The Structural (Wo)man
In Course in General Linguistics (1916) Ferdinand de Saussure declares, “a science that studies the life of signs within society…part of a social psychology and consequently of general psychology; I shall call it semiology.” And thus, de Saussure lays the foundation for the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation; more specifically, he introduced the notion of language as a self-contained system of signs to be studied functionally and structurally (more on this later). In Philosophy of the Encounter, on view in the TXST Galleries from August 26 to November 12, Tatiana Istomina employs basic principles of linguistic semiotics by reinterpreting archival materials to explore the ways in which meaning is constructed through structure and psychological association, and to re-canonize the life of Hélène Rhytman.
Passing through the doorway the viewer is greeted by an extension of the white gallery wall; upon further inspection, this extension has obtrusions that mimic legs and a torso. The object is accompanied by three rectangular compositions in gray and rusty orange placed above in a horizontal line. Looking left, to the center of the space, the viewer realizes that the assumed legs and torso are not alone; four pedestals exalt more white objects that embody human figures or body parts: a decapitated corpse, an isolated female head, multiple brains varying in size -- the largest of which boasts an overtly phallic appendage. Against the left wall is another white object that is seemingly personified into a man smoking a cigarette with his head down; a detached right foot exposes the materiality of these soft sculptures – foam coated in a sort of white plaster.
Passing through the doorway the viewer is greeted by an extension of the white gallery wall; upon further inspection, this extension has obtrusions that mimic legs and a torso. The object is accompanied by three rectangular compositions in gray and rusty orange placed above in a horizontal line. Looking left, to the center of the space, the viewer realizes that the assumed legs and torso are not alone; four pedestals exalt more white objects that embody human figures or body parts: a decapitated corpse, an isolated female head, multiple brains varying in size -- the largest of which boasts an overtly phallic appendage. Against the left wall is another white object that is seemingly personified into a man smoking a cigarette with his head down; a detached right foot exposes the materiality of these soft sculptures – foam coated in a sort of white plaster.
Accompanying the foam man are 15 more rectangular compositions that vary in color and design, covering the length of the left-most wall. To the right, on the wall opposite of the entrance, two more rectangular compositions hang on the furthermost left and right sides. Moving inwards, four black and white collages of text hang (on both sides, totaling eight). The text has been cut into thin rectangular clippings and arranged in a manner that is aesthetically evocative of black out poetry (consult google), resulting in various dynamic designs: some slanted diagonally, another organized as a funnel, spiraling inwards, or just sporadically fragmented. Inside the collages and centrally-placed, another soft-sculpture depicts a human face, however, only a portion – it looks like the top-left corner was sliced off. On the wall to the immediate right the viewer is once again greeted by these soft sculptures; yet this time they are painted and clothed, acting out a narrative on a screen – or rather, being acted out as puppets by the hands of a person disguised in a white morph suit.
Now the viewer turns once more to the right, facing the opposite wall which is adorned with text about the exhibit.
Now, the viewer has been briefed in context: In 1980 prominent French Marxist philosopher, Louis Althusser, murdered his wife, Hélène Rhytman, in their room at the École Normale Supérieure where Althusser taught. Deemed mentally unfit to plead, Althusser was never charged or tried for the crime. Despite the murder, Althusser continued working and publishing many texts until his death, including an autobiography titled The Future Lasts Forever, in which he directly recounts the murder. With this context, the viewer understands that the individuals refigured into foam and plaster are Rhytman and Althusser. In revisiting the compositions in oil on paper interspersed around the room, the viewer observes disparate diagrams, designs, text, objects and structures that take on a forensic quality – like that of evidence found at a crime scene. It could seem as though Istomina is recreating the murder scene itself, however, it is not the event that she is reconstructing rather than the sources that document the murder, and well, Hélène’s life.
Among the soft sculptures, oil paintings and video installation featured in Philosophy of the Encounter, Istomina re-edited Althusser’s memoir to read from the perspective of Rhytman, highlighting her own accomplishments as a political activist and intellectual in her own right before she even met Althusser. Today, Rhytman is credited with converting Althusser to Marxism, influencing his theories, and even possibly contributing (unnamed, of course) to many of his published texts. Istomina titled the re-edited version, “Philosophy of the Encounter,” from which the exhibition receives its name. The eight pages featured (pg. 25-26, 44-48), appropriated from Althusser’s memoir, recount the state of his mental and physical health, as well as their tumultuous marital state, just prior to the encounter – Rhytman’s murder literally at Althusser’s hands. The video included, Philosophy of the Encounter: Hélène’s Story, is a puppet-performed enactment of Istomina’s book that simultaneously fills in Rhytman’s biography while still maintaining the ambiguity of fact and fiction, real and fantastical. Istomina created this work largely in response to the under-documentation of Rhytman’s murder, Althusser’s account being the sole attestation – which is that he doesn’t remember doing it. Althusser prefaces The Future Lasts Forever by recounting the murder, claiming that while he was routinely massaging Rhytman’s neck, he unknowingly strangled her to death, only realizing when he saw her tongue between her teeth. Althusser had been institutionalized for years prior to Rhytman’s death, and had been diagnosed with melancholia and schizophrenia. After the murder a panelist of psychiatrists examined Althusser, and determined that he was suffering from severe depression and hallucinations. By citing a French law which states that “there is neither crime nor delict where the suspect was in a state of dementia at the time of the action,” the magistrate in charge of Althusser’s case decided that there were no grounds on which to pursue prosecution (it’s worth noting this law has since been changed).
On November 4, 2019 artist Tatiana Istomina gave a lecture at Texas State University about her creative process and influences. In her artwork, Istomina investigates how the relationship between objectivity and subjectivity inform our understanding of the world, operating upon three concepts: Violence, abstraction, knowledge. According to Istomina, mathematics, history and philosophy fall in between each of these larger categories. Istomina is interested in the tension between objectivity and subjectivity that exists within each of these notions, and how so-called ‘truths’ are constructed through this tension. According to Istomina, violence and knowledge can be broken down into three categories: subjective violence, objective violence, systemic violence; subjective knowledge, objective knowledge and systemic knowledge. Subjective violence designates a premeditated act of violence, such as homicide, while objective violence is an incidental act of violence, such as an earthquake; Systemic violence is an institutional form of violence, such as genocide. Subjective knowledge is a personal truth, a moral, while objective knowledge is something considered factual based on empirical evidence; systemic knowledge indicates a cultural norm or expectation. Istomina defines abstraction as, “everything that is not concrete,” for example, music and language. She poses the question, “how do we encounter abstraction?” Through the lens of our experience. In Philosophy of the Encounter, Istomina re-canonizes Rhytman’s life by appropriating and restructuring the sole written account of her murder in order to investigate the ambiguity of fact and fiction regarding that encounter. Istomina’s process of reinterpreting archival materials can be understood through an investigation of linguistic semiotics.
Considered the father of Structuralism, Ferdinand de Saussure stated that language is a system of signs and signification, which are understandable only in relation to each other and to the system in which they exist. This is the fundamental concept of structuralism: human behavior is determined by cultural, social and psychological structures. According to de Saussure, the linguistic sign is a, “two-sided psychological entity that can be represented by…two elements [that] are intimately united:” concept and sound-image. He continues, proposing, “to retain the word sign to designate the whole and to replace concept and sound-image respectively by signified and signifier.” The signified, or the concept, represents the psychological association prompted by sound-patterns, or in other words, by language. The signifier, or the sound-image, represents the form in which these concepts are conveyed; for the purposes of linguistics, this could take the form of oral or written communication. So, the sign is the product resulting from the association of the signified and the signifier. The union of the signified and the signifier, combined with the structure, or syntax, in which they’re presented, determines meaning and interpretation. This model is dyadic because it occurs between two things; this process happens simultaneously within each individual during an interaction. Though this process could be understood as homogenous, or objective, because it is an innate human system, the psychological associations that individuals possess are subjective to personal experiences and language – So, even in linguistic semiotics, the tension between objectivity and subjectivity influencing knowledge and understanding is prevalent.
Istomina understands that language is a self-contained, abstract entity that can be manipulated to convey a novel message. Thus, Istomina has appropriated Althusser’s account, a primary document of the murder, to take on a new context, a new person essentially, just by restructuring its elements. In The Structuralist Activity (1963), Roland Barthes expands on de Saussure’s model of linguistic semiotics. Barthes argues that, “structuralism is essentially an activity…the goal of all structuralist activity, whether reflexive or poetic, is to reconstruct an ‘object’ in such as way as to manifest thereby the rules of functioning of this object. Structure is therefore actually a simulacrum of the object, but a directed, interested simulacrum, since the imitated object makes something appear which remained invisible in the natural object.” Barthes is arguing that the conceptual value of structuralism is the activity itself, of man inserting his own intellect into the original object, rather than the context of the new object – the simulacrum, as he calls it. Barthes calls on creators and analysts to play the role he coins structural man. Barthes describes structural man as being, “defined not by his ideas or his languages, but by his imagination – in other words, by the way in which he mentally experiences structure…structural man takes the real, decomposes it, then recomposes it.” Barthes continues, “the structuralist activity involves two typical operations: dissection and articulation.” By dissecting an archival document and re-articulating it to function as a new document reading from a new perspective (a tedious project that according to Istomina took eight months to complete), Istomina is fulfilling the role of structural man by uncovering the unintelligible narrative of Rhytman’s life that Althusser subjectively neglects to include in his retelling of their relationship, and of her life, in his biography. The resulting simulacrum, Philosophy of the Encounter, reframes the canonization of Rhytman’s micro-history.
In identifying the ‘structural man,’ Roland Barthes highlights the revolutionary purpose of the artist to uncover alternative or marginal histories that historically have been discredited. Istomina successfully fulfills this purpose in Philosophy of the Encounter by giving voice to Rhytman since hers was squeezed out of her vocal tubes by her own husband, and whose life accomplishments have been largely overshadowed by Althusser’s philosophical theories and contributions – which he wouldn’t have succeeded in if not for Rhytman’s role and influence in his life. Operating upon de Saussure’s dyadic model of linguistic semiotics, Istomina creates a new meaning by restructuring the rules of association of the signs (the words) present in the original document, The Future Lasts Forever.
Istomina’s structural activity can be interpreted as a subversive form of appropriation known as détournement, a French word meaning, “rerouting” or “hijacking,” that is used to negate the commodification of art and is consciously politically-charged. I apply this term to Philosophy of the Encounter because through the appropriation and re-presentation Istomina performed to present Rhytman’s perspective, she is pushing back against the long-established patriarchal system that exists within political, governmental and educational institutions that are guilty of oppressing female figures in order to protect The Man. This is especially timely as revelations from women in the entertainment industry, politics, and the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team have come to light, contributing to the burgeoning #MeToo movement, as well the events regarding Jeffrey Epstein that happened this year. Philosophy of the Encounter is a reclamation and celebration of the female voice and the unique power of the feminine; Istomina and collaborator Mona Sharma (in video) were, according to Istomina, both incidentally pregnant during the endeavor of this project.
In Philosophy of the Encounter, Istomina investigates the ways in which the tension between subjective and objective truths construct meaning in violence, knowledge, and abstraction. By retranslating and reinterpreting archival materials, Istomina has employed basic principles of Saussurean semiotics to re-frame the biography of Hélène Rhytman so that her life is no longer silenced by her husband and murderer, Louis Althusser. In viewing Istomina’s show I urge the viewer to reflect on how certain systems, signs, and syntactic techniques determine our interpretation of the world, and contribute to the canonization of micro and macro histories.
(2143)
Among the soft sculptures, oil paintings and video installation featured in Philosophy of the Encounter, Istomina re-edited Althusser’s memoir to read from the perspective of Rhytman, highlighting her own accomplishments as a political activist and intellectual in her own right before she even met Althusser. Today, Rhytman is credited with converting Althusser to Marxism, influencing his theories, and even possibly contributing (unnamed, of course) to many of his published texts. Istomina titled the re-edited version, “Philosophy of the Encounter,” from which the exhibition receives its name. The eight pages featured (pg. 25-26, 44-48), appropriated from Althusser’s memoir, recount the state of his mental and physical health, as well as their tumultuous marital state, just prior to the encounter – Rhytman’s murder literally at Althusser’s hands. The video included, Philosophy of the Encounter: Hélène’s Story, is a puppet-performed enactment of Istomina’s book that simultaneously fills in Rhytman’s biography while still maintaining the ambiguity of fact and fiction, real and fantastical. Istomina created this work largely in response to the under-documentation of Rhytman’s murder, Althusser’s account being the sole attestation – which is that he doesn’t remember doing it. Althusser prefaces The Future Lasts Forever by recounting the murder, claiming that while he was routinely massaging Rhytman’s neck, he unknowingly strangled her to death, only realizing when he saw her tongue between her teeth. Althusser had been institutionalized for years prior to Rhytman’s death, and had been diagnosed with melancholia and schizophrenia. After the murder a panelist of psychiatrists examined Althusser, and determined that he was suffering from severe depression and hallucinations. By citing a French law which states that “there is neither crime nor delict where the suspect was in a state of dementia at the time of the action,” the magistrate in charge of Althusser’s case decided that there were no grounds on which to pursue prosecution (it’s worth noting this law has since been changed).
On November 4, 2019 artist Tatiana Istomina gave a lecture at Texas State University about her creative process and influences. In her artwork, Istomina investigates how the relationship between objectivity and subjectivity inform our understanding of the world, operating upon three concepts: Violence, abstraction, knowledge. According to Istomina, mathematics, history and philosophy fall in between each of these larger categories. Istomina is interested in the tension between objectivity and subjectivity that exists within each of these notions, and how so-called ‘truths’ are constructed through this tension. According to Istomina, violence and knowledge can be broken down into three categories: subjective violence, objective violence, systemic violence; subjective knowledge, objective knowledge and systemic knowledge. Subjective violence designates a premeditated act of violence, such as homicide, while objective violence is an incidental act of violence, such as an earthquake; Systemic violence is an institutional form of violence, such as genocide. Subjective knowledge is a personal truth, a moral, while objective knowledge is something considered factual based on empirical evidence; systemic knowledge indicates a cultural norm or expectation. Istomina defines abstraction as, “everything that is not concrete,” for example, music and language. She poses the question, “how do we encounter abstraction?” Through the lens of our experience. In Philosophy of the Encounter, Istomina re-canonizes Rhytman’s life by appropriating and restructuring the sole written account of her murder in order to investigate the ambiguity of fact and fiction regarding that encounter. Istomina’s process of reinterpreting archival materials can be understood through an investigation of linguistic semiotics.
Considered the father of Structuralism, Ferdinand de Saussure stated that language is a system of signs and signification, which are understandable only in relation to each other and to the system in which they exist. This is the fundamental concept of structuralism: human behavior is determined by cultural, social and psychological structures. According to de Saussure, the linguistic sign is a, “two-sided psychological entity that can be represented by…two elements [that] are intimately united:” concept and sound-image. He continues, proposing, “to retain the word sign to designate the whole and to replace concept and sound-image respectively by signified and signifier.” The signified, or the concept, represents the psychological association prompted by sound-patterns, or in other words, by language. The signifier, or the sound-image, represents the form in which these concepts are conveyed; for the purposes of linguistics, this could take the form of oral or written communication. So, the sign is the product resulting from the association of the signified and the signifier. The union of the signified and the signifier, combined with the structure, or syntax, in which they’re presented, determines meaning and interpretation. This model is dyadic because it occurs between two things; this process happens simultaneously within each individual during an interaction. Though this process could be understood as homogenous, or objective, because it is an innate human system, the psychological associations that individuals possess are subjective to personal experiences and language – So, even in linguistic semiotics, the tension between objectivity and subjectivity influencing knowledge and understanding is prevalent.
Istomina understands that language is a self-contained, abstract entity that can be manipulated to convey a novel message. Thus, Istomina has appropriated Althusser’s account, a primary document of the murder, to take on a new context, a new person essentially, just by restructuring its elements. In The Structuralist Activity (1963), Roland Barthes expands on de Saussure’s model of linguistic semiotics. Barthes argues that, “structuralism is essentially an activity…the goal of all structuralist activity, whether reflexive or poetic, is to reconstruct an ‘object’ in such as way as to manifest thereby the rules of functioning of this object. Structure is therefore actually a simulacrum of the object, but a directed, interested simulacrum, since the imitated object makes something appear which remained invisible in the natural object.” Barthes is arguing that the conceptual value of structuralism is the activity itself, of man inserting his own intellect into the original object, rather than the context of the new object – the simulacrum, as he calls it. Barthes calls on creators and analysts to play the role he coins structural man. Barthes describes structural man as being, “defined not by his ideas or his languages, but by his imagination – in other words, by the way in which he mentally experiences structure…structural man takes the real, decomposes it, then recomposes it.” Barthes continues, “the structuralist activity involves two typical operations: dissection and articulation.” By dissecting an archival document and re-articulating it to function as a new document reading from a new perspective (a tedious project that according to Istomina took eight months to complete), Istomina is fulfilling the role of structural man by uncovering the unintelligible narrative of Rhytman’s life that Althusser subjectively neglects to include in his retelling of their relationship, and of her life, in his biography. The resulting simulacrum, Philosophy of the Encounter, reframes the canonization of Rhytman’s micro-history.
In identifying the ‘structural man,’ Roland Barthes highlights the revolutionary purpose of the artist to uncover alternative or marginal histories that historically have been discredited. Istomina successfully fulfills this purpose in Philosophy of the Encounter by giving voice to Rhytman since hers was squeezed out of her vocal tubes by her own husband, and whose life accomplishments have been largely overshadowed by Althusser’s philosophical theories and contributions – which he wouldn’t have succeeded in if not for Rhytman’s role and influence in his life. Operating upon de Saussure’s dyadic model of linguistic semiotics, Istomina creates a new meaning by restructuring the rules of association of the signs (the words) present in the original document, The Future Lasts Forever.
Istomina’s structural activity can be interpreted as a subversive form of appropriation known as détournement, a French word meaning, “rerouting” or “hijacking,” that is used to negate the commodification of art and is consciously politically-charged. I apply this term to Philosophy of the Encounter because through the appropriation and re-presentation Istomina performed to present Rhytman’s perspective, she is pushing back against the long-established patriarchal system that exists within political, governmental and educational institutions that are guilty of oppressing female figures in order to protect The Man. This is especially timely as revelations from women in the entertainment industry, politics, and the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team have come to light, contributing to the burgeoning #MeToo movement, as well the events regarding Jeffrey Epstein that happened this year. Philosophy of the Encounter is a reclamation and celebration of the female voice and the unique power of the feminine; Istomina and collaborator Mona Sharma (in video) were, according to Istomina, both incidentally pregnant during the endeavor of this project.
In Philosophy of the Encounter, Istomina investigates the ways in which the tension between subjective and objective truths construct meaning in violence, knowledge, and abstraction. By retranslating and reinterpreting archival materials, Istomina has employed basic principles of Saussurean semiotics to re-frame the biography of Hélène Rhytman so that her life is no longer silenced by her husband and murderer, Louis Althusser. In viewing Istomina’s show I urge the viewer to reflect on how certain systems, signs, and syntactic techniques determine our interpretation of the world, and contribute to the canonization of micro and macro histories.
(2143)