Defamiliarization with Gentileschi

Painting:
Gentileschi, Artemisia
"Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes"
c. 1625

Two women, hovering in a dimly lit room, seem to be hiding something as they peer out of a red curtain. They are dressed in rags similar to the garb worn by servants in the 17th Century. There is a tendancy to feel frightened... for they seem to be up to mischief. The plump woman who stands above the smaller woman is holding a sword, as if to threaten the other. The positioning of the ladies, coupled with their sizes leads to the notion that the larger woman is in a position of authority over the other. There seems to be a conflict within a conflict as we look again at the painting. The two women in the dark room are obviously covering their tracks from people who are not depicted. Looking more closely, we notice the dynamics of what we actually see in the painting; the crouched woman seems to be dominated into taking actions that she doesn't necessarily feel comfortable taking. The sword near the crouched woman's neck, as well as the look on her face are prime indicators of this fact.

Furthermore, the contrast of light and dark in the painting lends itself to the sense of danger. The two women in the painting do not appear overtly dangerous, although it is obvious that they have commited a crime and are now trying desperately to avoid being caught. A crime of passion maybe? To some degree, have not we all been guilty at one time or another in our lives?

The candle burning in front of the plump woman's face is an ominous clue which causes us to look at other indications that there is foul-play taking place. Symbols from the artist (i.e. the red curtain, and the fearful looks on each woman's face) are further indications of the tension between, first, the two women, and also between the two women and the outside.

Ferdinand de Saussure, in his "Course in General Linguistics" makes a compelling argument regarding semiology, the study of signs and the laws that govern them (Saussure 60). He states that a linguistic sign unites a concept with the impression it makes on our senses (Saussure 61). When we approach the painting again, as humans natrually do, we look to the body language and facial expressions of the women depicted as signs to aid in extracting some meaning from the painting itself. The smaller woman, who is crouched beneath the other has a seeminly apprehensive look on her face. In addition to the look on her face is her body language; she continues to hide something as she looks up from what she is doing, possibly because she is being rushed. According to Saussure, the body language and the facial expressions signifiers and what we get from that when we assess the painting are the signified.

We know that both parts of the sign are psychological (Saussure 59). Keeping this in mind, we can give ourselves freedom in exploring the image in a unique way; one that makes the most sense to us, as individuals.


Works Cited

Saussure, Ferdinand de. "Literary Theory: An Anthology." Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Blackwell Publishing. Maldon, Ma, 2004. (59-71).

Acid is a Gift From God

“Drinking out of Cups” is a representative animation of a monologue that was recorded during the latter stage of one man’s trip on acid after he locked himself in a closet for hours. Looking to elements of classical literary criticism, we can shed light on this piece, in terms of the Platonic concept of the muse. Plato maintains, "[...] the only thing each individual poet is able to compose well is what the Muse has stirred him to do" (Plato 6). Taking this argument into account, we would need to consider some source of inspiration. According to Plato, every aspect of this video, right down to the man locked in the closet is divinely inspired. He states, "[...] god takes away their reason and uses them as servants, as he uses prophets and divine seers, so that we who hear them may know that it is not these people, whose reason has left them, who are uttering such valuable words, but that it is god himself who speaks and addresses us through them" (plato 6). This statement illuminates the issue which is brought to light through this clip; through acid, this man was able to send the message of God to the audience.

Accodring to Plato, art and poetry are three times removed from the source of what inspired it. In his "Ion" he writes, "[...] your spectator is the last of the rings which [...] derived their power from each other [...]. The middle one is you, the rhapsode and actor, and the poet himself is the first. Throught all these, the god draws the souls of men wherever he wants, making the power of one depend upon the other" (plato 7). What this alludes to is that what we see in the clip came from the twice-removed rhapsode, who is essentially an actor conveying the message of the poet, who is still not the source of the inspiration. The random words uttered by the man are the product of a seemingly profound experience with psychotropic drugs. But according to Plato, the Muse is the source of the inspiration. God, if you will, is what drives this piece. So, would it be a stretch to say that, since the random utterances of the rhapsode are a result of a deep acid trip, that acid is a gift from God? According to Plato, the answer is no. He writes, "[...] for it is not skill that makes them utter these fine things, but a divine force; since if they knew how to speak well about one topic through skill, they would be able to speak about all the others, too" (Plato 6).

Looking again at the significance of this masterpiece in terms of classical literary theory we invariably find that there exists some intangible source of inspiration. This God, or God-like muse, inspires the poets whose works are recited through means of a rhapsode. After its passage through each filter, works like “Drinking out of Cups” are copies of the original, and as close as we—the audience—will ever get to the source.

Works Cited
Classical Literary Criticism. Trans. T.S. Dorsch and Penelope Murray. London: Penguin Books, 2004.
Clip: Dan Deacon and Liam Lynch: Drinking out of Cups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skCV2L0c6K0