Crosscurrents in Thought

7/21/2019 Crosscurrents in Thought

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Crosscurrents in Thought:

Maurice Merleau-Ponty And Thomé H. Fang

on the Ground of Art

Mary-Rose arral

!ames ". #idd

[Editor’s Note:] Mary-Rose Barral, Distinguished Professor, was Dean of the Huanities, !annon "ni#ersity, Penn$% Presidentof &nternational 'o(iety of Philoso)hy and Psy(hothera)y, author of nuerous arti(les and essays for the )rofessional *ournals$ Poet,thin+er, s(holar and edu(ator in one, Professor aes $ .idd, )en-naed the riting /aruso, was Editor for International Journal for

Hsin (Heart-Mind 0% he is tea(hing in the '(hool of Edu(ation and /ollege of Professional 'tudies, "ni#ersity of 'an 1ran(is(o, '1$, /2$&n addition to any )rofessional essays and )a)ers, his wor+s in(lude Poems, Experiential Method: Qualitative Research in the

Humanities Usin Metaph!sics and Phenomenolo! 3Pern: Peter 4ang Pu5li(ations, 67780, 9Husserl’s Phenoenology and i*;ªna-ªda: 2 Preliinary &n#estigation9 (o-authored with 'un(rates 3in Progress0, et($

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=his wor+ )resents the (urrent of thought of Mauri(e Merleau-Ponty and =ho> 1angon the ground of art$ &n the (ross(urrent, utually enri(hed differen(es (oales(e$Huan 5eings re#eal thesel#es and intera(t with ea(h other 5y )er(e)tion, 5ylanguage, 5y se?uality and 5y art$ &n order to understand the language of art anddelight fully in the aestheti( e?)erien(e, Merleau-Ponty ad#ises it is i)ortant to+now the relation of flesh and s)irit, as it o((urs in li#ed intera(tion 5etween sel#es

and world su5*e(ti#ely and intersu5*e(ti#ely$ =he huan 5eing is in-theworld, 5oth as )er(ei#er and )er(ei#ed, in #arious as)e(ts of li#ed e?)erien(e$ 1or Merleau-Ponty:

My 5ody siultaneously sees and is seen, =hat whi(h loo+s at all things (analso too+ at itself and re(ogni@e, in what it sees, the 9other side9 of its )owerof loo+ing$ &t sees itself seeing% it tou(hes itself tou(hing% it is #isi5le andsensiti#e for itselfA[it is] a self A that is (aught u) in things, that has a frontand a 5a(+, a )ast and a future$[6]

Per(e)tion is essential to the (reati#e and aestheti( a(ti#ities of huan 5eings$ Beauty,the sour(e and o5*e(t of art, a))eals first to the )er(e)ti#e fun(tion of the 5ody-

su5*e(t$ Merleau-Ponty ela5orates this foundation of art and of the aestheti(e?)erien(e 5y first laying the groundwor+ of the 5odily situation in the world$ 1orhi the )erson in-the-world )er(ei#es o5*e(ts against a 5a(+ground 3figure-

5a(+ground reinis(ent of a )ainting0$ =hat is )erha)s where we should initially seethe wor+ of Merleau-Ponty on art$ Merleau-Ponty #iews art, dire(tly and indire(tly inhis a*or wor+s% s)e(ifi(ally in se#eral arti(les, su(h as 9&ndire(t 4anguage and theoi(e of 'ilen(e,9 9=he Dou5t of /e@anne,9 9Eye and the Mind$9 1or hi, the (radleof art is the #oi(e of silen(e within ea(h )erson: 9&t is ne(essary to (onsider the word

5efore it is )ronoun(ed, the foundation [root] of silen(e whi(h ne#er (eases toen(o)ass it, without whi(h the word would say nothing$9[] Cut of this inner silen(ethe (reati#e i)ulse 5e(oes, is in(arnate in the wor+ of art, 5e it the language of

)oetry, artisti( )rose, )ainting, s(ul)ture and all artisti( wor+s whi(h huan 5eings(an (reate$ 1or Merleau-Ponty our #iew of the huan 5eing:



ill reain su)erfi(ial $$$ unless we dis(o#er 5eyond the (oiastituted word the )riordial silen(e, and des(ri5e the gesture whi(h has 5ro+en that silen(e Aunless we dis(o#er the genesis of the signifi(ation in its na+edness andno#elty$[]

Merleau-Ponty singles out the no#el as the +ind of (ouni(ation whi(h e?)ressessilently and (o)ares it to the )ainting, 5e(ause we (an +now the su5*e(t of a no#elas we (an see the su5*e(t of a )ainting$ MerleauPonty li+ens the 5ody to a wor+ of art%yet, the wor+s of art are (reated 5y the 5ody% although (on(ei#ed 5y the ind, theyare e?)ressed in atter: (an#as and (olor for the )ainting, sound for usi(, the wordfor )oetry and for the no#el, ar5le, stone, etal for s(ul)ture and the 5uilding arts$1ang #iews art, dire(tly and indire(tly in his a*or wor+s% s)e(ifi(ally in se#eralarti(les, su(h as 92rtisti( &deals,9 9est and East Meet on the !round of 2rt$9 1or1ang:

2rt is a for$ 2rt has a (ontent$ &t 5ears out a standard of #alue to 5e li#ed u)

to$ &ts well-(o)osed for 5odies forth an ideated (ontent that is satiated withsignifi(an(e in the guise of #isionary intuition, as well as of s)iritual e(stasy$[]

Merleau-Ponty sees to fa#or the art e?)ressed 5y the word and 5y )ainting whi(h he(onsiders #ery siilar to ea(h other$ =rue s)ee(h is (reati#e, it is the in(arnation ofthought, it signifies e#en 5y its silen(e, that is, it e?)resses 5y what it does not say asu(h as 5y what it says$ =he )ainter rea(hes us 5y the silen(e of (olor and line% we(an de(i)her the )ainter’s eaning only after we ha#e en*oyed the wor+$ 1ang,reinds us here of /huangt@u’s stateent, 9EloFuen(e does not need words$9[G]

=he nature of )ainting and the wor+ of the artist are not what they a))ear to 5e to a(asual o5ser#er$ Merleau-Ponty relates how different the wor+ of Matisse a))earedwhen re(orded 5y (aera in slow otion:

=he i)ression was )rodigious, so u(h so that Matisse hiself was o#ed,they say$ =hat sae 5rush whi(h, seen with the na+ed eye, lea)ed fro one a(tto the other, was seen to ediate in a solen and e?)anding tiein theiinen(e of a world’s (reationto try ten )ossi5le o#eents, dan(e infront of the (an#as, 5rush lightly se#eral ties, and (rush down finally li+e alightning stro+e u)on the one ne(essary line$[I]

Merleau-Ponty *ustly rear+s that Matisse’s one stro+e (ould not ha#e 5een (hosenfro an infinity of )ossi5ilities$ &t is ne#ertheless a (hoi(e: this one line was to fulfillthe any (onditions whi(h only Matisse (ould ha#e forulated relati#e to the

)ainting as a whole, a )ainting not yet e?isting, yet already (o)lete, in a sense$ =hesae ha))ens in the artisti( word: the (hoi(e is of the e?)ression whi(h alone (anrender the signifi(an(e, the hidden eaning whi(h has 5een ela5orated in the interiorsilen(e$ Both language and )ainting s)ea+ with a ta(it language$ Merleau-Ponty thenas+s, what does the artist re#ealJ hat do we e?)e(t fro artJ e do not e?)e(t froartists what we e?)e(t fro writers and )hiloso)hers$ 1ro 2rt we a((e)t what isoffered% and 2rt gi#es us the raw world, so to s)ea+, fro whi(h it draws 9in full

inno(en(e,9 unli+e s(ien(e, whi(h disregards the sensi5le, the things thesel#es, todeal in things-in-general, in artifi(ial odels and e?)eriental o)erations$



=he )ainter, the artist, has a s)e(ial )ri#ileged )osition 5efore the world% 9the )ainteris entitled to loo+ at e#erything without 5eing o5liged to a))raise what he sees$9[8] Painters, artists, (an (hoose a style of life totally different fro that of the so(iety inwhi(h they li#e, yet they are a((e)ted as if )eo)le +new their s)e(ial (alling *ustifiedit$ 4i+ewise, no one (o)lains when the artist’s wor+, drawn fro this world with its

good and e#ils, is su(h that it (rushes ho)es and +indles anger$ =his is 5e(ause the lifeof the artist is often a trou5led one, 5eset 5y diffi(ulties and o5sta(les$ Ket the artistdoes not (ease (reating, e#en when all ho)e in life sees lost and des)air is (rushingthe heart$ Most of the great artists e?)erien(ed suffering, were 5eset 5y dou5ts andoften li#ed in solitude$ Merleau-Ponty was +eenly aware of this and tried tounderstand the soul of the artist as it underwent trials and sorrows% he wonderedwhether the wor+ of art (arried within itself a ore )rofound #alue and greatness as a(onseFuen(e of the artist’s greater de)th of 5eauty% for suffering )urifies the soul andrenders it ore sensiti#e to the good and the 5eautiful$

&n 9=he Dou5t of /e@anne9 Merleau-Ponty tries to dis(o#er the reason for the interior

anguish and dis(ontent whi(h the great )ainter e?)erien(ed throughout his life, as)iritual and )sy(hologi(al trou5le whi(h soeties ade hi fear for his ownreason$ =his is )ro5a5ly with any, )erha)s all, artists 5ut with /e@anne it was a(onstant sour(e of agony, although he was a5le to )aint e#en under the ost stressful(ir(ustan(es, su(h as his other’s death$ He was gi#en to anger and de)ression$ Butthis did not )re#ent others fro re(ogni@ing hi as a genius$

Merleau-Ponty o5ser#es that 5y studying the life of an artist we do not really learnanything, yet, )arado?i(ally, if we +now how to understand its e?)ression, we (andis(o#er in it the )erson: an artist’s life is (ontained and o)en to us in the wor+ itself$/e@anne was ne#er totally in )ossession of hiself and for the ost )art he only sawthe isery of his 5odily life and his artisti( defi(ien(ies 3real or iaginary0$ Hereali@ed his artisti( freedo through his (an#as and (olors$ He (onstantly ree?ainedhis wor+s, waiting fro others the assessent of his #alue as an artist$ =hat was hisreason for an?iously s(rutini@ing the attitude of others #iewing his )ainting and that isalso why he ne#er sto))ed )ainting$ &ndeed, says Merleau-Ponty, 9e ne#er Fuit life$e ne#er see the idea or li5erty fa(e to fa(e$9[L] Merleau-Ponty as+s fro when(e(oes the artist’s urge to )ress on, to e?)ress, to see+ in(essantly the se(ret of Being:

e (annot iagine how a mind (ould )aint$ &t is 5y lending his 5ody to theworld that the artist (hanges the world into )ainting$ =o understand these

transu5stantiations we ust go 5a(+ to the wor+ing, a(tual 5odynot to the 5ody as a (hun+ of s)a(e or 5undle of fun(tions, 5ut that 5ody whi(h is anintertwining of wisdo and o#eent$[7]

Vision and movement are necessary bodily powers for both life andart. Merleau-Ponty insists that our seeing is the vision, the realworld; not an abstraction, an image or a representation of the worldbut an immersion in the visible by the body. The artist approacheswhat is seen by a deliberate act of looing and opens to the world.!e see that, unlie other philosophers, Merleau-Ponty does notbegin with the inner vision of the artist; on the contrary, he claims

that everything in art comes originally from the body, from theoutside world of things. These, in turn, must be in some way



"repeated in the body by a secret visibility an internal e#uivalent inme."[6] $or $ang% "The beauty of the universe is to he comprisedwithin life and its e&uberant vitatity; the beauty of life is to taeshape in the mode of concordant creation. This is the fundamentalprinciple underlying all forms of 'hinese art."[66]

=he )ainter ay well (arry within the #ision <whi(h will 5e transfored in the wor+of art 5ut Merleau-Ponty warns that the la5or of the artist ust not 5e underestiated$&t reFuires 5oth study and thought 9whi(h allows us to s)ea+ of a language of

)ainting, $ $ $ 'oe thin+ that the )ainting does not so u(h express the eaning asthe eaning i)regnates the )ainting$9[6]

Must we say then that the wor+ of art, the )ainting in )arti(ular, is drawn e?(lusi#elyfro the aterial worldJ hat ay 5e the role of the iagination, of the (reati#eno#elty whi(h we e?)e(t fro artJ Does Merleau-Ponty ela5orate a +ind ofaterialisti( theory of art whi(h e?(ludes 5oth s)irit and iagination, drea and#isionJ Hardly$ &t is diffi(ult to )enetrate the (o)le? #iew of art )resented 5yMerleau-Ponty 5e(ause of the inherent a5iguity of fleshs)irit relations, whi(h hesees always at wor+ in a li#ed diale(ti($ He says that the iage is not a ere (o)y orse(ond rate thing$ =he )i(ture is not soething ta+en fro reality to indi(ate soeother +ind of 5eing$ =he iaginary, says, Merleau-Ponty, is within as well as withoutthe artist, a real re-(reation of the a(tual, not ere thin+ing a5out things to 5e

)ortrayed:

=he iaginary is u(h farther away fro the a(tual 5e(ause the )ainting is ananalogue only a((ording to the 5ody $ $ $ it does not )resent the mind with an

o((asion to rethin+ the (onstituti#e relations things ha#e of things $ $ $ it offersto our siht" so that it ight *oin with the, the inward tra(es of #ision $ $ $ itoffers to #ision its inward ta)estries, the iaginary te?ture of the real$[6]

"nder the guidan(e of the )rin(i)le of (o)rehensi#e harony, 92nything we eetwith in life and the world is ta+en to 5e (ongenial with our nature$9[6] 1or 1ang:

=he /hinese artists do not (on(ei#e of 5eauty in ters of huan 5ody$ =heyalways (hoose to 5e (hared 5y the #i#a(ity of huan s)irit$ Passing 5eyond

)hysi(al reality, they re)la(e the (onfiguration of the thing itself 5y theatmosphere in whi(h that thing will e#ol#e in huan ind an ins)iring ideal

that is ost sweet, (oely, and (haring in res)e(t of life$[6G]

Merleau-Ponty feels the intense i)a(t of art in all its fors, as if 5oth the artist andthe s)e(tators were )enetrated 5y the things thesel#es$ He Fuotes 2ndre Mar(hand:9& thin+ that the )ainter ust 5e )enetrated 5y the uni#erse, and want to )enetrateit $ $ $ & e?)e(t to 5e inwardly su5erged, 5uried$ Perha)s & )aint to 5rea+ out$9[6I] Merleau-Ponty a((e)ts the notion of ins)iration with regard to art 5ut he ta+es it in anontologi(al sense, as ins)iration as well as e?)iration of Being$ 1or hi, as he alsosays of the world, there is a elange of a(ti#ity and )assi#ity so that it is alosti)ossi5le to distinguish who )aints fro what is )ainted% *ust as it is diffi(ult todistinguish the s)ea+er fro the listener when the eaning a))ears$ =his is a s)iritual

e5ra(e, for 1ang:



2ny one who (reates, or any one who a))re(iates, soe +ind of e?u5erant 5eauty ust enter into the #ery de)th of s)iritual (onte?t of e?)erien(e,otherwise its eaning will reain fore#er ina((essi5le$[68]

Does Merleau-Ponty wor+ out a eta)hysi(s of )aintingJ Cf 2rt alsoJ it sees so, if

we (onsider the (on(luding stateents of his (ritiFue of Des(artes’ #ioptric$ He(lais that the analysis a+es hi reali@e that any theory of )ainting is aeta)hysi(s$ =his is rear+a5le, for )henoenologists do not s)e(ifi(ally )oint outthe eta)hysi(al under)inning of their in#estigation, although they adit a 5asi(reality whi(h anifests itself through )henoena$ &n this (ase, the )henoenon is#ision, s)a(e, 5ody, for e#en thought is o((asioned 5y ha))enings in the 5ody$ =histhought is in a way, )assi#ely and ysteriously related to 5odily nature, not thereforeautonoous and a (reation of the free intelle(t$ 1or !eorge /$ H$ 'un, huan natureis dee)ly grounded on the ontologi(al )resu))osition of /reati#ity:

2s the ground of #alue, 9/reati#ity9 in the /hinese usage is the (ognate for

94ife$9 =his is why it has always 5een in /hinese (ultural tradition thatRe#eren(e for 4ife is the foundation of orality% in fa(t, it is the )oint of(on#ergen(e for the eta)hysi(al, religious, aestheti(al, and orale?)erien(es (rystalli@ed into a )hiloso)hi(al anthro)ology$[6L]

&nnuera5le other Fuestions (ould 5e as+ed: what is de)th, what is light, what iss)a(e, what is diension, what is distan(eJ =he artist uses, (reates all of these withoutdefining the: they are )art of the field of #ision, of the te?ture of the real$ =hese arenot thoughts for the )ainter 5ut a(tuali@ations of #ision$ =he artist’s thought is the

)ainting$ 1or Merleau-Ponty, the eye is that whi(h o)ens us to the world of Being andthat whi(h o)ens 9the soul to what is not soul - to the *oyous real of things$9[67] &nthe a))earan(e, for 1ang, lur+s another different real of reality:

=hus it is that the s)irit of /hinese art, (ast in a net of sy5oli( and(onsuate e?)ressions, a+es, through the agi( tou(h of (reation, theworld a ost fair a))earan(e of the interwo#en (onte?t of )rofound eanings$&n that (onte?t life is not all as you see it here, howe#er 5eautiful anden(hanting its )resent )hase ay 5e, 5ut, as it were, a ira(ulous agen(y, asan ine?hausti5le flu? of energy, that (an stri) Othe #eil of failiarity’ and (learaway the ist of )rofanity in order to gi#e a )resentient$[]

E#ery effort of the artist is a new way towards the dis(o#ery of the world% it (alls fore#en further dis(o#eries$ =he world will ne#er 5e totally (a)tured in )ainting$ =here isno uni#ersali@ation of )ainting or of any art for that atter, 5e(ause the world, Being,(an neither 5e en(losed in a (on(e)t, nor 9(onFuered in )ainting$9 hyJ Be(auseBeing is ne#er (o)lete% it ne#er fully is for us who witness its 5e(oing$ 2rt isfore#er stri#ing to (a)ture Being in its 5e(oing and its wor+ is ne#er (o)lete% thereis always ore to (oe$ Eye and Mind (an struggle for the final a(hie#eent in art

5ut that is not to 5e: we (annot e#er )ossess the world in art$ 'till, 9if (reations are nota )ossession, it is not only that, li+e all things, they )ass away% it is also that they ha#ealost all their life still 5efore the$9[6] =he s)irit of art, li+e the s)irit of lo#e, for1ang, is e5ra(ed 5y alluring adiration:



=he s)irit of art gi#es e?)ression to the s)irit of lo#e$ 4o#e, whi(h is reallygreat art of a+ing life )erfe(tly 5eautiful, is *ust the intiate (ounion inintensified eotional (ontrasts li+e the (on#e(tion of o))osite ele(tri( (hargesa(ross a s)ar+-ga)$[]

Notes

[6] Mauri(e Merleau-Ponty, 9Eye and the Mind,9 %he Primac! of Perception" ed$ aes M$ Edie 3E#anston: Northwestern "ni#ersityPress, 67I0, ))$ 6I-6I$

[] Mauri(e Merleau-Ponty, &ins, tr$ Ri(hard /$ M(/leary 3E#anston: Northwestern "ni#ersity Press, 67I0,, )$ GL$

[] M$ R$ Barral, %he 'od! in Interpersonal Relations 34anha: "ni#ersity Press of 2eri(a, 67L0, )$ 6LI$

[] =ho> H$ 1ang, reativit! in Man and )ature 3=ai)ei: 4in+ing Pu5lishing /o$ 4td$, 67L0, )$ 6G$

[G] 1ang, %he hinese *ie+ of ,ife 3=ai)ei: 4in+ing Pu5lishing /o$ 4td$, 67L0, )$ 66$

[I] Mauri(e Merleau-Ponty, &ins, o)$ (it$, )$ G$

[8] Merleau-Ponty, %he Primac! of Perception" )$ 6I6$

[L] Merleau-Ponty, &ens et )on-&ens 3Paris: Qdition Negal, 67L0, )$ $

[7] &5id$, )$ 6I$

[6] &5id$, )$ 6I$

[66] 1ang, %he hinese *ie+ of ,ife" )$ 6G$

[6] Merleau-Ponty, &ins, )$ I7$

[6] Erleau-Ponty, %he Primac! of Perception, )$ 6IG$

[6] 1ang, %he hinese *ie+ of ,ife, )$ 6$

[6G] &5id$, )$ 6$

[6I] Merleau-Ponty, %he Primac! of Perception, )$ 6I8$

[68] 1ang, %he hinese *ie+ of ,ife, )$ 6$

[6L] !eorge /$ H$ 'un, 92 'uit Meeting in Meta)hysi(s, Religion, and Philoso)hi(al 2nthro)ology: =he /hinese-&ndian-esternEn(ounter on /reati#ity,9 Procee-dins of the irst International onference on &inolo! 3=ai)ei: 2(adei(s 'ini(a, 67L, P$ 6L0% its/hinese #ersion )u5lished in Journal of onfucius-Mencius &tudies" Nos$ - 36770$

[67] Merleau-Ponty, %he Primac! of Perception, )$ 6LI$

[] 1ang, reativit! in Man and nature, )$ 6I6$

[6] Merleau-Ponty, %he Primac! of Perception, )$ 67

[] 1ang, reativit! in Man and nature, )$ 6I$

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Crosscurrents in Thought