On 19/5/04 8:41 AM, "Elizabeth James" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I would try to give an account of the other types of presentations at
> the conference: those in the form of or on the subject of installation,
> performance etc., since only Tilla has said anything about these here,
> but not sure when I'll have time ...
Please do, Elizabeth, I for one would love to read what you have to say.
I thought the Cayley idea might head more in the direction of disembodiment
rather than embodiment. I don't at all disagree with you about the minutae
of perception and the subtleties of interiority and responsiveness - except
that I would also include the body's cruder manifestations - I guess that's
what comes from a rural childhood and having had too much to do with theatre
- the perceptions which occur in encountering a work of art seem to me both
almost untraceably fine (hence no examples except a hope that you know what
I mean) and coarsely immediate (hair standing up, laughter, awe and so on).
And I would say that much of our bodily life is not constructed socially or
even consciously (peristalsis comes to mind, but I warned you I was crude).
I remember reading a description of the body's immune system which posited
its mechanisms (wrong word, but I am a bit worded out) as another form of
consciousness parallel to the cerebral. I find it very difficult, speaking
ontologically and personally, to separate these kinds of bodily existences
from the ones we are generally more conscious of: it's not that they're the
same, but that all these forms of bodily existence inter-relate and affect
each other, and there's that business too of bio-feedback.
Not sure if this makes sense...
All the best
A
Alison Croggon
Editor, Masthead
http://www.masthead.net.au
Home page
http://www.alisoncroggon.com
Blog
http://alisoncroggon.blogspot.com
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