Metarepresentation in artistic semiosis: a systematic and evolutionary approach

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Metarepresentation in artistic semiosis a
systematic and evolutionary approach

• Barend van Heusden
• Department of Arts, Culture and Media Studies
• University of Groningen (NL)

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Contents

• Introduction
• From representation to semiotic representation
• Three levels of semiosis
• The evolution of semiosis
• Semiosis and meta-semiosis
• Meta-semiosis and (self)consciousness
• Three levels of meta-semiosis
• Art as meta-semiosis consequences
• The evolution of art

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Steven Pinker

• Ultimately what draws us to the work of art is
  not just the sensory experience of the medium but
  its emotional content and insight into the human
  condition. And these tap into the timeless
  predicament of our biological predicament our
  mortality, our finite knowledge and wisdom, the
  differences among us, and our conflicts of
  interest with friends, neigbours, relatives, and
  lovers.
• From The Blank Slate. The modern denial of
  human nature (2002, p. 418)

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2. From representation to semiotic representation

• A representation consists of the patterns of
  sensory-motor behaviour that allow an organism to
  interact successfully (in terms of homeostasis
  and survival) with its environment.
• These patterns constitute the memory of the
  organism.
• Representations are a function of the anatomy of
  the organism (Von Uexküll)

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• Representation becomes semiotic, in humans, when
  actuality and memory become separate through the
  doubling of the information processing.
• Definition a sign is a memory that is used to
  recognize actuality semiosis is the process of
  matching memory and actuality.

actuality
memory
semiosis
information
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3. Three levels or dimensions of semiosis

• We distinguish three types of memory (signs)
• - perceptual or figurative signs (icons)
• - conceptual signs (symbols)
• theoretical signs (diagrams, structures)
• Signs can be externalized in gestures, sounds
  (language) or visually (visuographs).
• This allows for self-perception, communication
  (mutual tuning) and storage.

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4. The evolution of semiosis

• Levels of evolution
• Phylogenetic (evolution)
• Ontogenetic (development)
• Historical (change)
• Actual (process)

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A bandwidth model of cultural evolution
T1 T2
T3 T4
T5
logical 3-place
conceptual 2-place
iconic 1-place
non-semiotic, episodic culture
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5. Semiosis and meta-semiosis

• When the semiosis turns upon itself, and becomes
  the object of semiotic representation, we speak
  about a reflexive, meta- or second order
  representation.

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6. Meta-semiosis and (self)consciousness

• Meta-semiosis allows for self-consciousness.
  Self-consciousness is understood as the process
  in which the semiotic representation itself
  becomes object of semiosis (matching memory and
  actuality).
• Thus semiosis generates self-consciousness.

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7. Three levels of meta-semiosis

• We find second order loops on all three levels of
  representation
• Iconic in magic, and in art
• Symbolic in religion and in ideology
• Theoretical in philosophy and in science

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8. Art as meta-representation consequences

• To be a correct and truthful, convincing
  representation of the reality of life, that is,
  of the representation process in all its
  complexity (perception and imagination,
  conceptualization and communication, thought and
  inquiry), art has to reproduce the basic
  structure of representation which is that of the
  doubling, of identity and difference, of norm and
  deviation -not in abstracto but in the concrete
  context of a historical culture

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Cézanne, c. 1897 Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from
the Bibemus Quarry
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Features attributed to art

• estrangement
• tension
• sense of reality
• realism
• mimesis
• life-likeness
• originality
• etc.

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Forms of doubling

• 1. on the level of perception sounds, rhythm,
  musical motif or theme, uniqueness, texture,
  format, etc.
• 2. on the level of conceptualization meanings
  (mythological themes, intertextuality symbols
  and themes)
• 3. on the level of structure (reality)
  fiction, narration (fable and suzjet)
  characters, situations (portraits), depth,
  (unique) perspective, etc

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A bandwidth model of artistic evolution
T1 T2
T3 T4
T5
autonomous 3-place
conceptual 2-place
magic 1-place
non-semiotic, episodic culture
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• Barend van Heusden
• Arts, Culture and Media Studies
• University of Groningen (NL)
• E-mail b.p.van.heusden_at_rug.nl