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CCC Workshop

Document
>Delacroix's Journals (excerpts)
>Begins with English Summary by Charles

Document
>Something like a discussion

Document
>Felix Guattari, "Molecular Revolution" (excerpts)
>Begins with English Summary by Charles

Document
>Delacroix's Journals (excerpts)
>Begins with English Summary by Charles

Document
>Simone Forti (Excerpts)

Transcript
>Session 3, Charles

Transcript
>Session 1, All members

On Delacroix

What interests me here is his relation to his time, the political (he was municipal councilor after the coup in 1851, lived 2 revolutions, a third one was to come shortly after his death, the reign and the fall of Napoleon), technological (the birth of modernity, with machines taking more and more place in every day life, photography, the train, machines in agriculture, which he strongly criticizes).events that constitute it. But of all these considerations the ones which appear and interest me in his paintings are those concerning the political, power, people, revolt, war. How this relation can maybe help us think of our relation to power, our time, in the context of global information, and the responsability that ensue.
He testifies of the suffering of humanity, its struggles, without directly taking part in them, being actually afraid of stuggles all together. One might also consider his use of dramatic representation of suffering, as a way of expressing an interior feeling or struggle. To me beyond what is actually represented in his paintings, they are a representation of a certain work process, a conception of the function of the artist, and this is what I want to use him for.
His journals, contrary to what one might expect from his paintings, do not contain that many references to the events of his time, or even to the events that he painted (he mainly describes formal, technical considerations, his parties…) He his much less engaged in the political then David (1748-1825). So I do not think his relation to his time can be grasped only through his journals. His painting ”la liberté Guidant le people” reappropriated by many different contestation, or revolutionary movements, was actually not a painting aiming at contestation, or being its “porte drapeau”.Yet at the same time one might say that in his practice as a painter he was much more politically engaged then David. His use of colour, of a composition which forms a whole in opposition to fragmented parts, the size he used to repesent historical events, were all revolutionary, in opposition, or rather opposed by the institution by which he always tried to be accepted, postulating seven times for the position of professor at the academie, being rejected by the "Salon".
The extracts that I have chosen, consist of drama, resignation, leading to (critical) concervatism. There are a couple more that might be interesting: one describing the writings of blanqui, several critics of mecanical progress, the illusion of progress for the people by the destitution of the bourgeoisie, a letter to the municipal council defending Colonel Langlois, war painter, and a precise description on the construction of the composition for the painting Mirabeau, on the relation people/power, and on realism, which he does not consider art (in relation to photography).

1853
How does a world so beautiful contain so much horror! …under the appearance of calm of these houses,..the passions, vices, crimes, are only sleeping, or awake in the dark preparing to take arms

1824
The result of my days is always the same, an infinit desire of what one never obtains,.., an extreme “itch” to fight the most one can against time wich carries us away,…,always also a sort of filosofical calm which prepares for suffering , lifts us from unimportant things

1847
The real moralists, the philosophers, such as M.Aurel, the Christ, never spoke of politics. The equality of rights never occupied them, they only asked men for resignation towards their destiny…, of submitting one self to nature. Sickness, death, poverty, pains of the soul are eternal and will torment humanity under all regimes, its form democratic, mononarchic, will do nothing.

2.4.1849
man always starts all over again, he can establish no progress. How could a nation establish one in his

23.4.1849
is it not evident that progress, the progressive development of things, in good and bad, has brought society on the verger of the precepice, in which it could well fall into a complete barbary

30.4.1849
I saw a procession of ants,.., going in one direction as if migrating, a small number of ants were going the opposite way. Where were they going? We are all stuck, animals, men, vegetables, in this immense box called the universe

17.8.1830
we were first during three days in the middle of gun fire, people were fighing very where,…, until now everything is ok, all the people of good sense hope that the makers of republic will keep quiet.

6.9.1823
why not take advantage of the counterpoisons of civilisation,..I can not doubt of what is truly good, but in the middle of fanatics, one needs reserve

 

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