contentcontent

– Pollock's action painting draws attention to the Pollock's action painting draws attention to the act of act of

paintingpainting

Paul CezanneStill Life with Fruit Basket, 1895

www.artnet.com

The ScriptorThe Scriptor

• The “gesture of inscription”The “gesture of inscription”• The scriptor merely The scriptor merely

assembles the text from a assembles the text from a “ready-formed dictionary”“ready-formed dictionary”– ““a multi-dimensional space in which a variety of a multi-dimensional space in which a variety of

writings, none of them original, blend and clash.”writings, none of them original, blend and clash.”

– ““his only power is to mix writings”his only power is to mix writings”

Death of MeaningDeath of Meaning• Obliteration of a stable, Obliteration of a stable,

critical interpretationcritical interpretation– No “single, theological meaning...”No “single, theological meaning...”

– Meaning is undermined together with the Meaning is undermined together with the

AuthorAuthor

Charles Pierre Baudelaire Vincent van Gogh

Tchaikovsky

Death of MeaningDeath of Meaning

• Suggests that we should read the Suggests that we should read the text itself, rather than finding text itself, rather than finding clues to guarantee the clues to guarantee the correctness of our interpretationcorrectness of our interpretation– ““the structure can be followed, 'run' (like the thread of a stocking) the structure can be followed, 'run' (like the thread of a stocking)

at every point and at every level, but there's nothing beneath”at every point and at every level, but there's nothing beneath”

– ““the space of writing is to be ranged over, not pierced”the space of writing is to be ranged over, not pierced”

– ““writing ceaselessly posits meaning ceaselessly to evaporate it,...”writing ceaselessly posits meaning ceaselessly to evaporate it,...”

ConclusionConclusion• True place of writing is in readingTrue place of writing is in reading– Double meanings in Greek tragedies cause each character to understand each other unilaterallyDouble meanings in Greek tragedies cause each character to understand each other unilaterally

– Only the reader (listener) is able to understand each word in its duplicityOnly the reader (listener) is able to understand each word in its duplicity

• The reader is the place where the multiplicity of a The reader is the place where the multiplicity of a text is focusedtext is focused– ““The reader is the space on which all the quotations that make up a writing are inscribed without The reader is the space on which all the quotations that make up a writing are inscribed without

any of them lost”any of them lost”

• ““the birth of the reader must be at the cost of the the birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the Author.”death of the Author.”

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Death of the Author - leonsooi.files.wordpress.com fileHistory of the Author • Explanation of a work is sought in the person who produced the work – Baudelaire his failure –