The Originality of the Avant-Garde

and Other Modernist Myths

R o s a l i n d K. K r a u s s

The M I T Press
CJuinbridgo, M a s s a c l m s e d s
L o n d o n , En.i;lan(l
 No More Play

I
1
I
T o t i c s c r i b c G i a c o m e t t i ' s Invisible. Object as "a y o u n ^ girl vvidi k n e e s half- I
boni a s (hougli olVering h c r s e i r t o i h c b e h o l d e r ( a p o s e s u g g e s t e d lo t h e s c u l p t o r
b y t h e a t t i t u d e o n c e a s s u n i c d b y a little girl in his n a t i v e l a n d ) " is t o p a r t i c i p a t e
in t h e w o r k of r e w r i t i n g his b e g i n n i n g s t h a t G i a c o m c t t i i)in)soir s t a r t e d in t h e
194()s. But this c o o p e r a t i o n o n the p a r t ol" M i c h e l Leiris, a s h e c o n s t r u c t e d t h e
text f o r t h e s c u l p t o r s 19r)l e x h i b i t i o n c a t a l o g u e , p l a c i n g Invisible Object in t h e
service of a s i n i p l e t r a n s p a r e n c y to t h e o!)servable w o r l d , is a n c x j ) r e s s i o n of
t h e r n p i i i r e s a n d r e a l i g n m e n t s t h a t w e r e t r a n s f o r m i n g p o s t w a r P a r i s . ' F o r this
d e s c r i p t i o n is a s l a p in t h e face of A n d r e B r e t o n .
W h o c a n Ibrgct t h e m a g i s t e r i a l e x a m p l e t h r o u g h w h i c h Bretciii o p e n s t h e
w o r l d of L'amour fou o n t o t h e s t r a n g e b u t i m p r e s s i v e w o r k i n g s of o b j e c t i v e
c h a n c c ? G i a c o m c t t i a n d Brirton go to t h e Ilea m a r k e t w h e r e c a c h o n e is " c l a i m e d "
b y a s e e m i n g l y useless o b j e c t t h a t e a c h is i m p e l l e d , a s t h o u g h agaitist his will, ,
to b u y . Giacornctti's p u r c h a s e was a sharply a n g l e d , warriorlikc m a s k , for
w h i c h n e i t h e r h e n o r B r e t o n c o u l d d e t e r m i n e t h e e x a c t , o r i g i n a l use.^ '
H o w e v e r , t h e p o i n t of t h e e x a m p l e w a s not t h e o b j e c t ' s initial b u t its u l t i m a t e
d e s t i n a t i o n . T h i s , a c c o r d i n g to B r e t o n ' s a c c o u n t , w a s in t h e s e r v i c e of r e s o l v i n g '
t h e conflicts p a r a l y z i n g G i a c o m c t t i as h e attempte<I to b r i n g p a r t s of Invisible i
Object i n t o f o c u s , ' r h e h e a d , p a r t i c u l a r l y , h a d resisted i n t e g r a t i o n with t h e rest i
of t h e w o r k , a t u l it w a s to this p r o b l e m that t h e m a s k s e e m e d ro a d d r e s s itself. I
" T h e p u r p o s e of tlie m a s k ' s i n t e r v e n t i o n , " w r o t e B r e t o n , " s e e m e d t o b e t o h e l p I
G i a c o m c t t i o v e r c o m e his i n d e c i s i o n in this rcgar<l. W e s h o u l d n o t e that h e r e
t h e f i n d i n g of t h e o b j e c t strictly .serves t h e s a m e f u n c t i o n as t h a t of a d r e a m , in
that it f r e e s t h e i n d i v i d u a l f r o m p a r a l y / . i n g e m o t i o n a l s c r u p l e s , c o m f o r t s h i m ,
a n d makes him u n d e r s t a n d that the obstacle he thought was i n s u r m o u n t a b l e
h a s b e e n cleared."* In B r e t o n ' s a c c o u n t , t h e n , t h e w o r l d of real o b j e c t s h a s I

1. M i f h i ' l lA'iris, "INcrrcs p<mr uii Allrerlo ( l i a t o m c i i i , " Bmns, Paris, M e r c u r c <lc Franci',
1966, p. 149. ;
2. Aiuir^ H m o i ) , L'Atnout fuu, I'tiris, G n l l i m a r d , 1937, p p . 4<)-57. Thix was oriKi>ii>lly
published as "Inequation d c robjet." Dotummti 34. no. I ( J u n e J M 4 ) , 17-24.
.3. B m u i i , Ihiumenti J4, 20.
44 Modcrnisl Mvihs

Athrrlo CfiatomeUi. Invisible Objcci. 1934.

Piaster, 60 inchts high. Photograpk by Dora Mfuir
fmhlished iu A ndte Hjeton, I -'Aincii j i IVm, Pam,
1937.

I r o n M a s k . Photoj^raph by Man Kay publisheti

in Andre Breton, L ' A j n o u r f o u , Paris, 1937.

Pigure. Bougainville, Solomon Islands. Painted

wood, ()9 inches hi^h. Museum fur Vulkerkunde,
Basel.
 ;\'o More Play 45

n o t h i n g to d o witli a n ar( of niiincsis; the objccts a r c in n o sense models for the

sculptor's w o r k . T h e world is instead a great reserve against w h i c h to trace
the w o r k i n g s of the uncortscious, the l i t m u s ])apcr that m a k e s it possible to read
the corrosiveness of d e s i r e . W i t h o u t the m a s k , the d r e a m , ( J i a c o m e t i i could n o
m o r e h a v e finished Invisible Object t h a n B r e t o n , w i t h o u t his o w n trouvailU f r o m
the m a r k e t , c o u l d h a v e e n t e r e d the w r i t t e n world ol' L'amour Jou.
Btit t h e little Swiss girl of G i a c o m e t t i ' s later recollection ( a n d Leiris's ac-
c o u n t ) h a s n o t h i n g lo d o with this key e x a m p l e of the m a r v e l o u s a n d objective
c h a n c e . By s e r v i n g as a dii'ect, real-world m o d e l for a work of a n , t h e little
Swiss girl w i t h d r a w s Invisible Object f r o m the orbit of s u r r e a l i s m a n d places it in
the p o s t w a r r e a l m of G i a c o m e t t i ' s s t u d i o , as h e n o t o r i o u s l y s t r a i n e d , m o n t h
a f t e r m o n t h , t h r o u g h trial a n d retrial, to catch the likeness of t h e m o d e l posed
in front of him.^ R e c o n t e x t u a l i z i i t g t h e w o r k , setting it in relation to a new
g r o u p of f r i e n d s a n d allies, like S a r t r e a n d G e n e t , -Leiris's a c c o u n t d r a w s it
closer to the p r o b l e m a t i c of The Phenomenology ojPerception a n d f u r t h e r f r o m that
of Z/W vases communicants.'^
T h i s a - c h r o n i c i t y is, of c o u r s e , u n a c c e p t a b l e to t h e h i s t o r i a n , a n d t h u s
R e i n h o l d H o h l , the l e a d i n g s c h o l a r of G i a c o m e t t i ' s w o r k , d o e s not e v e n m e n -
tion the m e m o r y of the Swiss child in discussing this m a s t e r p i e c e of t h e
sculptor's p r e w a r c a r e e r . But t h e n Breton's .story is, f o r H o h l , e q u a l l y s u s p e c t .
" C o n t r a r y to Breton's acccjuni," h e beginSi.fthal a m y s t e r i o u s object f o u n d at
the flea m a r k e t (it was, in fact, the p r o t o t y p e for a n iron protection mask
d e s i g n e d by t h e French M e d i c a l C o r p s in the First W o r l d W a r ) h a d helped t h e
artist to lind his f o r m s , G i a c o m c t t i liad b o r r o w e d the stylized h u m a i t s h a p e s
f r o m a S o l o m o n Islands Seated Statiu oJa Deceased Woman which he had seen at
the Ethnological M u s e u m in Basel, a n d h a d c o m b i n e d t h e m with o t h e r
e l e m e n t s of O c e a n i c a r t , s u c h as the bird-like d e m o n of d e a t h .
Despite t h e c e r t a i n t y of his t o n e , H o h l ' s evidence for this c o n n e c t i o n is
both .scant a n d indirect. In 1963 G i a c o m c t t i h a d s p o k e n to a n i n t e r v i e w e r of a
ix'constructed O c e a n i c house installed in the Basel M u s e u m . ' Since the Solotnon
Islands figure h a d b e e n d i s p l a y e d in the s a m e gallery early in t h e 1930s, w h e n
it w a s b r o u g h t back to S w i t z e r l a n d f r o m t h e e x p e d i t i o n that h a d plucked it
f r o m the S o u t h Seas, 1 lohl could at least a s s u m e (Giacometti's k n o w l e d g e of the

4. O n e of these aiders w r o t e a detailed account of (his process. obser%-ing thai 'iniL^niuch as ii

WU.S chci) c.xprcsscd in (he purticulur acts ol puiiKing a n d |>i)sing, (here w e r e e l e m e n t s oi (he sado-
m a s o f h j s ( i r in otir rcl.i(ion.ship . . . f a h h o u R h l i( would h a v e b e e n difRcuU to d e t e r n n n c exactly
wha( ucis were sadia(ic a n d / o r niusocliistic o n whose side and w h y . " J a n i r s L o r d , A GiatmntHi I*or-
trait. N e w Y<rk, T h e M u s e u m of M o d e m A n , 1%.'), p . 36.
5. S e e , Siinonc d c Bcauvoir, La Force de t'A^e, Paris, G u l l i t n a r d , liJtiO, p p . 409-5(>:J.
6. R e i n h o l d H o h l , Aibfrto Giacomftti, N e w York, T h e Solomon Guj^j^enheim M u s e u m , 1974,
p. 22. See also H o h l , Alberto (Jiaionuiti, L o n d o n , 'Hiuines a n d Hud&on, 1972, p . In. 19.
7. J e a n C l a y , Visagts dt VAri modrmt, Pari.s, Editions R c n r o n t r e , 1969, p. 160.
 Modcrnisl Mydis
46

Alberto OuicomUi. The C:cHi|)lf. 1926. Bronze,

25 inches hif<h. The Alberto Gia<ometli Fmtn<la-
tion, Kunsthaus, Zurich.
;\'o More Play 47

o b j c c l . " T h r detail that lends the greatest c r e d e n c e to Hohl's claim is the

s c h e m a t i c , railinglike s u p p o r t for t h e half-seated figure, a c o n s t r u c t i o n that is
entirely characteristic of this type of s t a t u e a n d is n o t c o m m o n l y f o u n d else-
w h e r e . ' Since part of t h e p o w e r of the pose of Ciiacometti's s c u l p t u r e c o m e s
f r o m the e n i g m a t i c relation b e t w e e n the h a l f - k n e e l i n g p o s t u r e a n d the struc-
tural e l e m e n t s thai seem to c o n t a i n it a Hat plate against the shins in f r o n t of
the figure a n d t h e p e c u l i a r scaffolding b e h i n d it atid since this c o n s t r u c t i o n is
not " n a t u r a l " to a m o d e l posed in a s t u d i o , the p r o b a b i l i t y w a s always that its
s o u r c e w a s in a n o t h e r work of a r t . Because of the railing, b e c a u s e of the
p o s t u r e , b e c a u s e of the f o r w a r d j u t of tlu? h e a d a n d the articulatioti of the
b r e a s t s , the S o l o m o n Islands s t a t u e of H o h l ' s n o m i n a t i o n s e e m s a logical can-
didate.'"
Behind Hohl's assertion of this s t a t u e as t h e source for Invisible Object t h e r e
is a whole reservoir of k n o w l e d g e a b o u t t h e role of p r i m i t i v e art in the sculptor's
work in ihe y e a r s l e a d i n g u p to 1934. P r i m i t i v i s m h a d b e e n c e n t r a l to G i a c o -
metti's success in freeing himself not only f r o m the classical s c u l p t u r a l tradition
b u t also f r o m tlic cubist c o n s t r u c t i o n s that had a p p e a r e d in t h e early 1920s as
ihe <inly logical a l t e r n a i i v e . ^ u i t e precisely, G i a c o m e t t i ' s w o r k m a t u r e d as a
f u n c t i o n of its a!>ility to itjvent in very close relation lo p r i m i t i v e sources. J u s t
t w o y e a r s a f t e r leaving Bourdclle's s t u d i o he w a s a b l e lo e x e c u t e a figure o n a
m a j o r scale that w a s "his {m'n" by v i r t u e of b e l o n g i n g , q u i t e p r o f o u n d l y , lo
A f r i c a n tribal a r t .

8. TUc slalut: r a m c lo tlir m u s e u m f r o m ihc 1929-30 expedition of Felix Spciscr a n d was

publisheti in 1933 in h'uhret dutch das Muifitm flii Vblkfrkundt Haul, Satumonm, la ligure I I
{'J'l/tenilaiuf. liougaincHk), p. 21. In 1930 ihc a n of i lie Solomon Islands w a s ihc focus of a n essay
in fhtummlx llial deiill widi du* visual a n d telixi<uis s i g n i i k a n c c (JI* il.s prmluction. See l.4>uis
Clarke, dus lies S a l o m o n , " Ihcumenls FI, n o . 5 (1930).
9. Sec. for e x a m p l e , the duka figure in ihe Briii5h Museun>, 1944, (>e.2 1177.
10. H o h l publishes the S o l o m o n Islands t i ^ i r e in his m o n o g r a p h (p. 291, ftgure 30) without
the "railing." aithcniKh this xiruciutal sup|K)R( ap|>earc<l in ilie 1933 publicalion of the HUMU
Kihnolo(^i(;al M u s e u m . ( S u b s e q u e n t t o thi {lublicatioit <if ihe figure, the s u p p o r t bar& were lost.)
InsU'iid Tlohl |H>sUilales du- iiiHuenre of Kgyplian slaluary for die archiu-clural cleinrnl.s /niisi-
htf Olfjaf (H<)hl, 1972, p . 300, f n . 34). W i l l i a m R u b i n has .suggested Sepik R i v e r spirit figures as
a n n i h e r |Kissiblc Mturrr lor the sinicttirc beliind the wnnian^N U>dy in Giacometti's scuipiure. O n e
of these, now ui t h e R i e t b c r g M u s e u m (R.Me 104), w a s in that part of ihe v a n d e r Hcydt collec-
tion <lc]>osited in the M i e c de 1*1 loinine in 1933 aixl plac ed on display, w h e r e G i a c o m e n i m a y
have .veil it, (I o w e this i n t b r m a i i o n lo Philippe Peltier, w h o has generously s h a r e d with m e his
knowlcdKe of the disjxjsition of the great lullerlions of O c e a n i c rl <)f ihis j>eriod.) H u w e v c r , a
verlical structure ihai either Hanks the body o r a p p e a r s (o contain it is also f o u n d in Ncxv Ireland
malian^^an. a n O c e a n i c type .idmired a n d colle<'le<l by ihe MirrcaliM.s. Itiit neillier (he Sepik River
nor the New I r e l a n d M u l p t u r e s rclale morphologirally lo the s m o o l h - s u r f a c e d , gcncralize<l
a n a t o m i c a l .style of Invuif}lf Object. Kvan M a u r e r suggests die presence of ihe (3ai<line Islands
figuial tyjie o n the basis of slylistic similarity a n d liccause o n e of Giacometti's d r a w i n g s a f t e r
(Oceanic objects represenis such a figure. .See M a u r e r . "In Qiic.st of ihe M y i h : A n Inve.xiigalitni
of die Relationships b e l w e e n S u r r e a l i s m a n d Primitivism," unpublishc<i P h . D . dissertation.
University of P e n n s y l v a n i a . 1974, p. 31B, Tiie Claroline I-slands figural ly)>c, liowever. dijes noi
a s s u m e tlie l>eni-knee jKtsiliun that is so Ibrceful in Invisible Object, n o r is it s o p p o r i e d b y a n y
siruclural a d j u n c t .
4S Modcrnisl Myihs

FRMAND Leger. SkeUh Jot C r e a t i o n d u M(nd<-.

Publishffl in L'Espril n o u v r a u , no. 18(1924).

T l i c 1927 Spoon Woman goes b e y o n d tlie applied use of the m o d i s h style negre
d i a l w a s i n f l u e n c i n g e v e r y t h i n g f r o m Art D c c o f u r n i t u r e to I.eger's t h e a t r i c a l
c u r t a i n s in t h e m i d - 1 9 2 0 s a n d w h i c h G i a c o m c t t i h a d e m p l o y e d in his Tht Couple
the y e a r b e f o r e . " T h e d e c o r a t i v e a p p l i c a t i o n of i r i b a l i z i n g detail to a stylized,
p l a n a r b a c k g r o u n d is the f o r m a l s t r a t e g y of w h a t tnight be called Black D e c o ; it
is this o n e finds in The Couple, g i v i n g t h e w o r k its g e n e r a l i z e d c h a r a c t e r of the
A f r i c o - p r i m i t i v e in the a b s e n c e of a n y specific s c u l p t u r a l s o u r c e . B u t m o v i n g
t o w a r d a m u c h d e e p e r level of s t r u c t u r a l assimilation of A f r i c a n c a r v e d o b j e c t s .
Spoon Woman a c k n o w l e d g e s t h e m e t a p h o r f r e q u e n t l y p u t in place by D a n g r a i n
scoops, in w h i c h the bowl of the i m p l e m e n t is likened lo the lower p a r t of the
f e m a l e seen as a receptacle, o r p o u c h , o r c a v i t y . ' ^ Giacoitielli m a y h a v e seen
these s p o o n s in the y e a r s b e f o r e 1927. Six s p o o n s f r o m P a u l G u i l l a u m e ' s collec-
tion w e r e i n c l u d e d in t h e m a s s i v e exhibition of A f r i c a n a n d O c c a n i c art at the
M u s e e d e s A r t s D e c o r a t i f s in t h e w i n t e r of 1 9 2 3 - 2 4 . ' * By t a k i n g t h e m e t a p h o r
a n d i n v e r t i n g it, so that s p o o n is like a w o m a n " b e c o m c s "a w o m a n is like a
s p o o n , " G i a c o m c t t i w a s a b l e to intensify t h e idea, a n d to u n i v e r s a l i z e it by

11. Hpoon h'oman is c o n v c n i i u i u d l y iissigncd lo 1926 r x r r p t iit I l o h l S i n o i i u g r a p h w h c i c , lur

r e a s o n s not a r g u e d , it Is d a i e d 1927. In following H o h l ' s d a t i n g , I a m p r o p o s i n g t h e g r e a t e r
siyli&tic m a t u r i t y , a c c o m p l i s h m e n t , a n d t h u s later (late af Spoon H'oman, precisely o n the basis of
G i a c o m e t t i ' s d e v e l o p i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p t o p r i m i t i v e sources, '/he Coupte, o n the o t h e r h a n d , s e e m s
lo m e lo p;irticip<ue in the slylitlions a la nitf^te that w e r e w i d e s p r e a d by die e a r l y 1920$. ' D i e
sketches p u b l i s h e d , for e x a m p l e , by L<^gcr in L'Eiprit Nouveau, n o . Ifl ( 1 9 2 4 ) a s " p e r s o n n a g e s " for
IjO Citation du mondt, m a n i f e s t die s a m e g e n e r a l i s e d overall shupcb ( t r a p e z o i d a l , oval) for the
body-a&-a*whole, a n d use the s a m e types of o r n a m e n t a l detail for the i n d i c a t i o n s of a n a t o m y ,
Sculpiort like .Vliklos a n d I..aml>cn-Rucki, within the context of Art Dcco, were p r o d u c i n g s(y)i7d
'^African" m a s k s a n d fi{^irative sculpture.*: b y 1925. T h e d e s i g n e r P i e r r e L e g r a i n w a s p r o d u c i n g
elegant f u r n i t u r e f u r clients s u c h as J a c q u e s D o u c e l , mcKlele<l directly o n seats a n d stools f n u n
tribal A f r i c a . T h e s e %vere widely publisheti d u r i n g the p e r i o d , cf; Art el Deration I ( 1 9 2 4 ) , 182. It
is this siyliising a t t i t u d e t o w a r d the p r i m i t i v e s o u r c e that The CoupU |>Mriicipatcs in but Spoon
IVoman r e n o u n c e s .
 ;\'o More Play 49

g c n c r a l i / i i i g dx* fornis of (he soriietiincs n a i u r a l i s i i c A f r i c a n c a r v i n g s (oward a

m o r e prismatic a b s t r a c t i o n . In forcing o n the D a n model the i m a g e of t h e
w o m a n w h o is ahnost itothing but w o m b , CJiacomelti a s s i m i l a t e d the f o r m a l
elegattce of th<' African object to the n>ore brtitish c o n c e p t i o n of stone-age fer-
tility V e n u s e s . ' ^
W i t h this celebration of the prinial f u n c t i o n {)f w o m a n seen t h r o u g h a
primi(ivi/e<l f o r m a l logic, Giacornetti h a d a s s u m e d t h e most v a n g u a r d of posi-
tions. I Ic f o \ m d himself in concert with t h e agressive anti-VVestern s t a n c e of the
visual a v a n t - g a r d e , given v e r b a l f o r m b y , for e x a m p l e , G e o r g e s H e n r i R i v i e r e ,
soon to be t h e assistant d i r e c t o r of the 'rroca<lero, w h e n he ptiblished a
p a n e g y r i c to a r c h e o l o g y "parricidal d a u g h t e r of h u m a n i s m " i n the initial
v o l u m e of Cahiers d'art.^*' O p e n i n g with the bald s t a t e t n e n t that t h e miracle of
Cireek art had r u n its c o u r s e , R i v i e r e went o n to say that if L o u i s A r a g o n a n d
J e a n L u r f a t w e r e now to go to S p a i n , u n l i k e their f a t h e r s , their most u r g e n t

12, I'rrvicnis altoiniXs to asNign a triliiil, sculpUiral xourcc for ihc f r i n a l c half of I'ht CoupU Kvm
u n c o n v i n c i n g o n ihc basis of conceptual a n d morphological c o m p a r i s o n . .Maurer suggests a
Maliongvve reli<|uary figure, Cciwling proposes M a k o n d e body shie ds (see M a u r e r , p. 31<), a n d
Kliziil>eth Ncibilt C o w l i n g , " T h e Primitive S o u r c e s of S u r r e a l i s m , " u n p u b l i s h e d .VI. A. thesis,
l . d n d o n , die C o u r t l t a u h Insliliite, 1970. p. -16). Hut however u n p c r s u a s i v e the s|x-cifK "source"
might Iw, the suggcstiona put forward b y these a u t h o r s attest lo Uieir experience of the Africaniz-
ing character of the figures in Thr CoupU. T h i s quality m a k e s suggestions of a .Nc<lithic source for
the work, put f o r w a r d by o t h e r scholars, somewhat d u b i o u s . T h e r e is a s t r o n g compositional (but
not c o n c e p t u a l ) reseml)lancc belween the female figure of I'kt CoupU a n d (me of die m e n h i r
figures f r o m St, S c r n a n s u r K a n c e , a work that ligurc.s in the t]lusirati(ms of the C a r i i a c M u s e u m
< atalogiie of 1927. 'I1iis connection was first sugge.sted by Ste|>hanir Poley ("AlberKt Ciiacoiiiettis
U i n s e t z u n g Archaischer G e s t a l t u n g s f o r m c n in Seinein VVerk Zwischcn 1925 u n d {^"ib" Jahtbuth
drr Ilambuifin KuniUammUinufi 22 (19771, 177) a n d later by Alan WilkenM>n {(iaunuin to Mootr,
hmiltvum m Modtrn Stulptutt, Art Cjallery of T o r o n t o , 1981, p. 222). T h e r e a r c other e.xamplesof
the elfect of prehistoric images and objects i>n (H.irometti's work, most obviouxly in the 1931
s c u l p t u r e 'Iht CatfSi in which the splayed h a n d etched o n t o t h e s u r f a c e m i m i c s the "stenrilled"
p a l m print.sof the caves. Intrrest in this detail fn>m prehistoiie p a i n t i n g is t o be ftnind ever>'wheie
m the 1920s, o n e f a m o u s e x a m p l e ol' which is the cover of O z c n f a n t ' s Foundation! of Modem Ah
(1931), But in 'Vht CoupU the prehistoric i m a g e , if it indeed f u n c l i o n r d as a sugge.stion for the
c(int|K)siiion. has been converted into a n evident style nt^re.
13. T h e D a n scnirce was first suggestetl by Jean L a u d e . I.a Peinturtjran^aise (1905-J9I4) n t'ml
nrxrr, Pari.s Klincksieck, 1968, p, 13.
I'i. T h e Exposition de t'ati indigene de.f colonies d'AJrique ei dXkeanxe, M u s e r des Arts De(>r.itif*
( N o v e m l x r r 1 9 2 3 - J a n u a r y 27, 1924) vvas organized by A n d r e l ^ v c l . A m o n g the collections
d r a w n u p o n for t h e exhibition weiv those of Felix F^tu'on, Andr<? Lhote, P a t r i c k - H e n r y Bru<e,
Paul G u i l l a u m e , a n d of course the T r o c a d ^ r o . G u i l l a u m e c o n t r i b u t e d 79 objccts. of which six
were s p o o n s listed as "Cole d*lvnirc,''Jean-l.<>ui.\ P a u d i a l Ix-lieves that these nnist have included
D a n objects. T w o other s p o o n / w o m e n lhai G i a c o m e t t i could have seen were: the Lega spoon in
C a r l Ein.strin, l.a Sculptwr africaine, P a r i s . Iviitions C r c s , 1922, plate 42; a n d the utensil il-
lustrated in plate 3 of Paul G u i l l a u m e a n d 'Iliotnas M u n r o , Ptimittve S'egro Stulptwe, N e w York,
H a n o u r l , Brace, 1926. T h e Krench edition of this l)CK)k api)eare(l in 1929.
15. .See the copy Ciiacometti m a d e of the V e n u s von Laussel, publislied m l.uigi C a r l u c c i o , A
Sketihhoofi of Intnptethe />aM'inji. N e w Y o r k . H a r i y N. A b r a m s , 19(iH, |)late 2. It is dilKciilt t o
d a l e these d r a w i n g s , ljut this page also contains the sketch-idea for G i a c o m e t t i s 'Vroii personnages
dfhon of 1929.
 Modernist Myths
50

Jean Lambert-Rucki. T w o Masks, 1924.

' Wotxi

Alherlo Ciacomrlli. Si)<K)n W o m a n . 1926.

Hrome, 50 inches high. The Solomon auggenhrim
Museum, New York.
:\'o More Play T)!

ispuoit. Wofv. Ivory Coa\t. Wood. Miisre de

I'Humme, Pati^.

Sfwou. Hun. Lihetiu ut Ivory Cuasl. Wtmd

Musee de I'Homme, Pari\.

T.?

goal would not IH' the Pra<lo, b u t ihc* eaves of A l t a n i i r a . Spoon Woman, contein-
p o i a r y with this s t a t e m e n t , is also its c o n f n ' m a t i o n .
But Spoon Woman is s o m e t h i n g else as well. It is w h a t a n o t h e r w i n g of the
intelleciual v a n g u a r d would view as "soft" p r i m i t i v i s m , a printitivism g o n e for-
mal an<l t h e r e f o r e gutless. I n d e e d , to associate Spoon Woman with CaAiers d'arf is
to place it within the context of a f o r m a l i z i n g c o n c e p t i o n of the primitive that
we hear, lor e x a m p l e , b e h i n d the praise Christian Zervos bestowe<l o n Brancusi
as t h e most successful .sculptor of t h e p o s t w a r period. Since the gr<?at inllux of
black c u l t u r e , Z e r v o s wi-ote in 1929. " B r a n c u s i h a s e x p l o n ' d all rhe vistas ihat
ihe N e g r o s h a v e optrned u p to h i m , a m i which . . . p e r m i t t e d h i m to achieve
pure lorm. Spoon Woman p a r t i c i p a t e s in both ihe sense of scale anti the
([uality of f o r m a l r e d u c t i o n that ( j i a c o m e t t i a c h i e v e d , d o u b t l e s s throtigh knowl-
e d g e of Braticusi's w o r k .
O n e year b e f o r e G i a c o m e t t i m a d e this s c u l p t u r e , P a u l Cuiilhuune p u b -
lislnrd a book that r e p r e s e n t e d the e x t r e m e of the m o v e m e n t to aestheticize
primitive a r t . ' " Primitive Negro Siuipture, conceived u j i d e r t h e aegis of Albert
Barnes, w r i t t e n at the B a r n e s K o u n d a i i t m , a n d publisheti in F.nglish, acknowl-
edges as its only real p r e c e d e n t a n analysis of the f o r m a l s t r u c t u r e of A f r i c a n art

16. G e o r g e s H e n r i Riviere, "Ai'cheologinnes." Cakim d'ari, n<i. 7 (I92(>), 177.

17. (Mirislian Z e i v o s , "Notes sut lu s<ulpture c o i u e m p o r a i n e . ' Cahtfn d'art, n o . 10 (1929). 4()r).
18. OiiillaMine aiul Miiiint, himiuce S'egto Stulptutr.
52 Mo<it:niist M y i h s

by R o g e r F r y . " Because of (}uillauiiu:'s p r o m i n e n c e in the art worltl the book

w o u h i unfloul)(edly h a v e b e e n well k n o w n in P a r i s even b e f o r e its t r a n s l a t i o n
into I'Vench, a n d indeed, o n e of its illustrations m a y h a v e reinforced (Giacometti's
conc<;ption of t h e w o m a n / s p o o n .
M a i n t a i n i n g that every work of A f r i c a n art c a n be u n d e r s t o o d as the solu-
tion to a f o r m a l p r o b l e m , PrimUive Negro Sculpture p r e s e n t s e a c h of its objects as
"a r h y t h m i c , varietl s<?(juence of s o m e t h e m e in n)ass, line, o r s u r f a c e , " describ-
ing t h e w a y t h e geometrically conceived e l e m e n t s a r e first articulated a n d t h e n
u n i l i e d by the plastic g e n i u s of t h e p r i m i t i v e sculptor. But what is insisted u p o n
t h r o u g h o u t the text is the c o n t i n u o u s p r e s e n c e of a will to a r l , an aesthetic drive
that is u n d e r s t o o d to b e o r i g i n a r y , o r p r i m a l . P r e c e d i n g all ideas, religious o r
o t h e r w i s e , this instinct is the j o i n t possession of c h i l d r e n of all races as well as
thos<r "children" of t h e h u m a n race: p r i m i t i v e m e n a n d w o m e n . It is thtts the
W e s t e r n child's creative play with p a i n t s , clay, a n d c r a y o n s that gives u s access
to t h e processes that d r i v e primitive a r t . In c o n c l u d i n g with the c e r t a i n t y that
"it is not h a r d to i m a g i n e , t h e n , the c o n t i n u o u s d e v e l o p m e n t of n e g r o art out of
the free, n a i v e play of t h e aesthetic i m p u l s e , " G u i l l a u m e j o i n s t h e acstheticizing
interests of t h e art world to t h e most e u p h o r i c position of develo]>mental
psychology as that w a s b e i n g etmnciate<l in the late 1920s.' H e places himself
in accord with the psychologist G . H . L u q u e t .
L u q u e t ' s conviction that t h e arl of c h i l d r e n a n d t h e art of ])ritnitivc m a n
form a single c a t e g o r y , o n e which contests the values of "civilized" a r t , w a s u n -
d o u b t e d l y what interested G e o r g e s Bataille a n d d r e w h i m to review L u q u e t ' s
book ui the m a g a z i n e A t the point, h o w e v e r , where Bataille shar]}ly
d i v e r g e s f r o m Luqtiet's b e n i g n view of the forces at work b e h i n d the develop-
m e n t of primitive figuration, we can start to t a k e t h e m e a s u r e of t h e attack
l a u n c h e d by this w i n g of the radical a v a n t - g a r d e on the art-Ibr-art's-sake view
of ])rimitivism. Since, as I will a r g u e , Bataille's attitu<Ie had a great deal to d o
with s h a p i n g G i a c o m e t t i ' s u l t i m a t e c o n c e p t i o n a n d use of p r i m i t i v e m a t e r i a l , it
is w o r t h a t t e n d i n g to his criticism of L u q u e t .
I.u(|uet p r e s e n t s the chiki as h a v i n g no initial figurative intentions b u t
r a t h e r as t a k i n g p u r e p l e a s u r e in m a n i f e s t i n g his ow n p r e s e n c e b y d r a g g i n g his
dirty lingers a l o n g walls o r c o v e r i n g white sheets of p a p e r with scrawls. H a v i n g
m a d e ihe.se m a r k s , the child later begins to invest p a r t s of t h e m with r e p r e s e n -
t a t i o n a l v a l u e . W i t h this " r e a d i n g " of t h e lines he h a s m a d e , t h e child is e v e n -

19. R o g e r Fry, "Negro Sculpture," Viiion and Driign, New York, Brcutano's, 1920.
20. At (uu- of m a n y examples of ihe aesthetici/.ing discourse that a n a l y m i primitive url as just
one m o m e n t of the collcciive reprcscnialion of Ari-ln-general. and thus of the acstheiic impulse
r o i n m o n lo all h u m a n i t y , see A. O / e n f a n t , Foundaitont o/ModrmArl: The I f f Age to 1931, Ix>ndon,
1931 (French publication, 1928).
21. C. M. lAi(|uei, I.'Arl prtmilif, Paris. G a s t o n IXlin, 1930. For Bataille's review, see "L'Art
priinitif." Docununts, 11, no. 7 (1930), 389-97. Collected in (Jeorges Bataille, Oeuvrts Compl'etti,
Pnriii. ( i a i l i m a r d , 1970, vol. I. pp. 247-254.
No More Ploy 53

luaily a b l e to repeat the i m a g e s v o l u n t a r i l y . Since t h e basis of t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n

is e n o r m o u s l y s c h e m a t i c , what is involved is the c o n n e c t i o n of a m a r k with the
idea of an o b j e c t , a process that h a s to d o with c o n c e p t i o n a n d not with resent-
b l a n c e . For this reason L u q u e t calls p r i m i t i v e figuration inlelleclual realism,
r e s e r v i n g the t e r m visual realism for the W e s t e r n a d u l t ' s p r e o c c u p a t i o n with
mimesis.
L u q u e t ' s p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of prehistoric cave p a i n t i n g
follows the s a m e s c h e m a as t h a t of the p r e s e n t - d a y child: r a n d o m m a r k i n g
c h a n g e s g r a d u a l l y to i n t e n t i o n a l p a t t e r n i n g , which in t u r n gives rise to a
figurative r e a d i n g . R e s e m b l a n c e to external objects h a v i n g b e e n first "recog-
nized" within die n o n l i g u r a t i v e p a t t e r n s , it c a n be e l a b o r a t e d aitd p e r f e c t e d
over time.
In L u q u e t ' s p r o g r a m , t h e n , a n a b s o l u t e f r e e d o m a n d p l e a s u r e initiates t h e
i m p u l s e to d r a w ; it is this instinct, not the desire to r e n d e r reality, that is
p r i m a l . O n top of this f o u n d a t i o n a p r o c e d t t r e is gradtially built for a d j u s t i n g
the m a r k to t h e c o n d i t i o n s of r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , a n d within this a "system" of
liguration develops with consistent c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o v e r the e n t i r e d o m a i n of
primitive a r t . w h e t h e r that be the d r a w i n g s of c h i l d r e n , gralltttists, a b o r i g i n e s ,
o r p e a s a n t s . C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s like t h e profiles of faces e n d o w e d with two eyes a n d
two ears, or the r e n d e r i n g of houses a n d bodies as t r a n s p a r e n t in o r d e r to display
their c o n t e n t s , o r the free c o m b i n a t i o n of p l a n a n d elevation, a r e what r e m a i n
u n c h a n g e d t h r o u g h the practice of "intellectual r e a l i s m . " In L u q u e t ' s s c h e m e ,
k n o w l e d g e is t h u s g e n e r o u s l y a d d e d to p l e a s u r e .
CX c o u r s e , t h e c h r o n o l o g y of prehistoric art d o e s not su]}])ort L u t j u e t ' s
cheerful progrcssivism. T h e caves of I^ascaux, with their a s t o n i s h i n g naturalistn,
p r e c e d e the m u c h c r u d e r r e n d e r i n g s of later p e r i o d s . Yet if Hataille d r a w s his
reader's a t t e n t i o n to this o b v i o u s flaw in L u q u e t ' s s c h e m e , it is not for reasons
of historical a c c u r a c y b u t in o r d e r to assert s o m e t h i n g that h a d a l r e a d y b e c o m e
a staple of his t h i n k i n g t h r o u g h o u t his e d i t o r s h i p Documents, a n d w a s lo con-
tinue b e y o n d . W h a t Bataille p o i n t s to is t h e u n e t i u a l m o d e of r e p r e s e n t a t i o n ,
within the s a m e p e r i o d , of a n i m a l s a n d m e n . " T h e r e i n d e e r , t h e bison, o r the
h o r s e s , " Bataille attests, "are r e p r e s e n t e d with such perfect detail, t h a t if we
were a b l e to see as scrupulotisly faithful i m a g e s of th<; m e n t h e m s e l v e s , the
s t r a n g e s t period of t h e a v a t a r s of h u m a n i t y would i m m e d i a t e l y cease b e i n g the
most inaccessible. But the d r a w i n g s a n d s c u l p t u r e s that a r e c h a r g e d with rep-
r e s e n t i n g the A t n i g n a c i a i t s themselves a r e almost all injorme a n d m u c h less
h u m a n t h a n those that r e p r e s e n t t h e a n i m a l s ; o t h e r s like t h e H o t t e n t o t V e n u s
a r e ignoble c a r i c a t u r e s of the h u m a n f o r m . T h i s opposition is the s a m e in t h e
Magdalenian period.""

22. Oruvrt:, Compiitfi, V'dI. I, p. 251. /N/ormr (tatiHlatrs "unruriiu-d,'although BataiDr iittcnds
the word to u n d o Uie Aristotelian distinction between form and m a t t e r .
54 Modernisi Myihs

I( is b e c a u s c "this crudt* a n d d i s t o r t i n g art h a s been reserved for the

h u m a n figure," that Bataille insists o n its willfulness, o n its s t a t u s as a kind of
p r i m a l v a n d a l i s m w r o u g h t o n the i m a g e s of m e n . I n d e e d , Bataille wishes to
s u b s t i t u t e d e s t r u c t i v e n e s s for I.u(]uet's s e r e n e view of the pleastire principle at
w o r k at t h e origin of t h e i m p u l s e to d r a w . T h e child's m a r k i n g o n walls, his
scrawls o n p a p e r , all proceed f r o m a wish to d e s t r o y o r m u t i l a t e the s u p p o r t . In
each s u b s e q u e n t stage of the d e v e l o p m e n t charle<l b y L u q u e t , Bataille .sees the
e n a c t m e n t of new desire to a l t e r a n d d e f o r m wh.it is t h e r e b e f o r e t h e subject:
"Art, since it is incontestably a r t , proceeds in this way by successive destructions.
T h u s insofar as it liberates instincts, these a r e sadistic."^'
T h e t e r m that Bataille linds to generalize t h e p h e n o m e n o n of sadism in
both children's art a n d that of ihe caves is alteration^ a n d this wr)r<l, in the preci-
sion of its a m b i v a l e n c e , is c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of Bataille. A l t e r a t i o n derives f r o m the
L a t i n alter, which by o p e n i n g e q u a l l y o n t o a c h a n g e of state a n d a c h a n g e (or
a d v a n c e m e n t ) of t i m e , c o n t a i n s t h e d i v e r g e n t significations of devolution aiul
evolution. Bataille p o i m s o u t that a l t e r a t i o n describes t h e d e c o m p o s i t i o n of
c a d a v e r s as well as "the passage to a j>erfecUy h e t e r o g e n e o u s state c o r r e s p o n d i n g
to . . . the tout autre, t h a t is, the s a c r e d , realized for e x a m p l e by a g h o s t . A l -
t e r a t i o n w h i c h Bataille uses to discribe the p r i m a l i m p u l s e of m a n ' s self-
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n t h u s b e c o m e s a c o n c e p t t h a t s i m u l t a n e o u s l y leads d o w n w a r d
a n d u p w a r d : like altus a n d sacer, the d o u b l e - d i r e c t e d , p r i m a l c o n c e p t s that in-
terested F r e u d . 'Fhe p r i m a l , o r o r i g i n a r y , is t h e r e f o r e irresolvably difftise
f r a c t u r e d by a n i r r e m e d i a b l e d o u b l e n e s s at t h e root of things that w a s , in his
closeness to Nietzsche's t h o u g h t , d e a r to Bataille. In its c o n f o u n d i n g of the logic
that m a i n t a i n s t e r m s like high a n d low, o r b a s e a n d sacred as p o l a r opposites, it
is this play of t h e c o n t r a d i c t o r y that allows o n e to diink t h e t r u t h that Bataille
n e v e r lired of d e m o n s i r a t i n g : (hat violence h a s historically b e e n lodged at the
heart of the sacretl; that to b e g e n u i n e , t h e very t h o u g h t of t h e creative m u s t
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y b e a n e x p e r i e n c e of d e a t h ; a n d that it is impossible for a n y m o -
mcrnt of t r u e intensity to exist a p a r t f r o m a cruelty (hat is ecjually extreme.^^
Bataille is well a w a r e that t h e civilized W e s t e r n e r might wish to m a i n t a i n
himself in a state of i g n o r a n c e a b o u t the p r e s e n c e of violence w i t h i n a n c i e n t
religious p r a c t i c e , so that he either d o e s not notice o r does not reflect u p o n the

23. O f u i m Comf>rftf<:, vol. I, p. 2.')3.

24. Ibid., p . 2&I. T h i s luktioo of (IK- D<nil)lr iiritM* of ilio RU<it vviinl (il'ii givvn coiu r p t LAKCN i n t o
a r r o u i u F r e u d ' s i t u r r r s i in ihis k i n d of e t y m o l o f f i r a l s t u d y in w h i c h ^rrcistrly altus a n d iocer a r c
u s e d as e x a m p l e s . S e e I'Veud's " A n t i t h e t i c a l S e n s e uf P r i m a l W o r d s , p u b l i s h e d in ]!>]<) in the
fahrhuth Jurpiyxhoa- undpiythopatk. h'orschun^, vol. I, a s a r e v i e w o f K a r l Abel's Gegeminn drr Ur-
uvrte. F o r oalaille's k n o w l e d g e uf (bis text, see D e n i s l l o l l i e r , La I*tiif dt la Coneotdf, P a r i s ,
G a l l i m a r d , 1974, p . 2 4 0 .
2i). O b v i o u s l y liaiaille w a s de|>endent u p o n t h e e t b n o l o g i c a l d a t a a v a i l a b l e to h i m at the t i m e ,
f r o m w h i c h he m a d e hi.s o w n p a r t i c u l a r selection in o r d e r t o s u p p o r t his c r i t i q u e o f p h i l o s o p h y .
F o r a d i s c u s s i o n of Uataille's c o n n e c t i o n li> e t h n o g r a p h y in (he 1920s a n t l ' S O s s e e A l f r e d M e i n u i x ,
" R e n c o n t r e avec les e t h n o l o g u c s . " Critique, n o . 1 9 5 - 1 9 6 ( 1 9 6 3 ) , 6 7 7 - 6 8 4 .
 ;\'o More Play 55

xignificnncc ol' ilic dtrformi-tl a n t h r o p o i d s t h a t a p p e a r in t h e c a v e s , o r s o t h a t h e

a e s t h e t i c i z e s t h e w h o l e of A f r i c a n a r t . In t h e first e s s a y tliat h e w r o t e o n
p r i m i t i v e civilization Bataille r e m a r k e d this r e s i s t a n c e o n t h e p a r t of s c h o l a r s t o
a c k n o w l e d g e w h a t is l i i d e o u s a n d c r u e l in t h e d e p i c t i o n of t h e g o d s of c e r t a i n
p e o p l e s . T h e text, i n c l u d e d in a collection of e t h n o l o g i c a l e s s a y s o c c a s i o n e d b y
t h e first m a j o r e x h i b i t i o n of p r e - C o l u m b i a n a r t in P a r i s ( 1 9 2 8 ) , w a s called
" 1 / A m e r i q u e d i s p a r u e , " a n d in it Bataille t r i e d lo u n d e r s t a n d t h e r e a l i t y b e h i n d
t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e A z t e c g o d s , d e p i c t e d as c a r i c a t u r a l , m o n s t r o u s , a n d
d e f o r m e d . A l t h o u g h his k n o w l e d g e of p r e - C o l u m b i a n c u l t u r e w a s still r a t h e r
s u p e r f i c i a l , his a n a l y s i s p r o v e d to b e e x t r e m e l y p r e s c i e n t , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e
e t h n o l o g i s t A l f r e d M e t r a u x a s h e looke<l b a c k o n this e a r l y p e r f o r m a n c e of
Biitaille's.' F o r wltat Bataille c o u l d r e a d i n t o t h e s e i m a g e s w a s t h e p r e s e n c e of
malign a n d dissembling gods, trickster gods to w h o m was dedicated a religious
f e r v o r in w h i c h pitiless c r u e l t y c o m b i n e d w i t h black h u m o r lo c r e a t e a c u l t u r e
of d e l i r i u m : " D o u b t l e s s , a blo{)dier e c c c n i r i c i t y w a s n e v e r c o n c e i v e d b y h u m a n
m a d n e s s : c r i m e s c o n t i m i a l l y c o m m i t t e d in b r o a d s u n l i g h t for t h e sole s a t i s f a c -
tion of g o d - r i d d e n n i g h t m a r e s , of t e r r i f y i n g g h o s t s ! T h e priests' c a n n i b a l i s t i c
r e p a s t s , t h e c e r e m o n i e s with c a d a v e r s a n d r i v e r s of b l o o d m o r e t h a n o n e his-
torical h a [ ) p e n i n g e v o k e s (he s t u n n i n g d e b a u c h e r i e s d e s c r i b e d by d i e i l l u s t r i o u s
M a r q u i s d e Sade.''^ B r o a d e n i n g t h e r e f e r e n c e f r o t n M e x i c o l o d e S a d e w a s
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of t h e i n t e l l e c t u a l field c o m m o n t o 1920s e t h n o l o g i c a l t h i n k i n g
( p a r t i c u l a r l y in t h e circle a r o u n d M a r c e l M a u s s ) , w i t h its f o c u s o n t h e violent
p e r f o r m a n c e of t h e s a c r e d in A f r i c a , Oc e a n i a , a n d t h e A m e r i c a s .

But in s p e a k i n g of t h e A z t e c s ' i n s a t i a b l e ihirsl f o r b l o o d , of t h e i r sacrificial

p r a c t i c e s in w h i c h t h e living v i c t i m ' s h e a r t w a s cut o u t of his b o d y a n d h e l d u p ,
still p a l p i t a t i n g , b y t h e priest at t h e a l t a r , Bataille stres.ses t h e "a.stonishingly
j o y o u s c h a r a c t e r of t h e s e h o r r o r s . " A s in t h e c a s e of t h e c o n c e p t of a l t e r a t i o n ,
t h e p r a c t i c e of sacrifice b y t h e A z t e c s a l l o w s t h e d o u b l e c o n d i t i o n of i h e s a c r e d

26. In J r . i n HaWlon, l.'Ati prhvtumbifn, I'aits, fuiiiidnst Hvaiix-Arts, liKiO. T i n s collcciiun of

was lo acconi|>iuy llit 1928 Kxposition de I'art /U I'amhiquf, in ihc Pavilion d c M a r f a n an<l in-
cliidrd ti'xi.s by Alfred M r i r a u x ami Paul Kivci, a m o n g oda-rs. l'rc-(Columbian art was seen al
the lime as u<'<'upyin); a continuous held willi that of Africa and O c e a n i a ; f o r e x a m j i l c , in the text
"l.'Art ne}{re" that Zer\'os w n e to intnHluce ii xjKH'ial issue of Cahtm d'ari (no. 7-8, 1927), h e
s|>eal<s of "die uitaclmtcnt of o u r generation for arf Mgre' spccifyin. "Thai is what was protluretl
twenty yearx aji^u with N e ^ n ) st u l p t u i r , it is what is p n i d u i e d ri^ht now with Mclanesian a n d
pre-(It)lumbian art" (p. 230). O n (his s a m e subjcct Breton w m t c : ''J"hc ver>' particular inierr.st
that painters at the Ix'^inninK of liie 20lh century h a d for African a i t , today it is American a n
from l)cloix* the conquest dial. alon){ with Oceanic art, c.xercises an elective influence on artist.v"
(Breton, Afrxiqu/, Paris, Kenous an<l fa>lle, 19.39, pa-face). 'Hie Breton a n d l%luard ci)llcclims
auctioned in 1931 were jjiven over to pre-(^olumbian art to almost as extent as to
Oceanic object.s. T h e 1936 exhibition j)f surrealist object.% at the CMiarlcs Ration Oiillery inclutled
American objects aloni{ with those of O c e a n i a ; the cataloj,'ue specifies these American works as
fuskimo, IVnivian, a n d p r e - C o l u m b i a n .
27. .Vleliaux, " R e n c o n t r e avec les ethnologucs."
28. Bataille. Oeuvrn Cvmfiliifi. v<t\. I, p I.'i2.
fjft Modcrnisl Myihs

lo be cxperlence<l. " M e x i c o w a s not only the most s t r e a m i n g of t h e h u m a n

s l a u g h t e r h o u s e s , " Bataille writes in c o m p a r i n g Aztec c u l t u r e with t h a t of the
I n c a s , which h e f o u n d b u r e a u c r a t i c a n d d o u r , "it was also a rich city, a
veritable V e n i c e of c a n a l s atid b r i d g e s , of d e c o r a t e d t e m p l e s a n d b e a u t i f u l
flower g a r d e n s o v e r all."-^^ It w a s a c u l t u r e of b l o o d that b r e d b o t h flowers a n d
flies.
If Giac<n)etli ha<l b e g u n in 1926 a n d 1927 with a c o n c e p t i o n of p r i m i t i v e
art inscribed o n the L u q u e t side of the l e d g e r , h e h a d m o v e d by 1930, the y e a r
" L ' A m e r i q u e d i s p a r u e " w a s p u b l i s h e d , to t h a t of Bataille's. Kor in the interven-
ing y e a r s , G i a c o n j e l t i had been assimilated into t h e g r o u p t h a t m a d e u p
Oocummts.
I n 1928, the y e a r a f t e r h e finished Spoon IVoman, G i a c o m c t t i s h o w e d his
work for the first lime. W h a t h e exhibited w e r e t w o of the p l a q u e l i k e h e a d s a n d
figures h e h a d m a d e that y e a r , o b j e c t s t h a t c a r r i e d the b l a n k fronialily oi Spoon
IVoman to a new simplicity a n d e l e g a n c e . In a c c o r d a n c e with the direction im-
plied in t h e aestheticized view of p r i m i t i v i s m , preclassic.il objects n o w b e c a m e
his m o d e l s for a b s t r a c t i n g a n d r e d u c i n g his f o r m . T h e p r e s e n c e of these m o d e l s
within his practice w a s i m m e d i a t e l y a p p a r e n t to the viewers of (his w o r k . In
o n e of the earliest c o m m e n t a r i e s o n G i a c o m e t t i ' s s c u l p t u r e , Z e r v o s spoke of its
c o n n e c t i o n to C y c l a d i c art.^^
O n the basis of these t w o e x h i b i t e d objects, A n d r e M a s s o n asked to meet
G i a c o r n e t t i . I m m e d i a t e l y t h e r e a f t e r b e g a n ihe sculptor's initiation into t h e
g r o u p that i n c l u d e d M . i s s o n , U e s n o s , A r t a u d , Q u e n e a u , Leiris, a n d Bataille,
the g r o u p that was k n o w n as the dissident .surrealists, for w h o m (he intellectual
c e n t e r w a s Documents. Since three of t h e editors of Documents were Bataille, w h o
w a s d e e p l y c o m m i t t e d to the d e v e l o p m e n t of e t h n o g r a p h i c t h e o r y as t h a t was
b e i n g f o r m u l a t e d at the Ecole d e s 1 l a u t e s E t u d e s in the s e m i n a r s of M a r c e l
M a u s s , ' * M i c h e l Leiris, w h o h a d b e c o m e a n ethnologist by 1931, a n d C a r l
Kinstein, w h o h a d p u b l i s h e d his s t u d y of p r i m i t i v e s c u l p t u r e by 1915, the c o m -
m i l m e n t of the m a g a z i n e to this subject is obvious. Giacometti's close a n d lasting
f r i e n d s h i p with Leiris, which b e g a n at this m o m e n t , b r o u g h t with it a relation
to ihe details a n d theories n o t only of e t h n o g r a p h y b u t of the uses to which it
w a s b e i n g p u t by the Documents g r o u p . ' ' In 1930, at the e n d of his initiation into

29. /ftirf.. |>. l.'7.

30. Zcrv>s, "Notes s u r la < ulj)tuiv c o n t c m p o r a i o c , " |). 472.
31. For a n a c t o u n i of the way Bataille's t h o u g h t was shaped by M a u s s , see M e t r a u x , " R e n c o n -
tre avec les elhnoKijjues.'' A n o t h e r di.v:u%sion of this relationship is lanie.i ClifTonfs " O n
Fthn<|{raphic S u r r c a l i s t n , " Comfiaralive Studies in Socifiy and Htilory, X X I I I (Oct<.l>er 1981),
543-564.
32. l-lohl insists o n (liaeotnctti's knowledge a n d e m p l o y m e n t of the kind of prccise ethnographic
i n f o r m a t i o n alK>ul the contexts uf tribal art that w o u l d have c o m e to hint ea.sily through his con-
nection with I x i r i s (H<)hl. 1972, p. 79.). In a n interview with the a u t h o r (Fcbruar)- 24, 1983),
Leiris supplied n o dciaile<l i n f o r m a t i o n but a g r e e d that (>iacomc(li was present al di.Mussions
c o n c e r n i n g e t h n o g r a p h y held by ihc Dotumatii g r o u p .
A'o Aiorg Plajf 57

Alifrrlo Giacotwtfi. Sus|K*tHU'{I Ball. Sus]K-tuk-(i Hall (detail).

I930-JJ. Plaslcr and meUtl, 24 by 14'/, by
t'-iVi inthes. The Alberto Giacumetti
Foundation, Kumtmuseum, Hasel.

Documents, G i a c o m c t l i m a d e Suspended Ball. A s c u l p t u r e that w a s to c a u s c a sen-

sation a m o n g the o r t h o d o x surrealists, giving G i a c o m e t t i instant access to
Breton a n d Hali, a s c u l p t u r e that set olFthc whole surrealist v o g u e for c r e a t i n g
erotically c h a r g e d objects, it w a s n o n e t h e l e s s a work t h a t h a d m u c h less to d o
with s u r r e a l i s m t h a n it did with B a t a i l l e . ' '
M a u r i c e N a d e a u r e m e m b e r s the reactions originally triggered by Suspended
Ball: " E v e r y o n e w h o saw this object f u n c t i o n i n g e x p e r i e n c e d a s t r o n g b u t in-
d e f i n a b l e sexual e m o t i o n relating to u n c o n s c i o u s desires. T h i s e m o t i o n w a s in
n o sense o n e of satisfaction, b u t o n e of d i s t u r b a n c e , like thai i m p a r t e d by the
i r r i t a t i n g a w a r e n e s s of failure."'* A n erotic m a c h i n e . Suspended BaUn, t h e n , like

33. Along wiih M i r o a n d Ar]>. Cii.icometii r x h i b i i c d in t h e . l u i u i n n of 1930 al dir (tnlcriv

I'ierrt:. ( i c o r g c s Sadoul rcculls, "At die e n d of 1930 1 niei Alberto ( l i a c o m c i t i . H e had ju&i been
a d m i t t e d into (lie Surrealist g r o u p . . . In 1930 he inlroducetl a new m o d e into SurretJisin with
his sculptures (hat were nu>t>ile ot>Jcc(s. 'rhi.s l a u n c h e d the v o g u e of Surrealist objects with a sym-
bolic o r er>lic f u n c t i o n , the m a k i n g of which Ixrcame practic ally obligatory" ( C i t e d in I lohl, 1972,
p. 2-19). T h e d a l e i)f Dali's ' O b j e i s a fonclioiHtemeni s y m b o l i q u e ' ( L e Sunndiimt au mvUe de la
th'olution, iKi. 3 119311. 16-17), d e m o n s t r a t e s (his later attempt t o a b s o r b Cfiaiometti's innovative
wurk into (he heart of the surreidist mt>vcnten(.
34. M a u r i c e N a d e a u . Hiiloirt du SurtMtsmt, Paris, Seuil, 194S, p, 176,
.>8 Modcrnisl Mydis T
liaU-f>ame player. Vega de Aparieio, Veracniz,
Mexico. (Diau ing adaptedJtom a stone utdpliirr
in ihe Museo National de Antropologia, Mexico
City.)

])u( liiinip's l.argf Glass, a n a p p a r a t u s for i h e d i s c o n n e c t i o n of t h e sexes, the

n o n f u l f d i m e n i of desire. But Suspended Ball is m o r e explicitly sadistic t h a n The
Bride Stripped Bare. F o r t h e sliding action that visibly relates t h e sculpture's
|{r(M)ved s p h e r e to iis wetlge-shaped p a r t n e r suggests not only t h e act of caress-
ing b u t that of c u l l i n g : r e c a p i t u l a t i n g , for e x a m p l e , the s t u n n i n g g e s t u r e f r o m
the o p e n i n g ol Chien Andalou, as a r a z o r slices t h r o u g h a n o p e n e d e y e . ' '
In this d o u b l e g e s t u r e i n c a r n a t i n g love a n d violence s i m u l t a n e o u s l y o n e
can locate a f u n d a m e n t a l a m b i g u i t y with r e g a r d lo the sexual identity of die
e l e m e n t s of G i a c o m e t t i ' s s c u l p t u r e . T h e w e d g e , a c t e d u p o n b y the ball, is in
o n e rea<ling its f e m i n i n e p a r t n e r , in a n o t h e r , d i s t e n d e d a n d s h a r p , it is the
phallic i n s t r u m e n t of agression a g a i n s t the ball's v u l n e r a b l e r o u n d n e s s : it is not
only the r a z o r f r o m Chien Andalou b u t the bull's h o r n f r o m B a t a i l l e s I'Historiede
I'okil, which p e n e t r a t e s the m a t a d o r , killing h i m by r i p p i n g o u t his e y e . ' *
35, Bat.iillf"sarjirlc"rOKil.''/Xw/iw7i<j. n<>. 4 ( 1 9 2 9 ) ihc s a m e issue thai carried ihe lu-^t essay
oil Uiiicoiiieiii's work (.Michel l.eiri. "AllK-rto (i>acomeiii," 2 0 9 - 2 1 0 ) <iiens wilh a disrussitm of
ihis itiinge a n d lists die various s c r e e n i n g of Chiett Andaiou ax the places wncre die image h a d l>ceii
r e p r o d u c e d . Noi only tloeit Kalaille's concentration o n ihe i h e m e of ihe eye carry forward his own
prriH-cupations f r o m L'llisioirt de LVEH, b u t t h r o u g h M a r c e l G r i a u l e ' s article o n die evil eye a n d
Its significance m primilive belief .<iysteins. publisbeil in ihis n u m b e r a s well, the link is once m o r e
fiM-ged b e t w e e n e t h n o g r a p h i c analysis a n d mcxlern (hematic interests.
3(). In his article "i.;! jxiinle a I'oeil ifAllx'rto ( / i a t t t m e t t i , ' ('nhiert du Muw Xafiunal tfArt Atoderne,
no. 11 (I9B3), 6 4 - 1 0 0 ) , J e a n C l a i r a r g u e s lor t h e direct coimeciion belween Bataille's eroticized,
phallic conception t>f the eye, as fouiul in both L'llirtaire de I'Oed a n d the Dodimenli m a t e i i a l , a n d
Giacometti's s c u l p t u r e Point to the Eye. His discus-sion of this work t u r n s , in p a r i , o n Bataille's no-
tion uf vision objrciilieil at the limiting condition of the exorbiicd eye.
 ;\'o More Play 39

Atherin GiacameHt. CirruiI. I9'JI. H 'ood. I %

by IHy2 by J&y, inches. Collection
UentifUe Gotne\, l*aii>.

A n d t h e w e d g e is possibly a diird subscilute for t h e p h a l l u s , j o i n e d in yet

a n o t h e r wiiy to de u n i v e r s e of s a c r e d violence that h a d , by 1930, b e c o m e the
shared interest of Giacornetti a n d Bataille. T h e wedg<' is shaped like the p a l m e t t e
stones of the a n c i e n t M e x i c a n b a l l g a m e w e d g e - s h a p e d e l e m e n t s that w e r e
t h o u g h t to h a v e b e e n w o r n for protection by the n e a r l y n a k e d p a r t i c i p a n t s in a
g a m e in which the ball could only b e kept in play by b e i n g hit widi die k n e e s
a n d b u t t o c k s a n d in which t h e very n a m e s tjsed for the g a m e stressetl the in-
s i r u n u ' n t a l i t y of the b u t t o c k s (for e x a m p l e , f r o m M o l i n a ' s 1571 N a h u a dic-
t i o n a r y o n e finds, ollama: to play ball with t h e b u t t o c k s ; a n d olli: certain g u m of
m e d i c i n a l trees of which they m a k e balls with which they play with their b u t -
t o c k s ) . ' ' Like evei-yihing else in t h e M e x i c o Bataille a d m i r e d , the T o l t e c
b a l l g a m e w a s a c o m b i n a t i o n of exuberantre a n d c r u e l t y , with a c c o u n t s of
bloody w o u n d s c a u s e d by t h e ball a n d d e a t h s of the players o n t h e courts, W i t h
its use of the b u t t o c k s as a principle i n s t r u m e n t of play, t h e g a m e h a d a f u r t h e r
h o m o e r o t i c o v e r t o n e . If. as I a m s u g g e s t i n g , the M e x i c a n b a l l g a m e was a com-
p o n e n t in t h e f o r m a t i o n of Suspended Bailopening as the work d o e s o n t o
G i a c o m e t t i ' s i m m e d i a t e l y s u b s e q u e n t investigation of s c u l p t u r e itself as a ball
c o u n , o r p l a y i n g held, o r g a m e b o a r d , as in Point to the Eye, Circuit, a n d "On ne

M. S t * Fraiis Bkmi, T h e M a y a Ball-fJaiiir Pok-'r.i-l'ok," MiddU Animcan Papn\, liilanr

Univcnsily, 'I'liii essay p u b h s h e d in die 1930s r e p r e s e n i s i h e level of e l h n o g r a p h i t knowl-
edge of (he b a l l g a m e at ihe time we a r e h e r e cinilering,
 Modernist Myths

Alberto Ciacomelti. Point to the? Eye. 1932. Allferto Giacometti. Head. 1925. Phstrr,
Wood and metal, by 24 by 14 inches. 12 yi inches high. Musee National d'Art
Musee S'atioiial d'Ari Modeme, Centre Georges Modeme, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
Pompidou, Paris.

joue pltis" {No More /Vty)then a "tliird sex" m u s t b e a d d e d to t h e cycle of in-

d e t e r m i n a c y of t h e work's .<exual signifiers.
G i a c o m e t t i ' s e a r l y s c u l p t u r e h a d a l r e a d y d e m o n s t r a t e d a n interest in pre-
C o l u m b i a n a r t , a l o n g with that of A f r i c a a n d the C y c l a d e s . J a c q u e s D u p i n ,
w h o s e s t u d y w a s c o m p l e t e d d u r i n g the sculptor's lifetime, r e p o r t s that
G i a c o m e t t i ' s e a r l y "exotic" sources w e r e A f r i c a , O c e a n i a , a n d M e x i c o . ' * T w o
w o r k s that b e a r o b v i o u s witness to this early M e x i c a n c o n n e c t i o n a r c t h e
Crouching Man of 1926 a n d a possibly e v e n earlier plaster Head', a n d third
s c u l p t u r e , Hour of the Traces of 1930, p e r m i t s a r e a d i n g of m o r e t h a n a n
aesthetic r e l a t i o n s h i p to M e x i c o b u t r a t h e r a Bataille-like e x p e r i e n c e of the
e t h o s of Aztec c u l t u r e . It is the i m a g e r y of " r A r n e r i q u e d i s p a r u e " a n d the o t h e r
r e p o r t s of Aztec c u l t u r e p u b l i s h e d in Docummts\.\\t full series of w h i c h
G i a c o m c t t i carefully g u a r d e d his e n t i r e l i f e t i m e " that p r o v i d e s a possible
r e a d i n g of Hour of the Traces as t h e ecstatic i m a g e of h u m a n sacrifice. For t h e
figure at t h e top of t h e w o r k , w h o s e rictus is either that of e x t r e m e ecstasy o r
p a i n (or as Bataille w o u l d h a v e it, b o t h ) , a p p e a r s posed o n a n a l t a r below
whicli swings t h e form of a d i s e m b o d i e d h e a r t .

38, J a r ( i u c s D u p i n , Alberto Giatometii, Paris, M u c g h t , 1962, p. 88.

.39. J a c q u c s D u p i n lold m c tluU wltcn he b r g a n work on his nionogra >h o n ( r i a c o m r u i , (he
sculptor lent him his o w n carcfully proicctctl, full set Documents t o work f r o m . F o r o n e of (he
Dociot\a\ti articles o n this subjcct, illustrated by codex representations of the victims a n d the places
of sacrifice, see R o g e r Herv5, "Sacrificcs h u m a i n s dtt C c n t r e - A m c r i q u e , " Documents, II, n o . 4
(1930).
40. Cahiers d'Art, no. 10 (1929), 45G, r e p r o d u c e s a pliolograph of a n Aztcc p y r a m i d t o p p e d by
a n a l t a r whose s t r u c t u r e is suggestive fur that of t'/lewe des tnues.
 No Afore Play 61

Hour of the Traces i n i m c d i a l c l y prcccdcil Suspended Hall. T h e two s c u l p t u r e s

a r e s t r u c t u r a l l y c o n n e c t e d b y v i r t u e of their s h a r e d play with a p e n d a n t ele-
m e n t s w u n g f r o m a cagelike s u p p o r t . W i t h i n t h e u n i v e r s e of ideas associated at
that m o m e n t to A/.tec c u l t u r e , t h e s c u l p t u r e s m a y b e t h e m a t i c a l l y c o n n e c t e d as
well. But w i t h o u t a n y d o u b t they a r e both assimilable to G i a c o m e t t i ' s fully
e l a b o r a t e d a c c o u n t s of his o w n t h o u g h t s uf sadism a n d violence. A U h o u g h lirst
p u b l i s h e d in Breton's m a g a z i n e , a text like "Mier, sables m o u v a n t s , " with its
f a n t a s y of r a p e ("the whole forest r a n g with their cries a n d groans") a n d
s l a u g h t e r , h a s little to d o with the n o t i o n s of convulsive b e a u t y a u t h o r i z e d by
s u r r e a l i s m . * ' Its r e l a t i o n s h i p is to G e o r g e s Bataille, w h o s e o w n w r i t i n g a n d
p r e o c c u p a t i o n s seem to h a v e given G i a c o m e t t i p e r m i s s i o n to express these fan-
tasies of b r u t a l i t y . Like his lifetime a t t a c h m e n t lo Bataille's m a g a z i n e ,
G i a c o m e t t i ' s w r i t i n g a b o u t violence as in his essay o n J a c q u e s Callot o r his
text " L e reve, le S p h i n x et la m o r t d e T . " c o n t i n u e d well b e y o n d t h e 1930s

41 A l b r r t o O i a c o m c t l i , ' H i c r . subles m o u v a n t s , ' ' Le Suniaititne au lervice de let reielulion. no. 5

(1933).

Allferio Oiacoinelti. T h e H o u r ol' t h e

T r a c e s . /9.30. IVhereahouts unknown.

Aslec pyramid. (Published in C a h i e r s d ' a r i ,

no. JO (J929).)
62 Modernist Myrhs

a n d his r e p u d i a t i o n of s u r r e a l i s m . lit b o t h their s t r u c t u r e a n d i m a g e r y these

texts o f t e n call Bataille to m i n d . * '
I said b e f o r e that alteradon f u n c t i o n s as a Bataillian c o n c e p t b e c a u s c of t h e
primal contradiction that operates its relation to m e a n i n g , such diat the signilier
oscillates c o n s t a n t l y b e t w e e n t w o poles. T h i s s a m e kind of oscillation of m e a n -
ing (for the c o m p l e x i t y involved t h e m o r e a c c u r a t e t e r m might be migration) is
w h a t is put into play by Suspended Ball. F o r t h o u g h t h e work is siructurtrd as a
b i n a r y o p p o s i t i o n , with the t w o sexes, m a l e a n d f e m a l e , j u x t a p o s e d a n d con-
t r a s t e d , the v a l u e of each of these t e r m s d o e s not r e m a i n fixed. Kach e l e m e n t
c a n b e r e a d as t h e s y m b o l of e i d i e r t h e m a s c u l i n e o r f e m i n i n e sex ( a n d for the
ball, in a d d i t i o n to a n i n t e r p r e t a t i o n as testicles, t h e r e a r e the a d d i t i o n a l , possi-
ble s e m a n t i c v a l u e s of b u t t o c k s a n d e y e , n e i t h e r of these d e t e r m i n e d by
g e n d e r ) . T h e identification of e i t h e r f o r m within a n y given r e a d i n g of tlu;
work is possible only in opposition to its m a t e ; a n d ihe.se r e a d i n g s circulate
t h r o u g h a c o n s t a n t l y shifting ( h e a t e r of r e l a t i o n s h i p s , cycling t h r o u g h the m e t a -
p h o r i c s t a t e m e n t of h e t e r o s e x u a l c o t m e c t i o n into the d o m a i n s of transgressive
s e x u a l i t y m a s t u r b a t o r y , h o m o s e x u a l , sadistic a n d back a g a i n . The trans-
gression c o n t a i n e d in t h e sculpture's s i g n i f y i n g g e s t u r e , we s h o u l d note, sets it
a p a r t s i m u l t a n e o u s l y f r o m Breton's a d a m a n t rejection of the sexually p e r v e r s e ,
a n d the r a t h e r a n o d i n e , formal jeux d'esprit of Picasso's t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s of the
h u m a n b o d y in t h e late '20s, wilh which Suspended Ball is o f t e n c o m p a r e d . * ^ In
its c o n t i n u a l m o v e m e n t , its c o n s t a n t " a l t e r a t i o n , " (his play of m e a n i n g is t h u s
the e n a c t m e n t in the symbolic r e a l m of the literal m o t i o n of the work's p e n d u l a r
action.

A l t h o u g h the a l t e r ( n ) a t i o n ot Suspended Ball is c o n s t a n t , it is n o n e t h e l e s s

r e g u l a t e d in a w a y that is entirely s t r u c t u e d by the possibilities of m e t a p h o r i c a l
e x p a n s i o n of its two e l e m e n t s w e d g e a n d s p h e r e a n d the oscillations of their
sexual values. In this erotic play within a s t r u c t u r a l l y closed system, the sculp-
lurtr p a r t i c i p a t e s in the d a e m o n i c logic of Bataille's I'llistorie de I'OEil. In
Bataille's w o r k , w h i c h as R o l a n d B a r t h c s p o i n t s o u t is literally the story of an
object the e y e - a n d w h a t h a p p e n s to it ( a n d not to the novel's c h a r a c t e r s ) , a

12. All>rrii Gi.'iroiiifiti, "A (iropos do J a c q u c s C a l l o t , " luibjrintfie, n o . 7 (April 15, 1945), 3.
T h i s essay rclaics the fascination with h o r r o r a n d (Icstruclion on the part of CaDoi, G o y a , a n d
(Jcricaidt: "For t h r s r artists there is a frenetic desire for destruction in every realnt. u p t o that of
h u i n a j i consciousness itself." In a thought that is olwiously close to Bataille, G i a c o m e t t i com hities
dial in o r d e r to uiiderMand this o n e would have t o speak, "on t h e one h a n d of t h e p l e a s u r e in
de.struction that o n e finds m c h i l d r e n , of their cruelly . . a n d o n the other liaml of the subject-
m a t t e r of art." "I..<- reve, le Sphinx et la m o r t tie T . , " I^ibiyinthe, no. 22/23 ( D e c e m b e r 15. 1946),
12-13. Not only does the story ol the .spider, in the d r e a m recounted in this texl, recall Bataille's
i h e m e of the in/ormr, but the description o f T . ' s h e a d , r e n d e r e d hideously objective by d e a t h , is
p u r e Bataille. I n c o m e ' a n object, a little, m e a s u r a b l e , insignificant box," the h e a d is seen lis a rot-
ting c a d a v e r , "miserable debris t o be t h r o w n a w a y , " into the m o u t h of which, to (liacomctti's h o r -
ror, a lly e n t e r s .
43. I lohl ileclares, for e x a m p l e , "li is certain that the club a n d sphere f o r m s that Picass<i elabo-
lated in his i*iojft pour un inonumml inforine<l t h e s i r u t l i i r e of SmptnHeti A ; / / ( l l o h l , 1972, p. 111).
 ;\'o More Play 63

(-onciition of m i g r a t i o n is established in which the otiject is, as it w e r e ,

"declined" t h r o u g h v a r i o u s v e r b a l states. As a g l o b i d a r e l e m e n t t h e eye is
t r a n s f o r m e d t h r o u g h a scries of m e t a p h o r s by m e a n s of w h i c h , at a n y given
point in t h e n a r r a t i v e , o t h e r g l o b u l a r objects a r e s u b s t i t u t e d for it: eggs,
testicles, t h e s u n . As a n object c o n t a i n i n g fluid, t h e e y e simultatieously gives
rise to a s e c o n d a r y series related lo the lirst: yolk, tears, u r i n e , s p e r m . The
two m e t a p h o r i c series t h u s establish a systetn of c o m b i n a t i o n by m e a n s of
which t e r m s can interact to p r o d u c e a n e a r infinity of i m a g e s . T h e s u n , m e t a -
p h o r i z e d as eye an<l yolk, c a n be de.scribed as "(laccid l u m i n o s i t y , " a n d c a n give
rise lo t h e p h r a s e "(he u r i n a r y liquifaction of the sky." Yet ii is m o r e correct lo
c h a r a c t e r i z e the t w o m e t a p h o r i c a l scries as two c h a i n s of signifiers, " b e c a u s e for
each o n e it is obvious that a n y t e r m is n e v e r a n y t h i n g b u t t h e signifier of a
n e i g h b o r i n g term."*'* Aiul if, as o n e part of o n e c h a i n coruiecis to that of the
o t h e r , (his combinatoirr is a m a c h i n e for t h e p r o d u c t i o n of i m a g e s , it is essential
to n o t e that b e c a u s e uf the logical c o n s t r a i n t s r e g u l a t i n g the c h a i n s , there is
n o t h i n g surrealist in (hese " e n c o u n l e r s " ; (hey a r e not m e e t i n g s by c h a n c c .
T h e s t r u c t u r e of these m e t a p h o r i c s u b s t i t u t i o n s t h u s p r o d u c e s not only
t h e c o u r s e of the erotic action of die n a r r a t i v e , b u t the v e r b a l fabric t h r o u g h
which t h e rmV is w o v e n . A n d this aspect iyf {'Hiiloirede I'OKil is also i m p o r t a n t to
c o m p a r e to t h e action o{ Suspended Hatl. F o r , conceived as t h e action of m e t a -
p h o r , the story of the eye is not the story of a literal eye. D e p r i v e d of a point of
origin in die real world, a m o m e n t that would be a n t e r i o r to the m e t a p h o r i c a l
t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s , c o n f e r r i n g tm t h e m b o t h their point of d e p a r t u r e a n d their
sense, the story h a s n o privileged t e r m . A s B a r t h e s says of t h e work's s t r u c t u r e ,
"the p a r a d i g m h a s no b e g i n n i n g a n y w h e r e . " Because the eye's sexual identity
r e m a i n s perfectly a m b i g u o u s (a r o u n d phallicism), t h e n a r r a t i v e d o e s not h a v e
a single sexual f a n t a s y h i d d e n w i t h i n its d e p t h s that w o u l d p r o v i d e its uUirnatc
m e a n i n g . " W e a r e left no o t h e r possibility t h a n to rellect o n a perfectly spherical
m e t a p h o r within I'Histoire de t'OEii. e a c h of its t e r m s is a l w a y s (he signifier of
a n o t h e r t e r m ( a n d no t e r m is ever a s i m p l e signified), w i t h o u t t h e relay ever be-
ing a b l e to b' halted."*^
T h i s r o u n d phallicism, this collapse of distinction b e t w e e n what is properly
m a s c u l i n e a n d what is p r o p e r l y f e m i n i n e , this o b l i t e r a t i o n of d i f f e r e n c e , is for
logic w h a t t h e p e r v e r s i o n s a r e for e r o t i c i s m : it is transgressive. As Baiaille ex-
plains in his " D i c t i o n a r y entr>'" in Documents for t h e w o r d infome, philosophy's
task is to m a k e s u r e that e v e r y t h i n g has its p r o p e r f o r m . Its d e f i n e d b o u n d a r i e s ,
i(s limits. But certain w o r d s , a n d injorme is o n e of t h e m , h a v e a c o n t r a r y mis-
sion. T h e i r task is to declassify, to strip a w a y the " m a t h e m a t i c a l frockcoats"
that philosophy d r a p e s o v e r e v e r y t h i n g . Because by o p e n i n g o n t o Ibrmlessness,

44. Koliiiiri R.-irilu-s. 'l^ji i n r t n p h o r c <li* IWil," (Uinifut, no. Hri-fti) ( T l ' l . M y disiiiMioo
of llic stj'uciurc of nu'taplior in Buiaillr's novel follow.s thai of Burihcs.
45. Ibid.. p. 773.
64 Modcrnisl Mvihs

to th<r collapse of d i f f c r c n c c , informe " c o m e s d o w n lo s a y i n g that the workl is

s o m e t h i n g like a spider o r a piece of spit (crachat),"*''/n/on7r d e n o t e s what
a l t e r a t i o n jiroduces, the r e d u c t i o n of m e a n i n g or v a l u e , not by c o n t r a d i c t i o n
which w o u l d b e dialeclical but by p u t r e f a c t i o n : the p u n c t u r i n g of t h e limits
a r o u n d the t e r m , ihe r e d u c t i o n to t h e s a m e n e s s of the c a d a v e r - w h i c h is t r a n s -
gressive. R o u n d phallicism is a d e s t r u c t i o n o f ' m e a n i n g / b e i n g . T h i s is not to say
that t h e objccls a n d i m a g e s of I'llisloire de I'OEil o r Suspended Hall literally h a v e
n o f o r m by r e s e m b l i n g spittle, b u t r a t h e r that the work they d o is to collapse
difference. T h e y a r e m a c h i n e s for d o i n g this.
Bataille's " D i c t i o n a r y " w a s d e d i c a t e d to r e v e a l i n g t h e j o b s that w o r d s d o . * '
H i s m a g a z i n e Documents, within which it w a s h o u s e d , also h a d a "job," a n d p a n
of this w a s to use e t h n o g r a p h i c d a t a to t r a n s g r e s s t h e n e a t b o u n d a r i e s of t h e a r t
world with its categories b a s e d o n form. T h i s is the "hard" use of p r i m i t i v i s m , as
o p p o s e d to w h a t I r e f e r r e d to as the "soft" o r aesthet icized view of it. It certainly
c a n n o t limit itself to b o r r o w i n g this o r that s h a p e f r o m t h e r e p e r t o r y of
p r i m i t i v e objects the w a y e v e n art-school s t u d e n t s ( p a r t i c u l a r l y within the
d e c o r a t i v e a r t s ) w e r e b e i n g e n c o u r a g e d to d o d u r i n g the 19208.*" I n s t e a d it u.ses
the "primitive" in an e x p a n d e d sense ( a l t h o u g h with close a t t e n t i o n to
e t h n o g r a p h i c detail), to e m b e d a r t in a n e t w o r k t h a t , in its philosophical
d i m e n s i o n , is violently anti-idealist a n d a n t i h u n u m i s t . Bataille e n d s his article
" P r i m i t i v e Art" by invoking the m o d e r n art t h a t he respects, art that " r a t h e r
Cjuickly p r e s e n t e d a process of d e c o m p o s i t i o n a n d d e s t r u c t i o n , which has b e e n
n o less p a i n f u l lo most p e o p l e t h a n would h a v e b e e n the sight of t h e d e c o m p o s i -
tion a n d d e s t r u c t i o n of a cadaver."*^ Intellectual realism"Luquet's
acstheticizing, cognitively c o n s t r u c t i v e c a t e g o r y , which itself owes m u c h to the
early d e f e n s e of cubist painting^"^-will n o m o r e a d d r e s s t h e c o n d i t i o n s of this
"rotting p a i n t i n g , " Bataille insists, l h a n it c a n a d d r e s s t h e whole of s c u l p t u r e in
g e n e r a l . W h e n it c o m e s Bataille's t u r n in Documents to think a b o u t Picasso's
work, h e d o e s so u n d e r t h e r u b r i c "Soleil Pourri."'
O n l y t h r o u g h (his e x p a n d e d c o n c e p t i o n of t h e "job" t h a t primitivism per-
f o r m e d for the dissident surrealists can we think a b o u t the brilliance of a
s c u l p t u r e like Suspended Ball o r a d j i u l i c a t e a m o n g the claims a b o u t t h e "source"

46. " I n f o n n c " w a s Bataille's cntr)' in t h e "Diclionnaire" of Doiumntt, I, n o . 7 (1929).

47. For a discussion of Bniiiille's *Dictionar>'" within the context of t h e various a v a n t - g a r d e dic-
tionaries, .see Denis Hollier, La hue de fa C^ntotde, p p . 5 9 - 6 5 .
4B. For cxainj>le, a four-v(lunie series of ph<iiograpmc reproductions was pubti.<ihcd specifically
for the instruction of arts a n d design s t u d e n i s u n d e r ihe title La decoraUon primiiiit, (^alavas
Kditeiir, Paris, 1922. T h e volumes w e r e equally devoted 10 African, O c e a n i c , a n d i>rc-
C o l u m h i a n objects, b o i h sculpturc.s a n d textiles.
49. Baiaille, OF.uvrei Compl'eteu vol. I. p . 253.
50. F o r e x a m p l e , Apollinaire insists in Les feintut cubisiei ( P a r i s , 1913) ihai ctibism "is not a n
arl of imitation, but a n art of conception." O r , in Lager's essay "Ixrs O r i g i n c s d e la peiiuurc et sa
v a l c u r representative* (^Vfonz/'oiV.', n o . 8 ( M a y 19 J3], 7), he c o n c e n t r a t e s u n die dilference In-tween
' v i s u a l realism" a n d a "reali-sm of c o n c e p t i o n . "
51. T h i s a p p e a r e d in t h e special issue u n Picasso, Documtnls, II, no. 3 (1930).
 ;\'o More Play 65

Albato CiacomeHi. Hea<l. 1934. Plastfr.

IVlirrftihoulv toiknoum.

of Invisible Object. I'^or t h e e l a b o r a t e n e t w o r k of t h e p r i m i l i v e that h a d b e e n

d e v e l o p e d by the e a r l y '30s t e n d s to provi<le a s c u l p t u r e like Invisible Object with
m a n y i n t e r c o n n e c t e d r e f e r e n c e s , t h u s s u p p o r t i n g not only Hohl's assertions
a b o u t t h e work but Breton's a n d Leiris's as well, a n d o p e n i n g o n t o still f u r t h e r
c o n d i t i o n s that g r e n e r a t e d the w o r k .
If we start with Leiris's report a b o u t t h e little Swiss girl, which in the con-
text of this m o m e n t of ( i i a c o m e t t i ' s art is certainly t h e m o s t q u e s t i o n a b l e of
r e f e r e n t s , we see that in fact it lits into the c i r c u m s t a n c e s s u r r o u n d i n g the
d e v e l o p m e n t of the w o r k . Breton r e p o r t s that the first slage of t h e h e a d , t h e o n e
ultimately replaced by t h e m a s k f r o m the Ilea m a r k e t , w a s Hat a n d u n d e f i n e d ,
a l t h o u g h t h e c o n c e p t i o n of the eyes as large wheels the right o n e intact, the
left o n e b r o k e n c o n t i n u e d t h r o u g h the first a n d second v e r s i o n s . " J u s t p r i o r
to m a k i n g Invisible Object, in 1934, Giacornetti m a d e a plaster that fits Breton's
description a n d w a s u n d o u b t e d l y the sketch for the initial i<lea of the figure's
h e a d . W h e r e the final version is crystalline a n d d e f i n e d , the plaster sketch is
llabby a n d almost formless, but w h a t c o n n e c t s the two c o n c e p t i o n s ( b e y o n d the
wheel-like eyes) is the condition of b e i n g a m a s k . ^ ' For the plaster head is clearly

52. Rrcton, Dvcummts 34, 20.

53. T h e y e a r before m a k i n g ihe plaster mask/sketch for Inuisihle Object, G i a c o m c t l i executed
a n o t h e r "mask" in plaster: the derorined h e a d of Flower in Danger {{923). 1'hiji sculpture, with ils
images of incipient decapitation of the flower/head, is like a little macJiine for the p r o d u c t i o n uf
the ace{Aale. It is possible (hat n plaster head by A r p , published in ibe special issue o n surrealism
in Vari^a ( J u n e 1929), c o n t r i b u t e d to the notion of t h e h e a d a s a m a s k in the process of d c c o m -
|M>siti(m,
(iti Motlernisi Myihs

Alberto Cituometti. F l o w e r in D a n g e r . 193'J.

Wood, melal, phuer, 21V by 30% by 7H
intbes. The Alberto GiQcomeiii Foundation,
Kunsthaus, /.utiek.

copicd f r o m o n e of t h e carnival m a s k s p h o t o g r a p h e d b y J a c q u e s - A n d r c Boiffard

a n d r e p r o d u c e d in Documents to a c c o m p a n y ( J e o r g e s I J m b o u r ' s text "Eschylc, le
C a r t i a v a l et les Civilises."^"*
T h e setting for L i m b o u r ' s m e d i t a t i o n o n this subject is a chaotic gen<Tal
store in which the a u t h o r w a t c h e s a little girl shyly pick u p a c a r n i v a l m a s k of a
b e a r d e d m a n a n d , t r y i n g it o n , t r a n s f o r m herself into a kind of Lolita by lasciv-
iously r u n n i n g h e r t o n g u e a l o n g t h e lips of the p a p i e r - m a c h e face. T h e vivid
description of this "Salome <if the streets" m a y well be the vehicle of association
with the little Swiss girl.
T h e rest of L i m b o u r ' s arlicle also r e w a r d s a t t e n i i t m . S p e a k i n g lirst of t h e
c o n c e p t i o n of d e a t h into which the g r i m a c i n g m a s k s of G r e e k t r a g e d y froze
t h e mobility of t h e h u m a n face, L i m b o u r t h e n t u r n s to primitive m a s k s . For the
Documents g r o u p a s well as for t h e o r t h o d o x surrealists, the p r e f e r r e d d o m a i t i of
54. Documenls, 11, no. 2 (1930), 97-102.
 ;\'o More Play 67

Jean Arp. H<';ul. 1929. /'wWnArt/iM Varit'u's

June J929), special issue: Surrealism in 1929.

p r i m i t i v e art v^ras n o lotiger that of A l r i c a ( w h i c h w a s c o n s i d e r e d l o o r a t i o n a l ,

t o o f o r m a l i s t ) b u t t h a t of O c e a n i a , a n d it is t o this t h a t L i m b o u r r e f e r s . " In a
pa.ssage r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of t h e a n g r i l y a n t i c o l o n i a l i s t f e e l i n g of b o t h g r o u p s ,
L i m b o u r c a s t i g a t e s t h e v i o l a t i o n of t h e s e t e r r i t o r i e s b y (he w h i t e m a n , w h o s u b -
s t i t u t e s his " m i s s i o n a r i e s of L e n t , his p a p e r - m a c h e J e s u i t s " for t h e i n c r e d i b l e
force of t h e M e l a n e s i a n c o n c e p t i o n of lite mask.^"> A n d in a n i m a g e t h a t is r i g h t
o u t of Bataille's c o n c e p t i o n of d i e soleilpourri, h e s p e a k s of t h e faces c a r v e d o n t o
t h e g r e a t poles s t u c k i n t o t h e e a r t h , " s t a r i n g s t r a i g h t i n t o t h e sun."' F l a v i n g
r a p e d t h e S o u t h S e a s to sencl its s a c r e d o b j e c t s b a c k to t h e a r t m a r k e t s a n d
!>r>. I'lii' c.Niiinpti-, tltr .\ui'r'iili\l iMa]> nf t h e worlci in p l a c c s O c e a n i a al i h e v e r y c e n t e r
( yarielts j j u n e 19291; SurrealiMii in 1929).
5(>. In 1931 I.OUIH A r a g o n o r g - t n i m l a n iin(icolt)niali.xl r x h i h i l i o n in a i n e c l i n g hall in t h e r u e
<ie )a G r u n g e - b u i c t i e r e . to p r o t e s t t h e ofliciul Exposition CoioniaU. G i u c o m c t l i ' s c o n t r i b u t i o n c o n -
sisietl o f (Kiliiical cnrttKtn d r a w i n g s . l \ v o p h o t o g r a p h s of ihe rtxiiii set u p b y A r u g o n , E l u a r d , a n d
T a n g u y l o r t h e exliibition /-<j Vaite sur In colonies a p p e a r in Le SunealiftTu j service dt la rhvlution,
n o , 4 ( I ) e r e i n l ) e r 1931),
57. "Soleil p o u r r i " c o t K e n t r a t e s o n t h e M i t h r i a c cult a n d t h e s p a s m o d i c practices incited b y
ItKiking i n t o t h e stin. T h i s t h e m e w a s e h i l x t r a l c d in t h e series o f texts e n t i t l e d "L'oeil p i n e a l . "
6H Modernist Mvths

Jacqufi-Andre Boiffard. Photograph. Published

in D o c u m e n t s . / / , no. 2 (1930).

"La Protection des hommes, 'Jrorn VaritU(5s,

/ / . no. 9 (January 1930).

T r o c a d e r o s of "civilization," t h e West has also d e v e l o p e d its o w n m a s k s , o n e s ,

L i m b o u r writes, that a r e w o r t h y of A e s c h y l u s . T h e s e , of c o u r s e , are the g a s
m a s k s that a l o n e a r e a u t h e n t i c to o u r t i m e s . "Because if religion, the cult of (he
d e a d , a n d the festivals of D i o n y s o s t u r n e d the m a s k into a sacred, ritual o r n a -
n j e n t a m o n g t h e v a r i o u s a n c i e n t peoples, we too h a v e o u r o w n religion, o u r
o w n societal g a m e s , a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y o u r o w n m a s k s . O n l y tlur g e n e r a l s t a n -
t l a r i / a t i o n of o u r a g e r e q u i r e s that we all w e a r t h e s a m e o n e . "
T h e t h o u g h t of t h e g a s m a s k , which substitutes for t h e " h u m a n i t y " of the
face a horrific i m a g e of the b r u t a l i t y of i n d u s t r i a l i z e d w a r , h a d b e c o m e <rx-
tremely widespr(;ad a m o n g t h e 1920s a v a n t - g a r d e . A suite of p h o t o g r a p h s in
Varietes s h o w i n g w e a r e r s of gas m a s k s a n d o t h e r k i n d s of mcclianical devices
displays this fascitiation for w h a t m o d e r n i m a g i n a t i o n h a s d r e a m e d to replace
the h e a d of man.^ As with all t h e m e c h a n i c a l c a n d i d a t e s , b u t with e x t r a o r -
dinary' force in t h e case of t h e gas m a s k , this s u b s t i t u t e calls to m i n d not h i g h e r
stages in the evolution of t h e species but m u c h , m u c h lower on<rs. Be< a u s e the
wearcrr of the gas m a s k looks like n o t h i n g so m u c h as an insect.
T h e m a n with t h e insect h e a d is injorme, a l t e r e d . W h a t s h o u l d b e t h e sign
of his highest faculties, his m i n d , his spirit, h a s b e c o m e lowly, like the c r u s h e d
s p i d e r , o r the e a r t h w o r m . T h e m a n with the insect head is, like t h e d e f o r m e d

58. "Aboutissemcni.s dc la i n c t h u n i q u c , " Variiiis II, no. 9 ( J a n t u i r y 1930).

 ;\'o More Play 69

rri

Alhrriu Ciacomefii. C i i g c . 1931. Wood, 19 Vi Alherlo Ciacotnefti. \V>inai, H e a d , Trci*

inches high. Modana Muieei, Stockholm. J930. Piaster.

an(hropuid.N of the eaves, acephale: a transgressive t h o u g h t of t h e h u m a n . ^ ^ T h e

t e r m is, of c o u r s e , Bataille's, a n d in liis work it f u n c t i o n e d as a k i n d of p a s s w o r d
by which to e n t e r the c o n c e p t u a l t h e a t e r w h e r e h u m a n i t y displays the richness
of its c o n t r a d i c t o r y c o n d i t i o n . F o r acephale o p e n s o n t o t h e e x p e r i e n c e of m a n ' s
v e r t i c a l i t y h i s elevation in both its biological a n d m o r a l s i g n i l i c a n c e - ' a s a
n e g a t i o n : a d e v e l o p m e n t towar<l the primitive, an a s c e n d a n c e d o w n w a r d . As
we shall see, this c o n c e p t u a l inversion also played a s t r u c t u r a l role in the re-
d e f m i t i o n of s c u l p t u r e that G i a c o m e t t i e x p l o r e d in these years. I$ut for G i a c o -
m e t t i , as well as for m a n y of his fellow artists, ils most o b v i o u s inipact w a s
thematic.
W i t h i n the i m a g i n a t i v e circuit of the period we a r e c o n s i d e r i n g , the m a n
with t h e insect head is also the woman wilh (he insect h e a d : the p r a y i n g m a n t i s .
' F h e s y m b o l of a collapse of t h e distinction b e t w e e n life or procreativity a n d
d e a t h , the p r a y i n g m a n t i s fascinated (he v a n g u a r d of Variithy Documents, a n d
Minotaure o n (he l)asis of a single detail: t h e f e m a l e of the species w a s k n o w n (o
59. Bataille's concent rut ion o n llie acephale le<i, in 1936, t o the creation of a j o i i m n l of that
n a m e for which Masstin designed the cover. O n e of his early t r c a t i n e n l s of the representation of
m a n in a n c i e n t c u l t u r e was his text " i x has m a t e r i a l i s m e et la gnose," Dotunvnts. i l . no.
1 (1930), 1 - 8 . L e o h'rolmnius deals with (his t h e m e in 'Bi^tes h u t n m e s ou dieux," Cahitrs d'ari, n o .
10 (1929).
70 Modernist Mvths }
cat its p a r t n e r a l t e r , o r even d u r i n g , copulati<n. Because ol the strongly a n -
i h r o p o m o r p h i c c h a r a c t e r of this insect, its m a t i n g h a b i t s s e e m e d e x t r e m e l y
p o r t e n t o u s to t h e surrealists. R o g e r (Jaillois's essay {>n t h e m a n t i s , p u b l i s h e d in
Afinotaurr in 1934, which b e c a m e the basis of his l a t e r sttidies of t h e f u n c t i o n of
myd> a n d the a m b i g u i t y of the sacretl, r e p o r t e d that B r e t o n , E l u a r d , a n d Dali
all kept large collections of these insects, in cagcs.**"
Caillois's essay reUrased a s w a r m of p r a y i n g m a n t i s e s o n t o the surfaces of
surrealist p a i n t i n g / " ' But even b e f o r e 1934 the insect had a p p e a r e d in
( i i a c o m e t t i ' s w o r k as well as Krnst's. Ciiacometti's 1930 Woman, Head, Tree
d e p i c t s du> w o m a n as a m a n t i s attd s e e m s to h a v e i n t r o d u c e d the p r o d u c t i o n of
the t w o Cages of the following y e a r . In both of these a n a b s t r a c t e d i m a g e of t h e
m a n t i s is at work within the n i g h t m a r i s h c o n f i n e s of the s c u l p t u r e , a t t a c k i n g ils
ma.sculine p a r i n e r emblematically lepresenlt'd by a simple sphere, or c r a n i u m .
W i t h these Cages, the m a n t i s a p p e a r s as well as to h a v e b e e n t h o u g h t throtigh
the m e d i u m of e x t r e m e f o r m a l d i s j u n c t i o n that vvas consi<lered to be the m a j o r
visual <-haracterisiic 4>r(.)ceanic a r t , giving it its p o w e r ^ < 1 ils savage poeli'y.
O n e of the several madang^an f r o m N e w Ireland that could h a v e b e e n k n o w n to
G i a c o m e t t i al this time is e x t r e m e l y suggestive as a possible s o u r c e for the idea
of a disjoint, cageil ligure.^^ A n d in the analysis of M e l a n e s i a n motifs that C a r l
I'jnstein p u b l i s h e d in the 1920s, t h e maUangi^on's s t r u c t u r e , conceived as a
c r a n i u m c o n t a i n e d within a scailoldiiig of b o n e s that is the p r i m i t i v e reconcep-
tion of the skelelon, is e v e n m o r e suggestive f<r an ict)nologi< al r e a d i n g of the
Cage.^*

A l t e r this ii w a s l i r n s t w h o took u p the ( h e m e of die m a n t i s a n d in his pro-

duction of Une Srmaine de lionte, executed in 1933, o n e finds (he image imbeddetl
within a whole o e u v r e d e d i c a t e d to t h e c o n d i t i o n s of the acephale."''* In o n e
c h a p t e r of this collage novel in which the h u m a n ( m a l e ) hirad is replaced by
e v e r y t h i n g f r o m w o r m s to birtls to lions, the actors a r e depicled with t h e h e a d s
of the great Raster Island s t a t u e s , a n d j u x t a p o s e d lo o n e such figure regaixling
(ii)self in a m i r r o r is a m a n t i s in t h e aci of consuning h e r mate."''
Thtr r a p p o r t b e t w e e n ( J i a c o m e t t i a n d Krnst d u r i n g (he early 1930s
resulted in Ernst's visit to the G i a c o m e t t i family's s u m m e r h o u s e at M a l o j a in
1934, w h e r e wilh G i a c o m e t t i ' s h e l p iM'nst t n a d e a series of sculi)tures by slightly

61). Roger Caillois, "La niaiuc rcligicu-sc," Minolautt, I, no. .') ( M a y 1934), 25. See al.so, "La
Nature ei raiiKiur.' Vatirif^. II, n<i, 2 ( J u n e 1929).
61. William 1're.s.sly, "'llie Praving M a n t i s in Surrealisi A n , " Art Bulleltn, I A ' ( D e c e m b e r
1973), r>(H>-0l5.
62. Hohl traces ihe UM.'orthe sphere as the mcionymic rcpreseniulion of the male, in the works
of i h e v years ( l l o h l , 1972, pp. a i - B 2 ) .
<)3. T h i s is D 62.2.10 of ihe M u s e e d e s Arts africains el Oc<5anicn8, formerly in the collection
of M . Girarilin.
64. (>arl Kinstcin, "Sc ulptures melanc.Mennes," L'Amoui de I'ait, no. 8 (1926), 255.
65. Ivrnsl's I'nnme 100 Tetes (1929) was nominally dedicateii lo this t h e m e even though it docs
not directly illustrate it.
66. line Semaine fie Honle, 168.
;\'oMore Play 71

Max Etnst. Callage Jwm U n e S e t n a i n c ilc

Hot>it\ 19.14. pijih book. Element: Darkneis.
Example: Raster hland.

Mallanggen. New Ireland Painted Wood.

Musee des Arts Ajricains ei Oeraniens, Paris.
72 Modcrnisl Myths

r e w o r k i n g a n d e t c h i n g large s t o n e s t h a t the t w o m e n d r a g g e d front the glacial

m o r a i n e . 'I'hc figures Krnst c h o s e lo r e p r e s e n t o n these s c u l p t u r e s w e r e b o t h (he
b i r d s f r o m the E a s t e r I s l a n d cults a n d t h e P a p u a n b i r d f r o m N e w G u i n e a , with
w h i c h E r n s l identified a n d w h i c h h e u s e d as his a l t e r ego L o p l o p . ^ ' M u c h of t h e
s c u l p t u r e that E r n s t w e n t on to m a k e in the following y e a r s s h o w s the ell'ects of
this visit o n his a r t . H i s Lunar Asparagus ( 1 9 3 5 ) , for e x a m p l e , is o b v i o u s l y in-
d e b t e d to i'rois personnages dans un pr'es, a w u r k r e s o n a n t with p r i m i t i v e associa-
t i o n s , w h i c h G i a c o m e t t i h a d set u p in 1930 in t h e Swiss countryside.^ But
the interest o b v i o u s l y r a n b o t h w a y s a s G i a c o m e t t i ' s Project for a Passageway
( 1 9 3 0 - 3 1 ) i n d i c a t e s , with ils closeness to i m a g e s like E r n s t ' s Anatomy of a lirtdeor
La lielle Jardiniere.
T h u s E r n s t ' s a s s o c i a t i o n in La Semaine de Bonte of t h e m a n t i s w i t h the c o n -
lexl of O c e a n i a a n d t h e site of the P a p u a n spirit b i r d p r o v i d e s yet o n e m o r e
aspect of t h e m a n y f a c t o r s that d e t e r m i n e d the c o n c e p t i o n of Invisible Object,
with its o w n i n c l u s i o n of a bird's h e a d r e m i n i s c e n t of L o p l o p ' s . It e s t a b l i s h e s a
c o n c e p t u a l site w i t h i n w h i c h to see h o w t h e logic o{ Invisible Object w o r k s to c o m -
b i n e t h e S o l o m o n I s l a n d s spirit of t h e <lead with t h e m y t h i c / b i o l o g i c a l p u r v e y o r
of d e a t h s u p p l i e d b y the f o r m of t h e m a n t i s . In B r e t o n ' s story of the s u b s t i t u t i o n
of o n e version of the w o r k ' s h e a d by a n o t h e r , w h a t w e c a n n o w reatl as (he c o n -
stant f a c t o r is t h e idea of t h e h e a d a s a m a s k , a n d the figure, t h e r e f o r e , a s
acephale. A s t h e m a s k itself b e c o m e s i n c r e a s i n g l y c r u e l ol a s p e c t , it m o r e a n d
m o r e closely r e s e m b l e s the p o i n t e d s h a p e of the m a n t i s ' s face, with its h u g e
s t a r i n g eyes.'' G i a c o m e t t i ' s a t t r a c t i o n to t h e f l e a - m a r k e t m a s k w a s i n d e e d , a s
Freud would have said, overdetcrmined.
O n e w i n g of G i a c o m e t t i s c h o l a r s h i p is e x t r e m e l y focused o n the p s y c h o -
b i o g r a p h i c a l u n d e r p i n n i n g s of his art 7 T o w h a t h a s b e e n said a b o u t (he fac(ors
c o n t r i b u t i n g to Invisible Object, this i n t e r p r e t i v e strategy w o u l d u n d o u b t e d l y
add a hallucinatory maternal presence hovering behind the Solomon Islands
spirit of the d e a d . D r e s s e d in b l a c k , the w o m a n w h o m G i a c o m e t t i r a p e s a n d
s l a u g h t e r s in his a d o l e s c e n t f a n t a s i e s is t h e s a m e w o m a n w h o e n t e r s the Palace
at 4 a.m. to d i s r u p t ils ero(ic idyll. T h e great p r o s c r i b e r of his s e x u a l i t y , she is

G7. AltlxHigh Ernst's r x t r n s i v e lollrrttoii of Occiinic art ((nlaincd other things as well, he
largely specialized in objects of the P a p u a n G u i r ( N e w G u i n e a ) , according to the researcli of
Philip)K- Peltier. (See Peltier in /Viwrti'inw in 2(Hh ('.mlury Att. T h e M u s e u m of M o d e r n A r t , New
York, I9fi-1.)
(iti. N o w d e s t r o y e d , (he wurk was )ublished in Minolautt, no. (1933), 40. Tiiere is a n ob-
vious r e s e m b l a n c e between these .stakelike per&onages driven dircctiy into die CTOund a n d the
tribal w < K K t e n |M)kts totemically car\'e(l a n d set into the e a r t h al the e n t r a n c e lo villages or houses,
t o protect a given a r e a , ifiat were widely k n o w n at (his time,
69. Giacotiietti spoke ol' his a((raction to O c e a n i c sculpture in t e r m s of the exaggeration of the
eyes: " N e w H e b r i d e s s c u l p t u r e is t r u e , a n d m o r e i h a n true, b e c a u s e it has a gaze. It's not the im-
itation of a n eye, it's |)ure y and simply a g a / e . All the rest is a pixm for (he g a z e . " Georges ( / h a r -
b o n n i e r . Le monologue du ^nire, I'aris, R e n e JuiJIiard, 1959, p . Iwi.
70. Tliis is d u e not only of l lohl's m o n o g r a p h , but alM) of the a p p r o a c h taken b y Yves Bon-
nefo^-, w h o is p r e p a r i n g a m a j o r study uf die artist. See " E t u d e s c o m p a r e s dc la h'onclion poeti-
(pie, Annuaiie du College de home, 19112. p p . 6 4 3 - 6 5 3 .
 ;\'o More Play 73

A n n c U a S t a n i p a G i a c o m c t t i . ^ ' It is possible to trace the way this m a t e r n a l force

was s i m u l t a n e o u s l y associated with the ideas of d e a t h that h a u n t his work a n d
its e q u a l l y s t r o n g focus o n p r e g n a n c y a n d b i r t h . G i a c o m e t t i w a s obsessed with
the idea of t h e rock that b e a r s f r u i t , or, as A r p h a d w r i t t e n , " T h e stones a r c full
of e n t r a i l s . Bravo. B r a v o . " " I n t e r e s t i n g as t h a t territory might be to explore, it
lies at a t a n g e n t to t h e subject of this s t u d y , a l t h o u g h in w h a t follows, wilh ils
c o n c e r n wilh d e a t h a n d the m o n u m e n t , t h e a d d i t i o n a l t e s t i m o n y of this per-
sonal, b i o g r a p h i c m o t i v a t i o n is certainly not u n w e l c o m e .
A n y artist's work can b e seen f r o m t h e v a n t a g e of e i t h e r of two, possibly
cimllicting, perspectives. O n e of the.sc looks at the o e u v r e f r o m within the
totality of t h e i n d i v i d u a l . The o i h e r r e g a r d s it, far m o r e i m p e r s o n a l l y , w i t h i n a
historical d i m e n s i o n , which is to say, c o m p a r a t i v e l y , in relation to the w o r k o f
o t h e r s a n d the collective d e v e l o p m e n t of a given m e d i u m . O f t e n these t w o
perspectives o v e r l a p . T h e s h a p e of M o n d r i a n ' s c a r e e r , for e x a m p l e , in ils
search for the neoplastic e l e m e n t s of p a i n t i n g , coincides with his position at t h e
f o r e f r o n t of the general d e v e l o p m e n t of a b s t r a c t i o n within t w e n t i e t h - c e n i u r y
art.
In G i a c o m e t t i ' s case this is not so. F o r Giaconietti's s c u l p t u r e viewed f r o m
the perspective of his individual o e u v r e is o v e r w h e l m i n g l y that of the m o n u -
m e n t : t h e single, vertical figure, raised c o m m e m o r a t i v e l y in s p a c e , hieratic,
i m m o b i l e , (all. F r o m (he Spoon Woman, to Invisible Object, to a n y of t h e 19r)0s
s t a n d i n g figures, we c a n follow the t r a j e c t o r y of this c o n c e r n , u s i n g il to bestow
a c o n c e p t u a l u n i t y o n G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t . But f r o m the point of view of t h e histor)'
of s c u l p t u r e an i m p e r s o n a l a n d far le.ss .sympathetic m e a s u r e - G i a c o m e t t i ' s
e n t i r e p r o d u c t i o n of the vertical m o n u m e n t is less interesting, which is to say,
less totally i n n o v a t o r y , t h a n the work h e m a d e in t h e y e a r s f r o m 1930 to 1933.
For that i n t e r v e n i n g work is h o r i z o n t a l .
T h e f o r m a l i n n o v a t i o n of those s c u l p t u r e s , almost wholly u n p r e p a r e d for
by a n y t h i n g else in the history of t h e m e d i u m , w a s their n i n e t y - d e g r e e ( u r n of
the axis of the m o n u m e n t (o fold its vertical d i m e n s i o n o n t o the h o r i z o n t a l i t y of
the e a r t h . In objects like Project for a Passageway, Head /Landscape, a n d the extra-
o r d i n a r y g a m e b o a r d s c u l p t u r e s like Circuit a n d "On n^ joue plus" t h e work itself
is simply a n d directly conceived of as a base. W e could challenge ihe in-
n o v a t o r y c h a r a c t e r of (his inven(ion by s a y i n g that a l r e a d y , in t h e t e e n s , Bran-
cusi h a d cancelled the distinction b e t w e e n s c u l p t u r e a n d b a s e , b u t we w o u l d
then b e missing the point of t h e p r o f o u n d originality of G i a c o m e t t i ' s m o v e . F'or
Brancusi's b a s e / s c u l p t u r e s r e m a i n vertical. T h e y c o n t i n u e to h o u s e t h e object
within t h e d o m a i n c r e a t e d b y t h e p r i m a l opposition b e t w e e n w h a t is not a r -
tistically d e t e r m i n e d the g r o u n d a n d w h a t is the s c u l p t u r e . T h e very axis

71. Giucuinctti, "Lc juilais d c q u a t r c h c u r c s , " A/tnttfourr, no. 3/4 (1933), 46.
72. Thiii is i h r e p i g r a p h for the cluipier of Unr Srmaint dr Ronit that contains t h e Easter Island
scciion. Giacometti's text, ' H i e r , s a h t r s m o u v a n t s , " Ix-gins with his a c c o u n t of the large n K k into
which he w<iuld crawl w h e n h e was a child, r e m a i n i n g there ff>r hours.
74 Modcrnisl Myths
J
yi/lage of (roui/e, Camrroon. Fublisked in
C i i l i i c r s d a r t . no. 7-li (1927).

of vcriicality d c c l a i c s t h e a p a r t n e s s of sculpture's r e p r e s e n t a i i o n a l field f r o m

t h e world of a c l u a l i l y , a n d this d i m e n s i o n is iradiiionally i n t r o d u c e d by the
u p r i g h t n e s s of a p e d e s t a l , wilh ils initiation of the lift of t h e work a b o v e t h e
g r o u n d , ils r e m o v a l f r o m t h e spa<e of i h e real. Like a p i c t u r e f r a m e , t h e pedes-
tal closes off t h e virtual field of r e p r c s e n t a i i o n f r o m the actual s p a c e a r o u n d it.
But if the p i c t u r e is s o m e h o w only its f r a m e , t h e n this distinction is not so
e a s y , a n d the r e p r e s e n t a t i o n b e g i n s to fuse with ils literal s u r r o u n d i n g s . T h i s
w a s t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of t h e s c u l p t u r a l that G i a c o m c t t i p u l in place b e l w e e n
1930 a n d 1933. Kor the rotation of t h e axis o n t o the horizontal p l a n e w a s fur-
t h e r specified by the c o n t e n t s of the work as the "lowering" of t h e o b j e c t ,
t h e r e b y j o i n i n g it s i m u l t a n e o u s l y to the g r o u n d a n d to the real to t h e actuality
of s p a c e a n d the literalness of m o t i o n in r e a l t i m e . F r o m the perspective of the
history of mo<lern s c u l p t u r e , this is t h e i n a u g u r a l act of G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t , with
i m p l i c a t i o n s for m u c h of what w a s to t a k e place in t h e r e t h i n k i n g of s c u l p t u r e
a f t e r W o r l d W a r IL A n d il is precisely wiihin this t h e a t e r of o p e r a t i o n s that we
o n c e a g a i n e n c o u n t e r G i a c o m e t t i ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p to tribal art a n d t h e p r i m i t i v e .
T h e earliest of these s c u l p t u r e s is Project for a Passageway ( 1 9 3 0 - 3 1 ) , an ob-
j e c t both close to Ernst's " a n a t o m i e s " a n d d e l e r m i n e d by the e t h n o g r a p h i c
m e t a p h o r of the b o d y as a cluster of A f r i c a n clay h u t s . " G i a c o m e t t i ' s a l t e r n a t e
n a m e for this work The Labyrinthvciuiorai^ the relationshij) of its c o n c e p t i o n
to t h e world of t h e p r i m i t i v e . ' * For in t h e t h i n k i n g of ihe early 1930s, with its
obsession with the M i n o t a u r , t h e l a b y r i n t h w a s set in p r i m a l o p p o s i t i o n to
classical architecture's c o i m o t a l i o n s of lucidity a n d the d o m i n a t i o n of space. In
the g r i p of the l a b y r i n t h , it is m a n w h o is d o m i n a t e d , d i s o r i e n t e d , lost.'^
W i t h t h e second of these h o r i z o n t a l s c u l p t u r e s t h e issue of rotation of ihe
axis b e c o m e s m o r e p r e s p i c u o u s . Head/Landscape w a s initially calle<l

73. Sec A m i r c (liclc, " A r c h i t c f i u r c n r g r e s . " Cahien d'art, n o . 7 / 8 ( 1 9 2 7 ) , p a n i c u l a r l y i h c image

o n p. 2ti!).
7't. Dif Sammhtng det Alfynto Giaconuui-Stijtwng, Kun.sthaus, Z u r i c h , 1971. p . 94.
75. It was Bataille w h o c.onlrihtncU t h r n a m e lor i h r review Mtnotaurr, in 1933.
 ;\'o More Play 75

Alhrrto GiacomrUi. Prnjcci for a Passagcvvay.

imO-31. Plaster. (> by 50 by 17 inches. The
Alberto Giatometti Foundation, Kunsthaus,
Ziirich.

Fall oJa Body onto a Diagram, a n d it is diis notion of t h e body's fall t h a t verbally
a c k n o w l e d g e s what the sculpture? visually p e r f o r n i s . " ' T h e s t r u c t u r a l principle
of Head/Landscape o n t h e m e t a p h o r i c a l relation b e t w e e n the two things
o p e r a t e d t h r o u g h the spatial device of a n a m o r p h o s i s : r o t a t e d o n t o t h e h o r i z o n -
tal p l a n e , the face r e s e m b l e s a l a n d s c a p e . T h i s precise r e l a t i o n s h i p was spelled
o u t in a display of " p a r a n o i d critical" t h i n k i n g by S a l v a d o r Dali w h e n he "read"
a p h o t o g r a p h of A f r i c a n n a t i v e s sittitig in f r o n t of their h u t s as a Picasso h e a d , a
( m i s ) r e a d i n g that resulted, h e e x p l a i n e d , by his d i s o r i e n t a t i o n with r e g a r d to
the p h o t o g r a p h . In Dali's p r e s e n t a t i o n t h e i m a g e is t h e n , like Head/Landscape,
r o t a t e d ninety d e g r e e s . " But G i a c o m e t t i ' s s c u l p t u r e is less like a h e a d in rota-
tion t h a n it is like a mask o r Hat c o v e r i n g of s o m e sort. A n d the l a n d s c a p e that
is ils a l t e r n a t e r e a d i n g d o e s not s e e m like (he n e u t r a l terrain of Dali's e x a m p l e
but r a t h e r r e s e m b l e s a necropolis, its r e c t a n g u l a r o p e n i n g s s u g g e s t i n g a
tomb.' ( T h i s c o m b i n a t i o n of t o m b a n d necropole would b e m a d e m o r e precise
by t h e coHins s u n k i n i o t h e g r o u n d of ne joue plus" of the following y e a r . )

76. In Zrr\'Os's " Q u c l q u c s notes s u r le.s .sculpture.s <Ie G i a r o j n e l t i , " {Cahim d'ail 119321,
3 3 7 - 3 4 2 ) , tl>e work, which lj>rc the written inM;ripiion "la vie c o n t i n u e . " was published with the
title ChuU d'un corps sur un graphit/ue. Later, in picturing his art of these years, (Jiacometii lal>elc<l
diis now-lost s c u l p t u r e Paysagi' 'Hte cotuhif. See "Leitie a Pierre Mati-vse." Alberto CiacomeHi, New-
York. Pierre Matisse Caller)'. I94ft. C a r o l a G i e d i o n - W e l c h e r . wh> knew G i a c o m e t l i , puljlished
a n Klru.scan votive bt'on/.e f m n i (he n u i s e u n i in P i a c e n z a a s the })os$ibIe inspiration lor Project for a
Square {\T\ Giedion-VVelcher, Contemporary Sculpture, N e w York, VVittenlwrn. I960). H o h l suggests
that ibis ancient olijet ( w.is imire likely related to Chute d'un iorpi iur u graphique a n d is the s o u n r
of this n a m e , since the E t n i s c a n work is covered wi(h r u n e s . H o h l , 1972. p. 299, fn, 29.
77. Salvador Dali; "(Communication:visage p a r a n o i a q u e . " Lt Surrealisme au service de la revolu-
tion, no. 3 ( D e c e m b e r 1931), 40.
78. See l l o h l . 1972, p. 82.
76 Modcrnisl Mydis

ChiUl'i cofin. Naumea, New CaUdunia. Woud, Fish. Easter Isloiul. Wood, (iy* inches long,
fiber, l^Yi inche.\. Musee dt I'lhmnxt, Varis. Formerly Museum Jiir I'^olkerkundc, Retlin.
Whereabouts unknown.

V a r i o u s A f r i c a n m a s k s , p h o t o g r a p h e d a n d p u b l i s h e d lying d o w n , m a y
h a v e played a role in s u g g e s t i n g die m o r p h o l o g y of Head/Landscape.^'* Bui d i e
object that w e a v e s together most of the t h r e a d s of association suggested by the
work's m e t a p h o r i c a l i)lay, a n d which for t h a t reason could well h a v e b e e n a
s o u r c e , is t h e lid of a child's coffin f r o m N e w C a l e d o n i a , iti t h e M u s d e d e
I ' H o m m e . T h i s object figured in the c o p i o u s illustrations of the 1929 Cahiers
d'art special issue on O c e a n i a , an issue that G i a c o m e l t i possessed a n d f r o m
which h e m a d e m a n y c o p y - d r a w i n g s . G i a c o m e t t i h a d c o n s t a n t l y insisted that
his f r e q u e n t d r a w i n g a f t e r o t h e r w o r k s of art w a s most often d o n e f r o m illustra-
tions r a t h e r t h a n in front of t h e t h i n g s themselves. T h e e x a m p l e of his
p r e - ! 9 4 5 d r a w i n g s of O c e a n i c objects b e a r s this o u t , for they a r e practically all
t a k e n f r o m the s a m e p u b l i s h e d source.' T h i s r e s o u r c e , at the t i m e t h e largest
easily accessible r e p e r t o r y of O c e a n i c i m a g e s ( c o n t a i n i n g , m o r e o v e r , m a n y
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of the surrealists' collections: B r e t o n , A r a g o n , T z a r a ) , m a y
h a v e suggested o t h e r types of r e l a t i o n s h i p lo G i a c o m c t t i liesides t h e h e a d / l a n d -
s c a p e of t h e coffin lid (figure 122). T h e Raster Islands bird/fish of figure 180
could h a v e o p e r a t e d b e h i n d the d e v e l o p m e n t of the phallically conceive<l Dii-
agreeable Objects (1931), a n d the lusklike e a r r i n g o w n e d by T z a r a , figur<' 169, is
s t r o n g l y related to t h e s a m e series' Disagreeable Object to Be Disposed OJ.^"^ F u r -

79. I'or r x a i i m l r , llic 9|>C('iai IMUC on ati negre l.a Servie, ii. 9 - 1 0 ( 1 9 2 0 ) , Htfurr 9.
80. A l b c n o G i a c o m c t u . " N o t e s s u r Ics copies," l.'liphhnere, n<i. 1 ( 1 9 6 6 ) , 1 0 4 - 1 0 8 . D i e g o
G i a i o m e d i c o n f i r m e d lo m e d i a l (he d r a w i n g s of O c e a n i c o b j e c t s r e p n n l u c c d in C a r l u c c i o , A
Sketchbook of Intcrpreture Drawings, w e i copied f r o m 1929 i i s u c of Cdiiers d'ari.
81. ( J a r l u c c i o plate b shows t h r e e s c u l p t u r e s Trom the Basel M u s e u m : figures 104, 103, a n d
114 in t h e 1929 Cahiers d'art. Plate 6 r e p r e s e n t s F a s t e r I s l a n d s s t a t u e s , i i g u r e 188 a n d 187 in
Cahiers d'art. (<arluccio plate 8 shows t w o N e w G u i n e a o b j e c t s copied f r o m liguivs 4 3 an<l 41
respectively. Plate 9 d i s p l a y s copies of figures 2, 153, a n d 157 f r o m the Cahttrs d'art.
82. T h e r e - is also the p r o b a b l e i n f l u e n c e of the e x t r e m e l y phallic caues-tites f n u n N e w
C a l e d o n i a a n d Fiji, m a n y e x a m p l e s of w h i c h h a d b e e n in the M u s d c d c I ' H o m m e .since the e n d of
the n i n c l e e t h c e n t u f ) ' .
 ;\'o More Play 77

Albato GiatomeUi I Icacl/I.aiuNcapc. J930-31.

Plaster, 9'/i by '27Yi inches. Whereabouts
unknown.

Alberto Giacometti. D i s a g r e f a b l c O b j c c t .
1931. Wood, 19 inches long. Prnate collection,
New York.
 78 Modernist Mvths

Em (hnamait. \fmiiuf\a\ !standi, loory, IVj AlltfiUi Ciacomrlti. Disiigrrc-jihlr ()!>j'<-i n i

inrkrs high. I'ormrTly atUrHion 'i'risian Tzara. Bf D i s p o s e d O f . 1931. Wood, fi'A inches
I'rivaU: toUeclion. long. Prii atr collection, London

iher the b i r d / w o t n a n s t a t u e ol" figure 46 resetubles otic of tlie two p e r s o n a g e s

that iidutl)it t h e necropolis o f " 0 neJotie filus"; a n d as h a s b e e n suggested a b o v e
with r e g a r d to t h e object o w n e d by M a x F.rnst, the v a r i o u s mallangffan, p a r -
.J ticularly the o n e b e l o n g i n g to L o u i s A r a g o n (figure 65), c o n t a i n the idea of
s c u l p t u r a l scaffolding that o n e finds in G i a c o m e t t i ' s r e p e a t e d use of the cage.
G i v e n t h e almost exclusive identification of t h e surrealists with O c e a n i a ,
the u p s u r g e of these sources a m o n g the r a n g e of primitive iniages that w e r e
f u e l i n g his i m a g i n a t i o n at this time might b e used to reinforce the general c h a r -
a c t e r i z a t i o n of this period of G i a c o m e t t i ' s work ( 1 9 3 0 - 3 2 ) as his "surrealist
epoch."* 1 l o w e v e r , G i a c o m e t t i ' s c o n n e c t i o n to the o r t h o d o x surrealists did not
really begin in 1930, Suspended Ball, the object that excited their a t t e n t i o n , w a s
not exhibited until the e n d of t h a t y e a r . It is not to the surrealist c o n c e p t u a l do-
m a i n , to its fascination wilh the a l e a t o r y , wilh g a m e s of c h a n c e a n d the objet
trouve, that we s h o u k l look for the m a t r i x of ideas that o p e r a t e G i a c o m e t t i ' s con-
ception of sculpture's r o t a t e d axis: t h e h o r i z o n t a l g a m e b o a r d , m o v e m e n t in real
t i m e , (he s c u l p t u r e as b a s e , the b a s e as necropolis. T h e year this all begati w a s
1930, a n d al that period G i a c o m e t l i w a s still c o n n e c t e d to Documents. T h e
p r e o c c u p a t i o n with real t i m e that e n t e r s his work with Suspended Ball a n d Hour

8.1. HoUl, 1972. p. 81.

 ;\'o More Play 79

Casset-TeUs. New Calahnia. Wood, \fn\ee

de I'Homme, Farts.
80 Modernist Mytljs

oj the Traces o p e n s o n t o u consifieration of real space; a n d real spa<-e is d e f i n e d

b y s c u l p t u r e t h a t h a s b e c o m e n o t h i n g b u t its b a s e , a vertical t h a t is r o t a t e d into
" b a s e n e s s . " T h i s v e i y o p e r a t i o n w a s m a d e c o n t i n u a l l y by Hataille as h e
d e v e l o p e d the concept of "ftarmc'' a low o r b a s e m a t e r i a l i s m in Documents.^*
In t h e a n a t o m i c a l g e o g r a p h y of Bataille's t h o u g h t t h e vertical axis
e m b l e m a t i z e s m a n ' s p r e t e n s i o n s t o w a r d the e l e v a t e d , the s p i r i t u a l , the i<leal:
his claim that the u p r i g h t n e s s s e p a r a t i n g h i m biologically f r o m t h e bestial
distinguishes h i m ethically as well. Bataille, of c o u r s e , does not believe this
d i s t i n c t i o n , a n d insists o n the p r e s e n c e b e h i n d the repressive a s s u m p t i o n s of
verticality of lowness as the real source of libidinal e n e r g y . L o w n e s s h e r e is
b o t h a n axis a n d a d i r e c t i o n , t h e h o r i z o n t a l i t y of t h e m u d of t h e real. If feet a r e
highly c h a r g e d objccls, Bataille insists in " L e gros orleil," it is b e c a u s e ,
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y the focus of disgust a n d e r o s , they a r e the part of t h e b o d y that
is m i r e d in t h e g r o u n d . "A r e t u r n to reality implies n o new a c c e p t a n c e what*
ever, b u t il m e a n s that we a r e basely s e d u c e d , w i t h o u t symbolic s u b s t i t u t i o n s
a n d u p to the point of c r y i n g o u t , in s t a r i n g , eyes wide o p e n : s t a r i n g t h u s in
front of a big toe."^
In t h e " D i c t i o n a r y " e n t r y Bouche this op])osition b e t w e e n the vertical a n d
horizontal axes is t h o u g h t specifically t h r o u g h t h e o p e r a t i o n of r o t a t i o n , T h e
m e n t a l axis is t h e o n e c o n n e c t i n g eyes a n d m o u t h , issuing in l a n g u a g e , t h e ex-
pressive f u n c t i o n that h e r a l d s the h u m a n . T h e biological axis on the o t h e r h a n d
c o n n e c t s m o u t h to a n u s locating t h e a l i m e n t a r y f u n c t i o n s of ingestion a n d ex-
c r e t i o n . T o lower t h e m e n t a l , o r spiritual, axis o n t o t h e biological o n e is to
thitik a b o u t the real t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of a r t i c u l a t e .sounds into bestial o n e s at the
m o m e n t s of m a n ' s greate.st pain o r p l e a s u r e , a n d to see these in their t r u e
o p e r a t i o n as e x c r e t o r y . T h e s u m m i t of the b o d y is t h u s given a n o p e n i n g that
h a s n o t h i n g to d o with the ideational, b u t is r a t h e r a hole r e s e m b l i n g the a n u s .
In Documenls this texl was illustrated b y a full-page p h o t o g r a p h b y Boiffard of a
m o u t h , w i d e o p e n , wet with saliva.
T h i s idea of a hole at the lop of m a n ' s h e a d o n e that f u n c t i o n s to de-
idealize, d e - r a t i o n n a t e , d i s - e q u i l i b r a t e led Bataille to tr>' to c o n s t r u c t t h e
m y t h o a n a t o m i c a l legend of the p i n e a l eye. Bataille conceived of this g l a n d a l
the s u n n n i t of the h u t n a n s t r u c t u r e as a blind spot. T h e very opposite of
Descartes' belief that t h e pineal eye w a s t h e o r g a n c o n n e c t i n g the soul to t h e
bcKly, Bataille's n o t i o n of the gland's f u n c t i o n is that it p r o p e l s m a n u p w a r d , at-
tracting him t o w a r d the e m p y r i o n rei>resenlalive of all that is lofty - impelling
h i m h o w e v e r to s t a r e straight into the s u n , b e c o m i n g as a result, c r a z e d a n d

84. BataiJlr,*'Lc b a s m a t e r i a l i s m e el la ffnose."

8.'). - L e gros orieil," Documenu, no. 6 (1929), 302,
8G, In a 1926 d r a w i n g o f a n u d e , Cfiaeometti dcpicis this axial rotation b y a i n l l a t i n g the m o u t h
a n d genitals. T h i s relationship is the formal i<lea as well l>ehin<l the leniale figure in ITu Coupteoi
the s a m e y e a r , a n d is a c o m m o n molif in African a r t .
 No More Play
81

^r
Jacquti-Andre lioiffard. Photograph. Published
tn Docunicnis. //. no. 5(1930).
Jaequn-Andre Ihijfard. Photograph, c. 1930.

<S>

Alberto aiacometii. Woman. J926. Ink on paper

7 by 5 inrhes. '
82 Modernist Myths

Man Ray. Photograph. Pubiishrd in Minotaure,

no. 7(1935).

l)lind.' T h e obsession with tlie s u n proinote<l by the pineal ( b l i n d ) e y e is, t h e n ,

a n o t h e r i n s t a n c e of t h e collapse of t h e vertical into the h o r i z o n t a l , as m a n in his
d i s o r i e n t a t i o n literally a n d symbolically loses his head." T h e i m a g e of the m a n
with the hole at t h e top of his c r a n i m n a n o t h e r f o r m of t h e acr/iAfl/^connects
in this way to t h e e x p e r i e n c e of t h e l a b y r i n t h , t h e space of i m p l o s i o n , as t h e dis-
tinction is b l u r r e d b e t w e e n inside a n d o u t s i d e , b e t w e e n b e g i t n n n g a n d e n d .
T h e b l i n d i n g , c r a / i n g sun is the soleil pourri at which the E a s t e r Island
idols s t a r e a n d to which Bataille c o n s e c r a t e d his essay on Picasso's "rotting a r t . "
But t h e n , for Bataille, the e n t i r e p r o b l e m a t i c of m o d e r n p a i n t i n g s u b t e n d s his
c(mception of the b e g i n n i n g s of arl as the r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of sacrifice, t h e sym-
bolic correlative of the m u t i l a t i o n of the h u m a n b o d y . T h e s p a c e of this m u t i l a -
tion is initially the c a v e o r grotto of the prehistoric p a i n t e r s , (he first o c c u p i e r s
of the ial)yrin(h. T h e r e art begins, but not with an act of self-duplication as
t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p of p a i n t i n g ' s o r i g i n s with t h e m y t h of N a r c i s s u s w o u l d h a v e it.

87, T h r live icxia o n ihc pineal eye were wrillen between 1927 an<l 1930. N e v e r ptiblished,
they a r e collectetl in the Oeuita (j>mplites. vol. I I . p p . 13-50.
8B. Sec, "Soleil {Kturri," w h e r e Batiiille speaks o f ' u n eire aiilliro|>oniorphr drpounu <if tit/" (p.
174). I hfllier in l.<i IMtt dt la Conmdt, discusses this notion of the c h a n g e ol Jixis. pp. I 3 7 - I : ) 4 .
;\'o More Play 83

P a i n t i n g is b o r n with m a n ' s r e f u s a l t o r e p r o d u c e h i m s e l f , a n d o u l of a n act of

self-mutilation.'-'
T h i s set of c o n n e c t i o n s b e l w e e n p a i n t i n g , a f a s c i n a t i o n w i t h t h e s u n , a n d
t h e m u t i l a t i o n of t h e b o d y in a n act of sacrificial m a d n e s s , is spelled o u t in
Bataille's essay " L a m u t i l a t i o n sacrificielle et I'oreille c o u p e e d e V i n c e n t V a n
CJogh." F o r B a t a i l l e , V a t i G o g h ' s is not a n a b e r r a n t g e s t u r e b u t is e n t i r e l y r e p -
r e s e n t a t i v e of a r t ' s e.ssenti.il, a r c h a i c f u n c t i o n . A s o n e s c h o l a r of Bataille's w o r k
e x p l a i n s , " S e l f - m u t i l a t i o n d e m a n d s lo b e t h o u g h t of as a n acl, in f a c t , ihe pic-
torial act par excellence. B e c a u s e p a i n t i n g is n o t h i n g if it d o e s n ' t s t r i k e at ilur a r -
c h i t e c t u r e of t h e h u m a n b o d y ; this a r c h i t e c t u r e w h i c h , p r e c i s e l y , is not s i m p l e
b e c a u s e it i m p l i e s s e l f - m u t i l a t i o n . T h e M i n o t a u r , not N a r c i s s u s , p r e s i d e s v
o v e r th(> b i r t h of a n art in w h i c h r e p r e s e n t a t i o n rt^presenls a l t e r a t i o n .
O n e after a n o t h e r . (5iacometti's g a t n e b o a r d , horizontal sculptures enact
t h e m a r r i a g e of t h e field of r e p r e s e n t a t i o n w i d i t h e c o n d i t i o n of t h e b a s e , t h e
g r o u n d , ihir e a r t h . T h i s rota(i<n of t h e a x i s i n t o t h e d i m e n s i o n of t h e p h y s i c a l is
t h e shift of d i r e c t i o n of t h e acephale. Fiut t h e s e r o t a t e d w o r k s s h a r e a n o t h e r
a s p e c t w i t h t h e t h e m e s of t h e h e a d l e s s m a n a n d t h e l a b y r i n t h . F o r , with o n e ex-
c e p t i o n , all of t h e m c a r r y t h e furth<-r signilicatioti of d e a t h . "On ne joue plus^ v.im-
ceives of t h e " s c u l p t u r e " as a g a m e , ils b o a r d c r a l e r e d w i t h s e m i c i r c u l a r h o l l o w s
m o d e l e d o n d j c A f r i c a n p e b b l e g a m e t';^' b u t i n t o its c e n t e r a r e s u n k t w o t i n y
Collins, ( h e i r lids asktrw. ' F h e literal s p a c e of t h e b o a r d o n w h i c h pieces c a n b e
m o v e d in real t i m e f u s e s w i t h t h e i m a g e of t h e n e c r o p o l i s .
' F h e LiUre Dictionary lists t h e sheet t h a t c o v e r s a n e m p l y coffin a s o n e of t h e
p r i m a l m e a n i n g s of representation. k e p r e s o K a t i o n , a s t a n d - i n f o r t h e t i e a d , is
t h u s c o n c e p t u a l l y s u s p e n d e d b e t w e e n t h e s y m b o l i c a n d t h e real d e c a y of m a t -
ter t h e p r e c i s e c o n d i t i o n of a l t e r a t i o n . Bataille's n o t i o n of a " b a s e m a t e r i a l i s m "
o p e r a t e s in (his v e r y m i d d l e g r o u n d b e ( w e e n t h e literal a n d d i e s y m b o l i c , for il
c o n c e i v e s t h e e n t i r e field of social r e l a t i o n s h i p s a s w h o l l y s t r u c t u r e d b y t h e c(m-
d i t i o n s of r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , wliich is t o s a y , l a n g u a g e . B u i l a n g u a g e is t h o u g h t of
a s a dir(r<-(ionless nutze in w h i c h , for e x a n i p l e , t h e s a c r e d is ( h e f u n c t i o n of d i e
ver>' c o n d i t i o n s of t h e w o r d i(self: sacer, like altus, p o i n t i n g in lwt> d i r e c t i o n s ,
t o w a r d t h e b l e s s e d an<! (he d a n m e d . C l a s s i c a l p h i l o s o p h y w i s h e s t o r e p r e s s this

yy. In "I..! miiiilaiiun sacrifirirllc et rorcillc a m p c c d e V i n t e i i i V a n C o ^ h . * Docummis, II, no. 8

(19.'t0), li.itaille al(a< k.v, lor e.yani|>le, I.U()nel's aei-eplani e of ihe "folded-linger" liy|Kjlhe.Nis (o ex-
plain die cave p a i n t i n g s in which siencilcd h a n d s are recorded with missing fingers {Otwtes Com-
filirlrs, vol. I. p. 267). A m o l i f o f great faM'inatioii, the stenciled h a n d is used in Im Carmc(19.10).
90. Hollier. La /*nse dt la Concord/, p . 148,
91. I lohl mentionii woiNlen Ik'nin gamel>i>.irdH that G i a c o m n t i might have seen at the C h a r l e s
R a t i o n Gallery, which could h a v e .served as a model for this work ( H o h l , 1972. p. 299. f n . 27).
.St. R a i l o n , however, sayx dial n o Benin ohjecl.s of ihis ty|>f exisl. Instead, o n e has only lu l u r n l<i
the w o o d e n g a m e b o a r d s for j, which a r e still being p n i d u c c d today. The surfaces for diis g a m e
were often improvised, hollowed out of the e a r t h o r in stone. M a r c e l CSriaule's dissert.uion &hows
such a b o a r d in stone ((Jriaule. ' J e u x Dogons." P a n s . 19.38. fiijure 95).
84 Modernist Myths

d o u b l e n e s s a n d r e c o n s t r u c t a l a n g u a g e in which each c l e m e n t has a specific

v a l u e , a n d only o n e . It w a n t s to build vertical m o n u m e n t s to cover o v e r the
n e c m p o l i s w h e r e m e a n i n g b u r r o w s into the dirt of d e c a y , c o n t a m i n a t i o n ,
d e a t h . T h e s p a c e of this linguistic necropolis, in which l a n g u a g e both f o r m s
a n d r e p r e s e n t s t h e real desires of the acephale, is t h e l a b y r i n t h .
T h e g a m e b o a r d of "On nejoue plus^ is not a r e a d y m a d e , its horizontality is
not t h e u n m o d u l a t e d topple of t h e snow shove I of D u c h a t n p ' s h Advance of a
liroken Arm. T h e g a m e b o a r d , with its little pieces, is a r e p r e s e n t a t i o n in which
the symbolic is m a d e a f u n c t i o n of die b a s e , the base in Bataille's sense {l>a.iexse),
a c o n c e p t far f r o m surrealist poetics, forged instead out of a vision of the
primitive.
In 1933 Ctia(omirtti's art c h a n g e d a b r u p t l y . H e b e g a n to work frotn life,
with models w h o posed in the s t u d i o , instead of m a k i n g sculptures as he later
said of his work of the early 1930s that "used to c o m e to m e c o m p l e t e in m y
mind."*' T h e b r e a k this precipitated with the surrealists left Giacomelti violently
hostile. H e d e c l a r e d that " e v e r y t h i n g he h a d m a d e u p to that t i m e had b e e n
m a s t u r b a t i o n a n d that h e h a d n o o t h e r goal b u t to r e n d e r a h u m a n head."'-'* As
part of this r e p u d i a t i o n h e is also nrported to h a v e d e n i e d his c o n n e c t i o n lo

92. J a m e s I.)rtl, A Gituomeiti Ponrait, j>. 48. See Ciiatomclli's a c t o u n i in ' I x palais de q u a i r c s
henrvs."
93. M a r r e l J e a n . IHsloire dt la Peinlure sumalisle, I'aris, Seuil, 1959, p. 227.

Allftrlo Cta<omelli. "On ne joue plus" (No

M o r e P l a y ) . 1933. Marble, wood, and bronze,
1.5% by 11% by 2 inchn. Private (olleclion.
 ;\'o More Play 85

primitive a r t , s a y i n g that if he had t a k e n a n y t h i n g f r o m objects of this type it

w a s s i m p l y b e c a u s e art negre was m o d i s h d u r i n g his early c a r e e r .
W h a t G i a c o m e t t i w a s rejecting was not simply s u r r e a l i s m o r a related
c o n n e c t i o n to tribal a r t . At a d e e p e r , s t r u c t u r a l level, h e r e n o u n c e d the
h o r i z o n t a l a n d e v e r y t h i n g il m e a n t : both a d i m e n s i o n within which lo r e t h i n k
the formal c o n c e r n s of .sculpture, a n d a m a t r i x t h r o u g h which h u m a n a n a t o m y
w a s "altered." F r o m 1935 o n , h e devoted himself to vertical s c u l p t u r e . H a v i n g
m a d e this d e c i s i o n , he left b e h i n d those two c o n c e r n s ihat h a d w o r k e d t o g e t h e r
g e n e r a t e die brilliance t>f his work of ihe early '30s: the base a n d the ])rimitive.

/Vim, am

94. Il) (he late 1931)2! G i u c u i n c u i is rR]>i>nccl to h a v r said this to G r e t a K n u i s o n , then the wife of
T r i s t a n ' J ' / a r a , Tor w h o m he .sat for a |>ortrait (as (old (o m e by K n u t s o n ' s (hniKhter>in>taw,
M a d a m e '['zara).

'/'he game of i. Dugon. Mali. Published in

Marcel Griaule, J e u x t l o g o n s , Paris, 1938