Discussion: Icons and Iconoclasm

Transcript

1. Icons  and  Iconoclasm   David  Freedberg,  from  “Idolatry  and  

   Iconoclasm”  from  The  Power  of   Images,  pp.  66-­‐78.  

2. Scenes  from  the  1956  Revolt  in  Budapest,  Hungary.   Freedberg

    asks:  “Could  it  be  that  by  assailing  the  dead   images,  geKng  rid  of  them,  one  was  assailing  the  very   men  and  women  they  represented?”   How  is  this  similar  to  Brilliant’s  noOon  of  “transference”  in   his  discussion  of  “likeness”?  

3. Man   Man  scolds  the  “head”  of  Stalin,  Budapest,  Hungary,

    1956.  

4. Man  scolds  the  “head”  of  Lenin,  Russia,  1989/1990.  

5. Moscow  school  children  rest  on  a  toppled   statue  of

    Stalin,  1991.    

6. Statue  of  Saddam  Hussein  being  toppled  by  U.S.   Marine,

    Bagdad,  Wednesday  April  9,  2003.   What  implicaOons  does  this  have  for   religious  imagery?   Virgin  of  Vladimir,  Russia,  c.  11th  –   12th  century.  

7. Freedberg  states  that  theologians  and  scholars   are  “embarrassed”  by

    the  “power  of  images,”   causing  them  to  ignore  it.    Why  do  you  think  that   is?  
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14. What  reservaOons  did  ByzanOne  iconoclasts  have   toward  “beauty”?  

    How  is  this  similar  to  Plato’s  thoughts   on  images?  
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16. The  Soul  According  to  Plato  

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18. Forms  of   Cogni,on     Degree  of   Reality

      Examples   Knowledge/ Understanding   A Intelligible   Forms  (ex.  Form  of   the  Good)   Thought   B MathemaOcal/ TheoreOcal   Belief   C Visible   Physical  Objects   Conjecture/ ImaginaOon   D Shadows  and  Images   Towards  a  hirer  form  cogniOon   Towards    more  “real”  objects   Hierarchy  of  Thought  
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21. Freedberg  calls  for  the  need  for  universality   when  studying

     the  phenomenon  of   iconoclasm.    What  universal  features  do  you   see  in  the  destrucOon  of  images?  
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27. Loveland,  Colorado,  2010   Enrique  Chagoya,  “The  Misadventures  of  the

     RomanOc  Cannibals,  2010.   Protesters   There  are  many  ways  to  express  disagreement  with  the  ideas   expressed  in  an  artwork  that  do  not  entail  going  against  the   founding  principles  of  this  country:  the  separaOon  of  church   and  state  and  the  right  to  free  speech.     -­‐-­‐NaOonal  CoaliOon  Against  Censorship   “The  protesters  want  the  exhibit  removed.    They   believe  that  taxpayers’  dollars  should  not  be  going   to  pornography.”     -­‐-­‐Jeaneie  De  Melo,  Archdiocese  of  Loveland  

28. Mark  Rothko,  Black  on  Maroon,  1959.  

29. Vladimir  Umants  ‘12  A  PotenOal  Piece  of  Yellowism  

30. How  are  the  aKtudes  and  moOvaOons  of   modern  and

     ByzanOne  iconoclasts  similar?   What  do  they  say  about  our  relaOonship  with   images?