The radical use of chance in 20th century art / Denis Lejeune.

• Superior document: Faux titre ; 366
• Author: Lejeune, Denis.
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Faux titre ; no. 366.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (269 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

To many, chance and art are antagonistic terms. But a number of 20th century artists have turned this notion on its head by attempting to create artworks based on randomness. Among those, three in particular articulated a well-argued and thorough theory of the radical use of chance in art: André Breton (writer), John Cage (composer) and François Morellet (visual artist). The implications of such a move away from established aesthetics are far-reaching, as much in conceptual as in practical terms, as this book hopes to make clear. Of paramount importance in this coincidentia oppositorum is the suggested possibility of a correlation between the artistic use of chance and a system of thought itself organised around chance. Indeed placing randomness at the centre of one’s art may have deeper philosophical consequences than just on the aesthetical level.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- General Introduction -- The Rise of Chance in Modern Sciences -- The Tribulations of Chance within Philosophical Thought -- The Philosophy of Clément Rosset -- The Dialogue of Chance and the Arts -- André Breton -- François Morellet -- John Cage -- General conclusion -- Bibliography -- Interview with Clément Rosset (4th March 2004, Paris) -- Interview with François Morellet (April 2005, Cholet).