Authenticity, copying and the critical gaze : The crisis of representation
(2021) Bertolt Brecht – Contradictions as Method In Arte Acta p.7-26- Abstract
- In contemporary Western theatre and actor’s training, there is a tension between different traditions in the actor’s work, concerning the bodily practices that are related to representation, construction of identities, authenticity and self-expression. One aspect of the actor’s methodical tradition – the openness to suffering and sacrificing oneself in the name of the arts – will be displayed and scrutinized through examples from ancient theatre, European avant-garde, and the Method acting tradition. I will argue that this aspect is aimed at exposing the artist as a unique original, and in this way also serves the commodification of the artist’s self-presentation. In contrast to the abovementioned moods of representation, 20th century... (More)
- In contemporary Western theatre and actor’s training, there is a tension between different traditions in the actor’s work, concerning the bodily practices that are related to representation, construction of identities, authenticity and self-expression. One aspect of the actor’s methodical tradition – the openness to suffering and sacrificing oneself in the name of the arts – will be displayed and scrutinized through examples from ancient theatre, European avant-garde, and the Method acting tradition. I will argue that this aspect is aimed at exposing the artist as a unique original, and in this way also serves the commodification of the artist’s self-presentation. In contrast to the abovementioned moods of representation, 20th century artists and philosophers like Bertolt Brecht and Walter Benjamin practi- cally and theoretically challenge concepts such as originality, authenticity and artists’ self-representation. They instead investigate the creative and political potential in phenomena like quoting and copying, and above all a playful and critical role-taking process, not based on self-expression. I will finally argue that Brecht’s stance is in accordance with a non-essen- tialist view of humans and that his views are in line with certain tendencies in the post-dramatic tradition. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Abstract
In contemporary western theatre and actor’s training there is a tension between different traditions in the actor’s work, concerning the bodily practices that are related to representation, construction of identities, authenticity and self-expression. One aspect of the actor’s methodical tradition – the openness for suffering and sacrificing oneself in the name of the arts – will be displayed and scrutinised through examples from ancient theatre, European avant-garde, and the Method acting tradition. I will argue that this aspect is aiming at exposing the artist as a unique original, and in this way also serves the commodification of the artist’s self-presentation. In contrast to the above-mentioned moods of representation,... (More) - Abstract
In contemporary western theatre and actor’s training there is a tension between different traditions in the actor’s work, concerning the bodily practices that are related to representation, construction of identities, authenticity and self-expression. One aspect of the actor’s methodical tradition – the openness for suffering and sacrificing oneself in the name of the arts – will be displayed and scrutinised through examples from ancient theatre, European avant-garde, and the Method acting tradition. I will argue that this aspect is aiming at exposing the artist as a unique original, and in this way also serves the commodification of the artist’s self-presentation. In contrast to the above-mentioned moods of representation, 20th century artists and philosophers like Bertolt Brecht and Walter Benjamin are practically and theoretically challenging concepts like originality, authenticity, and the artists’ self-representation. They are instead investigating the creative and political potential in phenomena like quoting and copying, and above all a playful and critical role-taking process, not based in self-expression. I will finally argue that Brecht’s stance is in accordance with a non-essentialist view of humans and that his views are in line with some tendencies in the post-dramatic tradition.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/22faeb83-6994-43b0-8d49-9dc0c2c6d962
- author
- Sjöström, Kent LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-03-25
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Bertolt Brecht, Walter Benjamin, Acting, Actor's training, Representation, Identity politics, Acting Methods, Original, Copying, Bertolt Brecht, Walter Benjamin, Acting, Actor's training, Representation, Identity politics, Acting Methods, Original, Copying
- in
- Arte Acta
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 20 pages
- conference name
- Bertolt Brecht – Contradictions as Method
- conference location
- Prague, Czech Republic
- conference dates
- 2019-11-08 - 2019-11-10
- ISSN
- 2571-1695
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 22faeb83-6994-43b0-8d49-9dc0c2c6d962
- date added to LUP
- 2021-03-27 15:49:23
- date last changed
- 2021-03-31 09:42:38
@article{22faeb83-6994-43b0-8d49-9dc0c2c6d962,
abstract = {{In contemporary Western theatre and actor’s training, there is a tension between different traditions in the actor’s work, concerning the bodily practices that are related to representation, construction of identities, authenticity and self-expression. One aspect of the actor’s methodical tradition – the openness to suffering and sacrificing oneself in the name of the arts – will be displayed and scrutinized through examples from ancient theatre, European avant-garde, and the Method acting tradition. I will argue that this aspect is aimed at exposing the artist as a unique original, and in this way also serves the commodification of the artist’s self-presentation. In contrast to the abovementioned moods of representation, 20th century artists and philosophers like Bertolt Brecht and Walter Benjamin practi- cally and theoretically challenge concepts such as originality, authenticity and artists’ self-representation. They instead investigate the creative and political potential in phenomena like quoting and copying, and above all a playful and critical role-taking process, not based on self-expression. I will finally argue that Brecht’s stance is in accordance with a non-essen- tialist view of humans and that his views are in line with certain tendencies in the post-dramatic tradition.}},
author = {{Sjöström, Kent}},
issn = {{2571-1695}},
keywords = {{Bertolt Brecht; Walter Benjamin; Acting; Actor's training; Representation; Identity politics; Acting Methods; Original; Copying; Bertolt Brecht; Walter Benjamin; Acting; Actor's training; Representation; Identity politics; Acting Methods; Original; Copying}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{7--26}},
series = {{Arte Acta}},
title = {{Authenticity, copying and the critical gaze : The crisis of representation}},
year = {{2021}},
}