Anagram, Gestalt, Game in Maya Deren: Reconfiguring The Image in Post War Cinema

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pmc.iath.virginia.edu/textonly/issue.509/19.3halpern.txt
Anagram,Gestalt,GameinMayaDeren:Reconfiguring
theImageinPostwarCinema
OritHalpern
NewSchoolforSocialResearch
HalpernO@newschool.edu
"Manisdistinguished[frommachines]forconsciousness,
timeperspective,andoriginalenergy.Soisanything
thatlasts."WhentheNewYorkavantgardefilmmaker
MayaDerenwritesthesewordsinherdiaryin1947in
responsetoalectureattheNewSchoolbyGregoryBateson,
inwhichBatesondiscussestheapplicationofgametheory
tothestudyofcultureandpsychology,sheexpressesan
idea,oftenrepeatedsince,thattimeisofcentral
concerntothecinematicart("Notebook"45).Atfirst,
herquoteseemsanunlikelyresponsetothemathematical
logicofgames.Gametheory,nestedasitiswithinthe
rubricofwartimeoperationsresearchandcomputing,
appearsdistantfromany18thcenturyromanticidealsof
thehumanDerenmayharbor.Thefilmmakerdoes,however,
intuitivelyidentifyamajorhistoricalpoint:thatany
suchtechnicalrevisionoftimeandrepresentationwould
indeliblymarkthesubjectandtransformperception.
Derenposestwoquestionsinhernotebookthatrevealher
logic.Gametheoryisatechniquetomodel,simulate,and
predictthebehaviorofsystemswhenthereisincomplete
information(forexample,whenoneencountersanunknown
enemyforce).Itis,andcontinuestobe,atechnologyfor
controloftheunknown.Herfirstconcern,therefore,is
abouthowtoengagewithanindeterminateOtherthrough
logic.Inhernotebook,Derenquestionstheuniversal
applicabilityofsuchgametheoreticalmodels.Implicitly,
sheinterrogatestheuniversalistassumptionsofthesemodels
aboutthebehaviorofbothindividualsandsocieties.Iargue
thatintuitivelysheidentifiesahomogenizingforcewithin
thetechnicallogicofthegame.
Second,Derenexpressesaconcernabouttherelationship
betweenpredictionandcontrol.Sheaskswhether"linear
analysis"isanappropriatemodelforthinkingcultural
systemsandpredictingorcontrollingtheirfutureactions
("Notebook"25).Linearsystems,inBateson'smathematical
logic,arepredictable,nonchaoticsystems.Thatis,
linearityisamathematicaltermusedtodefinesystemsthat
donotadvanceteleologicallyintime.Linearmodelsassume
thatthepastandthefuturearethesame,andthatreactions
canbereversed.ControlinBateson'sdiscourse,andingame
theory,however,isnotsupposedtobelinearbut
probabilistic.Gamesaretheoreticallysupposedto
generateanumberofpossiblefutures.Controlis
understoodbytheanthropologist,therefore,asthe
abilitytotakeactionandtoplanunderprobabilistic,
notdeterministicconditions.Derensubconsciously
noticesatensionhere;arguingthatwhilespokenin
termsofchangeandfeedback,Bateson'smodelsmay
haveimbeddedwithinthemanolderhistoricalconcept
ofcontrolasdeterministic,understoodastheperfect
predictionoffutureactionfrompastdata.Arguably,
then,DerenandBatesonshareaconcernaboutthe
relationshipbetweentheimage,orthemodel,andthe
worldtocome("Notebook"4346).
Asafilmmakerwhosewritingsandcinematicpractices
http://pmc.iath.virginia.edu/textonly/issue.509/19.3halpern.txt
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arepervadedbydiscoursesofapredictiveand
probabilistictemporality,Derenidentifiesinherwork
aparticularconcernwithtime,onethatintegrates
chance,control,andmemory.Forexample,inher
classic1946methodologicaltreatise,"AnAnagramof
IdeasonArt,Form,andFilm,"shearguesthatartmust
becomeanexperiment,likescience,andembraceitstrue
potentialabreakfromrealisminordertoproducean
evengreaterreality:
shouldtheartist,likethescientist,exercize[sic]his
imaginativeintelligencethecommandandcontrolofmemory
toconsciouslytry,test,modify,destroy,estimate
probabilities,andtryagain...alwaysintermsofthe
instrumentbywhichthefusionwillberealized.("Anagram"
13.Emphasisadded.)
Herlanguageisrevelatory.Framedintermsof"estimate
probabilities"andthe"commandandcontrol"ofmemory,
herwordsalreadysuggestthattimehassomethingtodo
withoddsandmanipulation.Thiskindoflanguageisthe
uncannydoppelgangerofthegametheoriesthatBateson
discusses,whicharealsoframedintermsofprobability,
statistics,control,andchance.Timehereisnotsomething
tobeshown,butratheranoperation,aprocess,the
"controlofmemory"whoseoutcomeistheproductionand
destructionofprobabilities.Inretrospect,therefore,
BatesonandDerenshareinadiscoursethatispredictive
ratherthaninvestedinpresenceorthepresent.
Derenis,infact,atthelecturebecauseshewantsto
bridgeartandscience,andtorethinktheworkof
representationandtheimage.Sheseekstoappropriate
Bateson'sthoughtandethnographicworkforhercinematic
practice.Deren'strainingingestaltandbehavioral
psychologyspurredherinitialinterestinBateson's
psychologicalandethnographicinvestigationsoftrance,
dance,andritualinhighlandBaliinthelate1930s.
Fig.2.CommunicationasGesture:Thebodyrecordedasa
medium,inBateson'swork,fortheproductionofculture.
GregoryBatesonandMargaretMead,TranceandDancein
Bali(1952).Footageshot193739.1
Throughoutthelate1930s,GregoryBatesonandMargaret
MeadworkedinhighlandBalistudyingcultureand
schizophrenia.Intheinterestofdevelopingnewmethods
forethnographyandcapturingtheintricaciesofdaily
lifeinthevillageswheretheyworked,theycreatedavast
archiveofphotographicstillsandcinematicfootage(see
Fig.2above).Tothisday,theirarchiveisconsidered
foundationalinvisualanthropology.(Curiouslyenough,
italsoinspiredtheconceptoftheplateauforGilles
DeleuzeandFlixGuattari.)Derenwasgivenfullaccess
tothisfootageforuseindevelopingherowncinematic
practices,andtheexposuretothismassivevisual
archivebringshertoencounteranotherformof
abstractionmodelsofcommunicationandgametheories.2
Thisisalready,therefore,aconvolutedandrhizomatic
historyofDeren'sinterestinsubjectivityand
perception,butithasmuchtosayaboutourcontemporary
conceptionsoftheimageandthescreeninmediaandfilm
historyandtheory.ThatDerenfocusesonthelocus
betweengametheories,psychology,cinema,andthe
ethnographicencounterishardlyasidenote.Iwantto
usethishighlyspecificdiscourseof"time"inDeren's
worktoaskaseriesofquestionsthatopenontobotha
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historyofrepresentationandanethicsoftheimage:
whatnotionsoftimearebeingspecified?Howmightwe
understandthedebatesbetweenanartistandan
ethnographer?Andbetweenmathematicaltheoriesof
computingandanidealofartframedintemporalterms?
Mostimportantly,whatisatstakeintherelationship
betweentimeandtheimageatthismomentinWestern
intellectualhistory?BatesonandDerendonotmerely
intersectchronologically,butrathershareaconceptual
rubricwithinwhichthequestionoftemporalityasan
ethicalandrepresentationalproblemisposed.Deren's
engagementwithBateson,therefore,bringstogethera
personalencounterandamomentinthehistoryof
westernrepresentationastheoreticalmachinesthat
helpsituate,explore,andexpandourunderstandingof
timeandtheimage.
Thisinteractionbetweenartandscienceshowshowthe
sameconditionsofpossibility,andsimilargenealogies
ofdisciplineandtraining,canproduceradically
differentformsofpractice.Deren'sconceptof
temporalityandrepresentationisbothsimilartoand
radicallydifferentfromthoseemerginginpsychology,
anthropology,communicationscienceandgametheory
afterthewar.Thiscinema,Iargue,excavatesthe
probabilisticandreflexivenatureoftime,as
understoodinbothartandscienceduringthisperiod,
tocreatenewassociationsbetweensubjects,screens,
andlife.However,Deren'sworkproducesassociations
andpotentialsthatthegametheoriesandtechnologies
withwhichsheisconcerneddonot.Herworkusesthe
discourseoftemporalityandrepresentationtakenfrom
thesciencesbutrefusestorepeatwithoutdifference,
thusblockingareturntoolderdiscoursesof
objectivity,authority,andknowledge.
Chance,Control,andMemory
In1946,afewmonthsbeforesheattendsBateson's
lectures,MayaDerenintroducesanewstructureforthe
image:
Fig.3.Contentsof"AnAnagramofIdeasonArt,Form,
andFilm"inMayaDerenandtheAmericanAvantGarde;
Ed.BillNichols;Berkeley:UofCaliforniaP,2001.
Itisanopeningdiagraminoneofthemostfamous
treatisesonthetheoryandpracticeofcinema"An
AnagramofIdeasonArt,Form,andFilm."The"Anagram,"
forDeren,isbothatheoryofcinemaandan
instructionalblueprintforcinematicproduction.Deren
isaverystructuralfilmmakerwhodiagramsand
carefullychoreographseverysceneandshotbeforehand.
The"Anagram"isavisualizationofthisprocess.
Thisfigureisbothagameoflettersandastructurefor
visualrecombination.Sherecommendsthisform"toanyone
whohasfacedtheproblemofcompressingintoalinear
organizationanideawhichwasstimulatingprecisely
becauseitextendedintotwoorthreedifferent,butnot
contradictorydirectionsatonce"("Anagram"6).Already
inheropeningnotes,Derenexpressesacomplex
relationshiptoteleologicalnarrativeandhistorical
time.Negotiatingbetweenstructureandnovelty,thisis
asystemofselfreferringelements,eachproducinga
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totalityirreducibletoitsparts.Nopartofitmaybe
changedwithout"affectingthewhole;"everyelementis
abletoproducedifferentpossibilitiesthrough
recombination.Becausetheanagramcanbereadtoproduce
amyriadofeffectsinanydirection,asonemightread
"horizontally,vertically,diagonally,oreveninreverse,"
Derenproposesaworldnolongerdescribedbylinearcause
effectrelationsbut,rather,byfeedbackloops.
ForDeren,time,understoodasprogress,orcausality,may
bebroken,sinceelementsmayberecombinedinanyorder,
butitisstilldirectional.Theserecombinatoryreadings
operateindifferentdirections,buttheirresultsremain
anemergent"whole."Derenalsoarguesthat"nothingis
new...except,perhaps,theanagramitself"("Anagram"6).
Thisisacuriousstatement,anditdenotesasubtle
ontologicalshift.Nothingisnewinthattheformsand
imagescomefromthepast;whatisnew,forDeren,isthe
processbywhichanalreadyknownandrecordedworldis
reformulated.Theanagramisthisprocess,anditsnovelty
liesinproducingawholethatexceedsitspartsand
emergesasart.Theanagram,therefore,isanautopoietic
formbridgingpastandfuture,producingpossibilitiesfor
cinematicpracticeoutoftheremainsofthepast("Anagram"
7).Thisformmakesmanifesthernotionofthe"controlof
memory"("Anagram"13).Intheworldsheenvisions,
innovationcomesthroughrecombination.Theworkofthe
moviemakeristhustoproduceformsthatwillgenerate
futurepossibilitiesirreducibletotheirsingularparts.
Derenisclearaboutherdisinterestinindexicalor
documentarypracticesofimagemaking.Thisisnota
discourseoftemporalityinvestedininscriptionand
representation;byextension,itisalsonotadiscourse
investedinthepresentorpresence.Derenspeakstoan
emergentobsessioninbothscienceandartnotin
documentingtherealordiscoveringnature,butinproducing
imaginationandtranscendinghistoricalexperiencebywayof
the"instrument."Science,sheargues,isalreadyanendeavor
oftheartificial:"Iftheachievementsof[contemporary]
sciencearetheresultofaviolationofnaturalintegrity,
inordertoemancipateitselementsandrerelatethem,how
cananartistbecontenttodonomorethantoperceive,
analyzeand,atmost,recreatetheseostensiblyinviolable
wholeofnature?"("Anagram"23).Artshouldnot,therefore,
attempttoreturntonature.Instead,arthastoembarkon
anewtruth:
Torenouncethenaturalframeofreferencethenatural
logicandintegrityofanexistentrealityisnot,asis
popularlyassumed,anescapefromthelaboroftruth....
Tocreateaformoflifeis,inthefinalanalysis,much
moredemandingthantorenderonewhichisreadymade.
("Anagram"23)
Tobreakwiththedocumentarytradition,shewrites,is
notto"escapethelaboroftruth,"butrathertoaffirm
it,tocreateagreatertruth:"aformoflife."Herwords
bothgesturetoahistoryoftheautomationof
representationandperception,thatofthe"readymade,"
aswellastoanascentaspirationtobreakterminally
withnaturetoproducereality.Deren,therefore,mutates
orreplacesconcernwith"thenaturalframeofreference"
asaprescriptiveideaofperceptionforanothersetof
concernsaboutpredictionandperformance.
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Derencallsuponthegenealogyofsciencetomakethis
argument.Shewritesofaprocessbywhichhuman
perceptionwasremade:
Throughmathematicalcomputations,he[man]wasableto
extendhisknowledgeevenbeyondthereachofhis
instruments.Fromacarefulanalysisofcausationand
incidence,hedevelopedthepowersofprediction.And
finally,notcontenttomerelyanalyzeanexistentreality,
heundertooktoactivatetheprincipleswhichhehad
discovered,tomanipulatereality,andtobringtogether
intonewrelationshipstheelementswhichhewasableto
isolate.Hewasabletocreateformsaccordingtohisown
intelligence.("Anagram"8)
Derencitesashistoricalreferenceandinspirationthe
emergenceofprobability,theerosionofdeterminism,and
themanipulationofrealitybynewtechniquesandoptical
instruments.Shediagramsanewrelationshipbetween
probabilisticthoughtandsubjectivevision,aformof
visualitythataccedestotheselfproductionand
technicalnaturebroughtaboutthrough"computations"
andtechniques.
AsidefromBateson'sinfluence,thesourceofDeren's
familiaritywithcomputersorgametheoryisuncertain.
Whatisclearisthatintraininganddiscourseshe
sharesmuchwiththeanthropologist.Inherownlife,
asisbynowwelldocumented,Derendrawsinfluence
fromthephysicalandpsychologicalsciences,aswell
asfromfiguressuchasHenriBergson.Shewasthe
daughterofapracticingpsychiatristinSyracuse,New
York,whowaspartofthenewRussianschoolfor
objectivepsychologyinSt.Petersburgbeforecoming
totheUnitedStatesin1922toescapethecivilwar.
Atthisschool,DzigaVertovstudiedandexperimented
withhiscinematicpracticesin1917(Holl157).Deren
wasclosetoherfather,andinherundergraduateand
graduateeducationshepursuedthestudyofpsychology,
particularlygestaltpsychologywithKurtKoffkaat
SmithCollegeinthelate1930s.3Therelationship
betweenscienceandartcontinuestoplayoutthrough
herwork.Deren'sworkispermeatedwithherinterest
inpsychology,andalsowithdiscussionsofphysics,
theBomb,andgames.Herarchivecontainsfolders
titled"communication."Herinterestinethnography
putsherindirectconversationwithstructuralist
anthropologistsconcernedwithcommunicationand
linguistictheories.Infact,hertrainingin
psychology,andgestaltinparticular,isintimately
correlatedtothesciencesofcommunication,
computing,andcognition.Atamomentwhenminds,
machines,andmediaareallbeingtransformed,many
differentpracticesshareinthereformulationof
representation("Climate").4
Derensharesmuchwiththetechnologiesandsciences
ofhertime.Whilecriticalofthebombandconscious
ofthedangersoftechnology,sheisalsofaintly
hopefulthatart'srelationshipwithsciencecan
invigorateboth.Forher,toolscomingfromthe
sciencesofferthepossibilityofcontrolovermemory
andthepotentialtoreinventcinemaandreinvigorate
artafterthewar.The"Anagram"essaymapsDeren's
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pointsofreferenceandherhopefortheimage,an
imagenolongerinvestedinolderformsofknowledge,
butratherinthecreationof"forms,"animagethat
recombinespasthistoriesofprobabilityand
technologytoproduce,shehopes,neweffects.
IdonotwishtoimplyherethatDerenisdirectly
relatedtothedevelopmentofdigitalorelectronic
media.Rather,Iwishtoshowthatpostwarcinema,
postwaranthropologyandcommunicationsciences
demonstratesimilarattitudestowardsrepresentation.
Thisengagementbetweenartandthesocial,
communication,andpsychologicalsciencesafterthe
warallowsmetoaskwheretheseendeavorsintersect
andwheretheydifferentiatethemselves.Iwant,
therefore,tofocusourattentionontheaspectof
Deren'stheoriesthathighlightsahistorical
transformationinbothontologyandepistemology.
ButIalsowanttomarkhercuriousinsistence,
almostademand,thatartbeseparatefromscience.
Inthisintimateefforttobothengageandseparate
fromthephysicalandpsychologicalsciences,wecan
begintounderstandrelationshipsbetweentime,
difference,technology,andrepresentationinthe
postwarimage.
Inscription,Representation,andCinema
Tolinktheanagramtohistoriesofepistemologyand
temporality,IwanttosituateDeren'sanagrammatic
"image"withinthehistoryofrepresentationand
knowledge.Theopeningtropesinthe"Anagram"essay
developkeythemescriticaltounderstandingthe
relationshipbetweenmemory,temporality,andcontrol
thatstructuresDeren'sconceptionofcinematictime.
First,Derenfoldsa19thandearly20thcentury
concernwithchanceandcontrolintoanewcinematic
practice.Herdiscourseoftimeis,arguably,
probabilisticandassociatedwithahistoryofanti
deterministthinkinginthesciencesandinphilosophy.
Second,Derendemonstratesahistoricalchangeinthe
ontologyoftheimage.Throughoutherwriting,Deren
explicitlyattacksbothdisorganization(sheisa
highlystructuredfilmmaker,prediagrammingand
storyboardingallhermovies)andimmediacy.She
explicitlyandrepeatedlycondemnswhatshelabels
"presentism"("Anagram").Howcanweunderstand
thisdenialofthepresentinthenameofstructure
andprediction?Andhowdoesitrelatetomodern
conceptsofprobabilityandtherepresentabilityof
time?
Manyhistorianshavenotedthatthe19thcenturysaw
theemergenceoftwophenomenatheriseofmechanical
objectivityandwhatIanHackingcalls"thetamingof
chance."Inphysicsthroughthermodynamics,in
evolutionarybiology,inthesocialsciences,andin
psychologyandphysiology,thereemergedarecognition
ofthelimitsofrepresentation,aconsciousnessthat
theworldwasvariableandcontingent.Thisworldview
opposestheparadigmofNewtonianphysics.InNewton's
universe,therecanbeperfectinformation;equations
predictthefutureactionofthesystemandreactions
canalwaysbereversed.InNewtonianphysics,time's
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arrowflowsbothforwardandbackwardandnatureis
amenabletorepresentationthroughmathematicsand
images.Inaworldthatisnondeterministic,however,
timecannotbereversedandthefuturecanneverbe
perfectlypredicted.Therecognitionofaninability
tolegiblyrepresentthepresentandthusknowand
controlthefuture(arecognitionofchance),combined
withtheteleologicalarrowofthermodynamictime
directedtowardschaos,disorder,anddegradation,
createdanxietiesabouttherepresentabilityoftime
itself.
Thisrepresentationalcrisisinthelate19thcentury
wasembeddedinandabettedbyearlycinema.Cinema,
likescience,desperatelysoughttofulfillan
impossibletask:bothtobeabletorecord
"everything,"toaccesstheabsolutezenithofthe
knowableandtheseeabletheindex,thepresent,the
eventandtorenderthisdelugeofdatacoherent,
representable,andlegibletothehumanobserver.
Cinemaandsciencebothproducedconsciousnessofthe
limitsofhumanperceptionandrepresentation,
renderingvisiblethedifficultyofmakingchoices
underconditionsofimperfectinformation,while
inducingadesiretosurmountthislimittoknowledge
throughnewformsofdocumentationandanalysis(Doane
4).
Objectivitythusseemedunattainablewhentheera
increasinglyrecognizedtheimpossibilityofcontrolling
thevisualdatafieldandpredictingthefuture,while
simultaneouslydesiringtodoboth.Sciencecontends
withthisinabilitytogaincompleteknowledgeofthe
worldchancewithadesiretodocument,organize,and
archiveeverything.Chanceandtheindexarethusbound
togetherthroughtheepistemologiesofarchivingandnew
visualizationtechnologiesthatcharacterizepositivistic
19thandearly20thcenturysciences.Arguably,thisera's
concernwithrepresentingtimecorrelateswithadesireto
documentthepresent(ontologyandtheindex)andthe
concomitantdemandforamechanicalobjectivitytocontrol
afieldofvisionlentautonomythroughthemachineof
cinemaandantideterministicepistemologies(Doane4;
DastonandGalison).
ForDeren,however,theproblemofknowledgeand
epistemologicalcontrolisreplacedwiththequestionof
creatinglifeforms.Shesignifiesaslowerosionofthe
dreamofaccessingthepresentinthenameofanewand
obsessiveconcernwithimaginationorthevirtualframed
inthefutureperfecttense,adesirenotforthe
documentandtheindexbutfortheproductionofeffects
inanticipationofthefuture.Deren'slackofinterest
intheindexandthepresentisthereforeamarkedshift.
Whileadheringtoaprobabilisticandteleological
(althoughnotnecessarilyprogressive)time,Derenis
onlyinterestedintwolocithepastandthefuture.
ThethirdsalientstructureforDeren'sarchitectureof
timeinvolvesmemoryandthearchive.Thedisplacementof
concernfortheindexisaccompaniedwithemergent
interestinmemoryandthearchiveasinfinite
repositoriesofpossibilityforrecombination.Derenis
obsessivelyconcernedwiththefutureandwithformsor
structuresthatareautopoietic.Surprisingly,however,
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thispredictiveoranticipatoryattitudedevelopsby
displacingtheproblemofrecording.Derenassumesthat
thepastisavailableforrecombinationandnolonger
worriesaboutitscapture;asweshallsee,indexicality
isnotsomuchdestroyedassimplydeferredandrepressed.
Thereisacuriousstructureoftimeinthiscinema(but
alsoincommunicationsciences)wherefeedbackloops
generatefutureactions.
Thesethreeelementsprobability,prediction,and
manipulationworktogethertofundamentallyreframethe
dreamofwhatcinemamightbecomeandspeaktobroader
transformationsintheideaoftemporalityandits
ethicalandmoralstakes.ItisDerenherselfwhopoints
outtheincumbentrisksnowattachedtotime:"Forthe
seriousartisttheestheticproblemofformis,
essentially,andsimultaneously,amoralproblem"
("Anagram"37).Shehintsthatwhatisatstakeinthis
efforttorethinktemporality,memory,andtheimageis
thefuturebothofmediaandofthought.
TheNewImage
Theseattitudestowardsrecording,recombination,and
structureareembodiedwithintheanagrammaticlogicand
structureofDeren'sfilms.Herfirstmovie,Meshesof
theAfternoon(1943),madewithherhusband,theCzech
migrAlexanderHammid,animatesthisrecombinatorial
aesthetics,illuminating,inherwords,"themalevolent
vitalityofinanimateobjects"(Meshes).5Herdefinition
ofthefilmjoiningvitalitywiththeinanimatealready
suggestsarevisionofontologyandperception.Themovie
is,indeed,apsychoticdreamworld,perhapsreflecting
andadvancingtheongoingwarcondition.More
importantly,itisaworldwheretheinteriorityand
exteriorityofthesubjectareconfused.Thefilmis,in
Deren'sestimation,"adreamthattakessuchforceit
becomesreality"(Legend78).Itisafilmwherethe
abstractprocessesofperceptiontakematerialform
througheditingandrepetition.
SinceMeshesoftheAfternoonisthemostnarrativeof
herfilms,manycriticsarguethatthemoviewavers
betweenthisemergentaestheticandolderclassicalforms
ofcinema.However,thedominantdeviceinthefilmisa
rhythmicmirroring,orfeedback,betweenthepossibly
exteriorandinteriorstates,thatanticipatesthe
anagrammaticmethod.Everysceneisfilledwithparallels:
afallingflowertransformsintoaknife,thetelephone
offthehookisdoubledbyaknifefallingontoatable,
andapotentiallylovingcaressbetweenamanandknife
redoublesuponitselfasapotentialmurderscene("Pre
productionNotes").Thesescenesrepeatthemselvesinthe
courseofthefilm,eachtimeslightlymutatingtoproduce
differentcomprehensions.Derenalsoregularlydoublesor
multipliesthesameimageinthescene,forexampleina
momentwhensheencountersherselfinmultiple:
Fig.4.MirroringinMeshesoftheAfternoon.1943.
(c)MysticFireVideo,2002.DVD.
Thelogicofthefilmisthusoneofrepetitionand
multiplication.Liketheanagram,"nothingisnew"in
thateverythinghasbeenrecorded.Themoviekeeps
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repeatingitsownoperationsandimages,andalso
regularlyrecombiningmontageandsymbolicelementsfrom
cinema'shistoryparticularlyfromSurrealismand
Constructivism,bothmovementsproducingmoviesthat
Derenclaimstohaveseen.
However,whileDerenmayrepeatconventionandtactic,
shedoesnotrecuperatetheseimagesinthenameof
unearthingtheunconsciousorrevealingtherealitybehind
ideology.Derenviolentlyopposesanycomparisonbetween
herworkandthepsychoanalyticfilmsofsurrealists
(Legend280).6Shesteadfastlymaintainsthatbetweenthe
screenandthespectatoranewrealityisemerging,as
wellasanewpsychology.Noveltyhereisrelocatedfrom
thesceneofcapturetotheproductionofthis"whole"
thatencompassestheactofseeingandinvolvesthe
spectatorandtheapparatusinproducinganexperience.
InsubsequentproductionnotesDerenwrites:"Everything
whichhappensinthedreamhasitsbasisinasuggestion
inthefirstsequencetheknife,thekey,therepetition
ofstairs,thefiguredisappearingaroundthecurveof
theroad.Partoftheachievementofthisfilmconsists
inthemannerinwhichcinematictechniquesareemployed
togiveamalevolentvitalitytoinanimateobjects"
(Legend78).Thislivelymalevolenceemergesfromthe
recombinationofsetpatternsthatproducesmorethanthe
sumofthestills.Carefulmappingofrepeatedimagesis
criticaltothisform.Thearchivegeneratesthemovieand
alsoproducesanewformoflivelinessthatisbeyondthe
sumofitsparts,anaccidentthatemergesfromthis
structuredpractice.
Fig.5.StillsfromMeshesoftheAfternoon.1943.
(c)MysticFireVideo,2002.
Deren'sfilmgeneratesaformofattentionthrough
rhythmicpatterns,notthroughtheconventional
integrationofsoundandimageincausalrelations.
AsWendyHaslemwrites,"Therhythmofthesound,
movementandeditingconspiretoproducetheeffectof
atrancefilm.MeshesoftheAfternoon'sdreamlike
miseensc
ne,illogicalnarrativetrajectory,fluid
movementandambientsoundtrackinviteatypeof
contemplative,perhapseventranscendental,involvement
forthespectator."7Thediegesisemergesthroughthe
repetitionandcadencingofelements,theregular
interruptionofaction,andthediscontinuitybetween
movementsandspaces.Therepetitionofformandthe
directrelationshipbetweenimagesproducemovement.
Derenisexplicitlyrecombinatorialinherlogic.She
correlatesthiscinematicpracticedirectlywithmemory,
archiving,andstorage.Recallingahistoryof
photographyasindexical,sheassumestheavailability
oftheimagetomemoryforrecombination.Shewrites:
Butthecelluloidmemoryofthecameracanfunction,as
ourmemory,notmerelytoreconstructortomeasurean
originalchronology.Itcanplacetogether,inimmediate
temporalsequence,eventsactuallydistant,andachieve,
throughsuchrelationshipapeculiarlyfilmicreality.
("Anagram"42)
Cinemaheretakestheplaceofmemory,butthisisa
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particularmemory.Inthisformulation,theworkof
cinemaistoprovideastructurethatmayproducenew
formsoftime,notmerelyreflectatimethatcomes
fromoutsideofit.Thecameraworkslikeourmemory,
"notmerelytoreconstructortomeasureanoriginal
chronology,"butratherthrougha"relationship"
betweenimagesthatcomesfromdifferentsituationsto
produceanewtime,"apeculiarfilmicreality."
Memoryisthusaprocessofrecombinationthatisnot
attachedtotherecollectionofthepastsomuchas
theproductionoffutureimaginaries.Thefilmicmedium,
then,isthestructurethatcreatestheconditionsfor
thisrecombinationtooccur.Deren'spracticeintegrates
bothtemporalconceptionsofchance(theaccidentof
encounterbetweendifferentimages)andstatistical
control(theproductionofequations,diagrams,graphs,
andothermechanisms)throughthestructured"game"
thatistheanagram.
TheImagethatActs
Deren'sworkisobsessedwithprocess,manipulation,
andrecombinationandisnotinterestedinontology,
indexicality,orcapture.Time,here,isthusnotso
muchrelatedtothepastorthepresentastothe
future.Theanagramisastructurethatcanproducenew
formsinthefutureoutofthetracesofthepast.This
cinematicpracticeembodiesashiftintensefromthe
descriptivetothepredictive,fromdocumentationto
action.Derenisexplicitaboutthistransformation
fromthedocumentaryimpulsetoanotherone:
Whenanimageinducesageneralizationandgivesrise
toanemotionoridea,itbearstowardsthatemotion
orideathesamerelationshipwhichanexemplary
demonstrationbearstosomechemicalprinciple;and
thatisentirelydifferentfromtherelationship
betweenthatprincipleandthewrittenchemical
formulabywhichitissymbolized.Inthefirstcase
theprinciplefunctionsactively;inthesecondcase
itsactionissymbolicallydescribed,inlieuofthe
actionitself.("Anagram"27)
Symbolsnolongeractasdocumentaryoforreferential
toanexternalindex,butinsteadperformoperations.
Itisnotwhatcanbeseenbutwhatcanbedonethat
concernsher.
Deren's"generalizations"arepatterns,defining
relationships,andnotspatiallysituatedobjects.Her
conceptofformisclearlyprobabilisticinthatit
generatesapotentialfutureaction,butitisalso
communicativeinthesensethatincommunicationtheory,
informationisjudgedbythepotentialforaction.In
Deren'stheory,symbolsaretheconditionof
possibilityforanaction.Whereasthechemicalformula
(arepresentation)cannotproducethereaction,her
notionofsymbolorgeneralizationcan.Herdeferral
orrepressionofpresence,ontology,anddescription
facilitatesafocusonrelationsinsteadofobjects.
Thematerializationofthesymbolisthusclosely
correlatedwithanidealofapredictiveand
probabilistictime,andthedeferralofaconcernwith
captureandontology.
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Derenattemptstoenactthisideaofsymbolliterally
inherwork,forexampleinhersubsequentfilmAStudy
inChoreographyfortheCamera(1945).Shedescribes
thisfilmasanefforttoremovedancefromthe
theaterstageandcreateanewrelationshipbetween
thecameraandthehumanbody.Thisfilmisas
dynamicasthebody,"mobileandvolatileashimself.
Itwas,actuallyaduetbetweenTalleyBeatty,who
danced,andspace,whichwasmadetodancebymeans
ofthecameraandcutting"("Ritual"225).Tothis
endshedrivesherselfandherperformerstonew
physicalandmechanicalrelations.TalleyBeatty
recallsthedifficultyoffilmingChoreography
("Interview,"Legend280):
Fig.6.StillsfromAStudyinChoreographyforthe
Camera.1945.(c)MysticFireVideo,2002.
DerenforcesBeattytoleaninandoutofwindows,
ledges,andprecipicesandtoholdforlongmoments
posesthatarebothphysicallytaxingandpotentially
dangerous("Interview"286).
Inhercritics'estimation,Deren'sworkdivergesfrom
previousavantgardetraditions,mostparticularly
Surrealism,becauseherimageparticipatesin,rather
thanrecordsorrepresents(asabstraction),the
movementsofthebody.8AsDerenexplains,"Mostdance
filmsarerecordsofdanceswhichwereoriginally
designedfortheatricalstagespaceandforthefixed
stagefrontpointofviewoftheaudience...Inthis
filmIhaveattemptedtoplaceadancerinlimitless,
cinematographicspace...heshares,withthecamera,a
collaborativeresponsibilityforthemovements
themselves.Thisis,inotherwords,adancewhichcan
existonlyinfilm"(Legend262).Bothdanceandcinema
change,incorporatingandreflexivelyrespondingtoeach
other.JohnMartin,theNewYorkTimesdancecritic,
announcesthatDeren'sworkrevealsthatthemachine
couldnowextendthebody,labelingthis"chorecinema."
Anotherdancecritic,RichardLippold,arguesherwork
"liberates"dancefroma"transitoryexperience,"
offeringit"theeternityofotherarts,andthe
liberationofcinema,throughthedancer,fromits
confinesindocumentingmerelythereal"(391).
Thefilmspansapproximatelythreeminutes,deploying
anumberofdevicestofacilitatetheproductionof
temporalityandmovement:amachinicvision,ifyou
will.Cadencingisintegraltothestructureofthe
movie.Dancemovementsandrhythmssetthetempofor
attentioninthefilm,whichmovesthroughanumber
ofdiscontinuousandidiosyncraticspacesinboth
geographyandhistory.Forexample,thedancerstarts
inaforestandextendshisleg.Theextensionisslow
andcontinuous.Thisactionisongoingwhile
synchronouslythereisajumpcutbetweenspaces,
landingthedancerinaWestVillageapartment.
Movementisshowncontinuouslyoverspatialdisjuncture.
InanotherscenethattakesplaceintheMetropolitan
MuseumofArt,thedancertraversestheantiquities
hall.Thespeedofshootingisvariable,rangingfrom
64framespersecondto8framespersecond,asisthe
angleofthecamera.Thedancer'sturnsmaintainaset
cadence,buttheyunfoldfortheviewerthrough
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disjointedperspectivesextremecloseupsandshallow
depthsoffieldinterspersedwithextendeddepthof
field,widerangles,anddistanceandatvarying
speeds.Whatthespectatorisconsciousofisthetime
inwhichtheactionunfoldssincethespacesmodulate.
Derenalsoplayssegmentsofthefilminreverseto
transformactionandcreatejumps"contradicting
gravity,"breakingwithcausallogicsofactionand
reaction("Choreography"265).
Mechanical,perhapsstatistical,innature,thefilm
inducesaseriesofpotentialaffectsthroughtight
structuresandcontrolledscenarios.Natureandart
theurbanmuseum,thedomesticapartment,andthe
forestcliffsarebroughtintocontactasremnants
of,andpossibilitiesfor,differentformsoflife,
differentpossibilitiesforbeingthatemergefrom
unlikelyinteractionsstructuredbythefilm.
Temporalityis(atleastinambition)produced
throughthedisjuncturebetweenmovementandspace,
directlyfromthecuts,editsandthevariancesin
filmingspeed.Derenseeksnottorepresenttimeor
presence,butrathertoproducesensationthroughher
editorialandstructuralpractice.Derensumsupher
ambitionsforthefilmpoetically:"Imeanthat
movement,orenergy,ismoreimportant,ormore
powerful,thanspaceormatterthat,infact,it
createsmatter"(qtd.inButler11).
Initsdedicationtoenactingadeconstructionof
theseparationbetweenmaterialityandabstraction,
toanirreversiblebutheterogeneoustemporality,
andtomemoryasaprocessof"relation"building,
thiscinemaappearstocorrelatewithGilles
Deleuze'slaterformulationofthetimeimageasa
postwarphenomenon.Thiscorrelationhighlightsa
historicaltransformationinrepresentational
tactics.Inamovethatanticipatescontemporary
mediatheory,Dereninvertsmodernconcernswith
thepresentandtheindex,asexemplifiedinHenri
Bergson'sattitudesandcritiquesofphysics,modern
science,andcinema.WhileBergsoncontinuedto
insistonthecinematograph'sattackonreality,
Deren(andincidentallyBateson,butnotMead)
repressesthisinterestintheinvestmentina
"filmicreality,"substitutingtheinstrumentfor
thepositionofmemory.UnlikeBergson,forwhom
timeisalwaysoutsideofrepresentationand
inscription,andforwhomthepresentisboth
inaccessibletolegibleinscriptionandthesiteof
anabsolutereality,forDerentimeemergesfrom
withintheapparatus.Inthepostwarreformulation
ofcinemathereisnodebatebetweenphenomenal,
scientific,ormechanicalexperiencesoftime.9
Thedebate,instead,shiftstohowthisexperience
willbeorganizedandmanipulated.
Genealogies
Deren'scinemathusallowsustoidentifythree
featuresofthepostwarimage:1)Theemergence
ofanotionofmultipletemporalitycomprisedof
bothprobabilityandrecombination.2)The
subsequentdisplacementofinterestinthepresent,
taxonomy,andstaticontologyintheinterestof
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process,method,andrelations.3)The
transformationinrelationsbetweenmateriality
andabstractionfacilitatinganewtreatmentof
perception,representation,andsymbols.These
threefeaturesarepartofabroadercultural
logicofrepresentationendemictotheperiod.
Deren'srelationshiptotemporality,traversing
asitdoesdiscoursesofphysics,anthropology,
memory,probability,andcontrol,reflectsand
refractbroaderepistemologicalchangesinthe
artsandsciencesofherdayandherparticular
biography.Deren,asIhavenoted,studiedwith
KoffkaatSmithCollegeinthelate1930swhile
completinganMA.inEnglishliterature.
Idrawattentiontothislinkbecausegestalt
psychologyhasaparticularplaceinthepost
warmilieu.Infieldsaswidespreadascomputing,
arttheoryandhistory,psychology,andthesocial
sciences,thelanguageofgestaltandtheideas
comingfromthisformofpsychologybecomea
dominantlinguafrancaforrethinkingperception
andhumancognition.Deren'sthinkingemerges
directlyfromthisinfluence,whichreflectsitself
inherlanguageofrecombining"wholes,"inher
ideathattheanagramcanbeaprocessforcreating
perception,andhersituatingthestructureof
temporalityintheimage.BytracingDeren's
relationshiptogestalt,Iseektosituatethe
filmmakerwithinabroaderhistoryofepistemology
andrepresentation.
Gestaltpsychologyisaparadigmaticexampleofan
epistemologicalbridgebetweentwoordersof
objectivityandtruthbeforeandafterthewar.
Gestaltanticipates,beforethewar,a
transformationinscientificidealsandthe
dispersionofpsychologicaltechnologiesinto
fieldslikedesignandartthroughtheBauhaus.
Butgestaltenjoysglobalpopularityasa
practiceanddiscourseonlyafterthewar.10In
gestalt,theprincipleistomodeltheinteractions
andrelationshipsbetweenobjects.MaxWertheimer,
founderofthegestaltschool,demonstratesthis
epistemologyinhisdiscussionof"timeforms"in
music.Hewrites:"whatisgivenmebythemelody
doesnotarise...asasecondaryprocessfrom
thesumofthepiecesassuch.Instead,whattakes
placeineachsinglepartalreadydependsuponwhat
thewholeis"(qtd.inGreen).11Theform,likethe
anagram,anticipatesorprecedesitsdiscrete
elements.Ifwearetothinkofthisvisually,then
thestaticandindexicalimageofthephotograph
thatcomprisesthecinemaisonlysecondarytothe
formorstructurethatconditionsthepossible
relationsbetweenstillsandspectators.Gestalt
psychologyisinterestedinthesegenerativeforms,
notindescribingdiscreteentities.
Gestaltpsychologymakesvisibleanepistemicshift,
bridgingthecompartmentalizingandrationalizing
experimentaltraditionsemergingfrompsychophysics
withnewconcernswithconsciousness,memory,and
cognitivefunctioning.Beginningattheturnofthe
century,gestaltpsychologistsstudiedperception,or
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theorganizationofsensations,ratherthandirect
stimulusresponsesituations(Ash1).Experimentally,
gestaltpsychologistsfocusedonexaminingthose
placeswheresubjectsidentifypatternsorshapes
thatarenotreducibletotheelementsofthe
stimulus.Theirfocusbecamethemediatedrelationship
betweensubjectsandtheworld,andnotthedirect
relationshipbetweenexternalinputandaction.For
example,thekindofvisualphenomenagestalt
psychologistswereinterestedinisexemplifiedby
thefamousgestalttriangleKanizsausedin1955:
Fig.7.Thegestalttriangle.
KurtKoffka,Deren'smentoratSmith,wasintrigued
bythefactthatexperimentalsubjects"see"objects
likethetriangleeventhoughthereisnotriangle
"actually"there.Cinema,ofcourse,istheclassic
exemplarofgestaltphenomena.In1912Wertheimer,
withKoffka'sassistance,researchedthewaypeople
seemovementfromstills.Thisphenomenondemonstrated
tothemthepossibilityofagestaltthatinherently
structuresthenatureofvision.Asinafilmthat
showsnomovement,herethereisnodirectstimulus
impingingupontheeye.Thatthetriangleappearsto
betheredemonstratesforKoffkaandothergestalt
psychologiststhatperceptionandstimulusdonot
correspondonetoone.Theproductionoftheimage
ofatriangle,forgesaltpsychologists,gesturesto
theexistenceofaprocessofcognitioncoordinating
relationsbetweenstimuli.Cognitionandperception
becomepartofthesameprocess,andtheboundary
betweenreceptionandprocessingisdegraded.
Perceptionisaprocess,notreducibletosingular
reflexarcs,butdeterminedbycomplexandchanging
relationsbetweentheorganismandtheenvironment.
Thisgestaltinvestmentin"wholes"andinexperience
thatexceedsstimuliisrefractedinDeren'sfigureof
theAnagram,wherethecinemaandthespectator
togetherproducenewperceptualpossibilities.
Gestaltpsychology,inbeingconcernedwith
interactionandnotmerelywithcausalaction,
thereforereliesonaprobabilistictemporality
ontheproductionofanorderedpsycheoutofa
chaoticenvironment.Khlerargues,forexample,
thatincomplexsystemsthereis"noreasonwhy
thingsshoulddevelopinthedirectionoforder
ratherthanchaos."However,headds,"chaoscan
beprevented,andorderenforced,ifpropercontrols
areimposeduponactingfactors."Hegivesthe
exampleoffactorymachinesthat,whilethey
conformtoprinciplesofphysics,imposeaform
andorderthat"man,notnature,hasprovided."
Hisinterestaspsychologistisinunearthing
orderlypatternsofhumanperceptionthatallow
cognitionandproduceorder.Hedoesnotviewthis
isanobjectiveprocess,aninalienablelawasin
thenaturalsciences,butratherasasubjective
processthatconstrainschanceandchaosby
systematicallyreproducingthesameeffectsin
allhumanbeings.SowhileKhlerconcedesthat
sciencecannotknowwhat"red"mightdenoteto
everyindividual,sciencecanknowtheprocess
ofrelationsandofproducingorderinthemind.
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"Thus,"hewrites,"wemusttrytofindakind
offunctionwhichisorderlyandyetnotentirely
constrainedbyeitherinheritedoracquired
arrangements"(623,69).
Wertheimercoinsatermforthisprocessin
1914Prgnanzexpressingtheideathatall
experiencedstructuresalwaysspontaneously
assumethesimplestarrangementpossibleunder
givenconditions.Thistheoryclearlyinvokes
thesecondlawofthermodynamics.Asascience,
gestaltemergesoutofaconcernfororderin
natureandinsociety.Gestaltpsychologists
soughttodefineandexploretheprocessbywhich
perceptionsaresystematicallyorganizedandreach
homeostaticequilibrium.Gestaltpsychologysought
nottounearthanabsolutesingularformor
structure,butrathertoisolateprocessesand
relationsthatoperateonsimilarprincipleswhile
allowingforchange,transformation,andthe
multiplicityanddiversitythesubjectivityof
humanexperience.12Iarguethismakesgestalt
partofabroadershiftinepistemologyvisiblein
manysciencesthroughoutthe20thcenturyaway
fromontologyanddocumentationandtoward
performativity,process,andprediction.Theshift
entailsaredefinitionofthescientificobjective
and,perhaps,ofobjectivity.Khlerarguesin1947
thattherecanbenoseparationbetweenthoughtand
thebody,andallobservationsarefundamentally
mediatedbyhumanperception:"Abouttheorganism,
justasaboutotherphysicalthings,weknowmerely
byaprocessofinferenceorconstruction.Tothe
influenceofotherphysicalobjectsmyorganism
respondswithprocesseswhichestablishthesensory
worldaroundme."Ratherthandiscoveranonsensory
orextrasensoryworld,gestaltpsychologyis
interestedinhowweproduceexperienceandinfact
the"sensoryworld."Forgestaltiststhereisonly
aninternalandselfreferentialworld(Khler9).
Inenteringthe"subjective"spaceofsensoryand
perceptualmediation,gestaltpsychologistsalso
rethinktheoldercategoriesofmaterialityand
abstraction,mindandbody,andrepresentationand
action.Gestaltpsychologyasksaboutgeneralizable
processes:howisitthatallhumansappeartoview
cinemaasmoving?Whatprocesssynthesizesthis
experience?Thequestionthereforeisnotaboutthe
disjuncturebetweenwhatisseenandpresumablywhat
is"really"there,butabouthowreality,now
understoodasexperience,comesintobeingatall.
Thissearchforareflexiveorsubjectivemethodfor
orderingsensealsothreatenstodegradeolder
categoricalseparationsbetweenmaterialityand
abstraction,mindandbody,cognition,perception,
andsensation,oraction/behaviorandthought
(Khler9).BreakdownspotentlyvisibleinDeren's
gestaltinspiredchoreographiesforthecamera,for
example.
Batesonalsodemonstratesthisrefocusingof
scientificconcernon"relations."Hewritesthat
"[w]hen...itisrealizedthattherecognition
ofGestaltendependsupontheformalrelations
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amongexternalevents,thenitisevidentthat
thinkingintermsof'things'issecondary...
allknowledgeofexternaleventsisderivedfrom
therelationshipsbetweenthem"(Batesonand
Ruesch173).Afterthewar,Bateson'sexperimental
andethnographicworkshiftstofocusonthe
relationshipsbetweenpeopleandcultures,over
andagainstdefininganyparticularsubjectivity
orculture(Steps).Itis,infact,Bateson's
interestinanagrammaticstructuresthatdrives
hisinvestigationsintobothgestaltandgame
theory;anditistohisgametheoryand
comparativeethnographythatDerenrespondsin
herletterstoBateson.ForBateson,gamesand
gestaltenshareanepistemology.Bothsystems
possessformalormethodologicalstructuresthat
generateagreatvarietyofpotentialexperiences.
Inhisprofessionalfields,suchascommunication
science,cognitivescience,andcybernetics,
gestaltconceptsareoftenusedinterchangeably
withotherlogicalandgametheoreticalideas.
However,Batesonhasreservationsaboutgamesas
wellparticularlyaboutthelogicofprediction
ingamesandtheinabilityofrulestoevolve
thathedoesnothaveaboutpsychology.His
reservationsimplicitlyunderpinDeren'sresponse
tohislectures.
Whileaseriousbackgroundofgametheoryis
impossiblehere,itshouldbenotedthatgames,
likegestaltpsychology,becomeincreasingly
importantinpostwarAmericanculture.Perhaps
themostnotableincarnationofthisimportance
isJohnvonNeumannandOskarMorgenstern's1944
classic,TheoryofGamesandEconomicBehavior.
Influencingeverythingfromcomputingtocoldwar
politics,thegamebecamebothacritical
metaphorandamodeofoperatinginmanyfields.
Derenreferstothisnewculturalcondition
directlythroughreferencetoforeignpolicy,
atomicweapons,andtechnicallyinducedgenocide
ofhertime.Whileitisunclearifshe
distinguishesbetweendifferentscientificor
technicalendeavorssincepsychology,physics,
play,andprobabilityareallrecombinedatwill
inherwork,sheisveryastuteinmakingvisible
thesefields'parallelepistemicpatterns.
Replacinganunderstandingofthemarketasa
spacewhereactorsrespondtoexternalprices
(deadvariables),gametheoryby,amongothers,
MorgensternandvonNeumann,understandsactors
asrespondingtoeachother.Markets,aswell
aspoliticalsituations,emergefromthe
relationshipsbetweentheagentsinvolvedthrough
feedbackinteractions.Thereisnoexteriorityto
thegameexceptperhapsits"rules,"thetemplates
bywhichthefuturegetsextrapolated.The
situationemergingoutoftheseprotocolscan
generategreatcomplexity.13Liketheconceptof
gestaltthatisoftenusedtodescribethem,games
ingametheoryaregenerativeformsproducedout
ofasetofprocessesorrulesthatcreatefuture
possibility.Becausegamesgeneratetheirown
selfreferentialworlds,thesearenot
representations.Games,likethepostwarimages
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ofcinema,aresaidtobeperformativeabstractions
thatmaterializeparticulareffects.
Butatthejuncturebetweenprobabilistictimeand
predictivetime,Batesondiagnosesaproblemgames
cannotevolveorchangeoncebegun.Thisrepetition
withoutchangeisthetopicoftheconversation
betweenhimselfandDeren.Heunderstandsthatthe
problemwith"static"gamesisthattheyproduce
conditionsforaction,butnotfordifferentpossible
actions,onlyrepetitivecyclesculminatingin
potentiallygenocidalviolence(nuclearwarinthis
case)helabelsthisa"paranoidaldirection."I
wouldlabelitthelogicalandrationalbasisof
irrationalityandpsychosis.Thesegames,models,
andapproximationsbothassumethecollapseofthe
perceptualfield,astateoftotalpsychosisand
internalselfreference,andstilldesirethe
abilitytogaincontrol,toreassertobjectivity
animpossiblecombination.Batesonalsolabels
thissituation"schizoid,"andgoesontoredefine
thepathologyofschizophreniaasanimpossible
scenariowheretwoincompatiblelogicscompete.
Thistensionattheheartoftheoriesofgamesis,
infact,atthecenterofBateson'scritique
(Letter2).
TemporalityalsostructuresDeren'sresponseto
theseriesoflecturesBatesongiveslinkinggame
theory,nascentcyberneticconcepts,andnew
modelsforethnographyandpsychology.14She
documentsa"heated"discussionwithGregoryabout
"thatoldbusinessofhislinearanalysisof
nonlinearsystems"("Notebook"25).Sheargues
thathis"dominancesubmission,succordependence
structureiswrong.Thatis,hebuildsupawhole
structureoffeedbacks,etc.,becausehestarts
offwithsuchalinear,simplifiedprocess...
Itisbettertocomplicatethepremisebyone
dimensiontimeandhaveasimpleanalytical
structureflowfromitthantokeepthepremise
simpleatanypriceonlytohaveaverycomplex
superstructure"("Notebook"2526).Herconcern
withfeedbacksandprocessesdemonstratesher
exposuretothelanguageofcomputation,
electricalengineering,andthecognitive
sciencesthatareBateson'spointsofreference.
AndwhileherunderstandingofBateson'sproject
maybelimited,herpersonalnotesidentifya
problemwiththerigidityandlinearityofhis
basicrulesorpremisesandtheirincapacityto
generatemorecomplexsystemsandunknownfutures.
Derenmaintainsthatthewholeshouldbemore
thanitsparts.Systemsareneverreducibleto
theiridentifiableparts.Systemsareneverfully
legible("Notebook"2526).
TheOrganizationofTime
IfIhaveinsistedonsituatingDerenwithinthis
broaderhistoryofepistemologyandrepresentation
itis,ofcourse,tofacilitateareflexive
encounterwiththepresent.Situatingourown
practicestakesparticularvalencewithinthis
contextwhereprobability,temporalvariability,
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andemergencebecometheverytechnicalsubstrate
notonlyforartandphilosophy,butalsofor
communicationandgametheory,cybernetics,
gestaltandcognitivesciences.History,here,
becomestheory,quiteliterally.Insystemswhere
thepastisalwaysbeingusedtopredictthe
future,asingames,thepossibilityofemergence
isalwaysinquestion.Gamescanmakeautomatic
repetitionintotechnology.
RepetitionandautomationpreoccupyDereninher
writingtoandaboutBateson.WhatDerendiscovers
inhislecture,andinherreviewofMeadand
Bateson'sfilmfootage,isaproductivetension
betweenformandcontent.WhileBatesoncritiques
gametheoryinhislecturesandpersistently
attackstheauthorialvoiceofanthropology,his
formalanguageofdistanciation,linearand
repetitiveinteraction,genericand
decontextualizedmodelsisnostalgicand
archival.Itisalanguageofobjectivityarriving
fromanearliermomentinanthropology,alanguage
associatedwiththearchivalandobjective
epistemologiesofanotherage.Alanguageof
statisticsandmechanism.Thislanguage,Deren
argues,undermineshisethicalefforttorethink
gametheory.DerennotesthatBatesonistrapped
inafeedbackloop;onethathe,himself,fails
torecognize.Shearguesthatheisdedicatedto
maintainingareductivepremise,"alinear,
simplifiedprocess,"evenwhendescribinga
complexsystem("Notebook"25).Hisneedto
isolateagenericandglobalprocessofcultural
conflictforcesreductivisminthought.
Implicitly,shesensesthatBateson,despitehis
owninterestincomplexity,fallspreytothe
sameproblemsofgametheoryinhisdedication
tounearthing,andauthoritativelydescribing,
genericprocessesgoverninghumancultures.She
feelsheiscreatingmodelsnomoredynamicor
changeablethanthoseofgames("Notebook"2526).
Derenseizesuponaninternaltemporal
disjuncturethatstructuresbothgametheories
andgestaltpsychologiesbetweentheproduction
ofprobabilitiesandthedesiretocontainchance
andreassertolderidealsofauthority.For
example,thistemporaldisjuncturehistorically
playsoutingestaltpsychologythroughan
inbuilttensionbetweenuniversalandcultural
explanationsofcognitionandperception.While
gestaltists(andgametheorists)reconfigure
objectivityasemanatingfromwithinexperience
ratherthanoutsideofit,asasciencethey
stillsoughttodisciplinarizeandtoimposea
singularlogicandrigorousmethodfor
psychologicalinvestigation.Gestalt,asthe
historianMitchellAshnotes,"wasnotonly,or
notsimply,arevoltagainstpositivism"(3).
Gestaltishauntedbytheghostofprevious
historiesofevidence,rationality,positivism,
andobjectivity.Weall,apparently,see
cinematicmovementandtrianglesevenifwe
knowthatcinemaismadeofstills.The
emergingmoralandethicalquestionis:What
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dowemakeofthisgeneralizationapplicable
to"all"humans?Perceptionorganizedinto
homeostaticequilibriumasarule.While
gestaltdemonstratesthatperceptionand
cognitioncanbetrained,influenced,and
reproduced,thereisalsothepossibility
thatthisisaperceptiondefinedas
naturalized,ahistorical,culturallynon
specificand,perhaps,aslaterdebates
demonstrate,biologicallyordained.Gestalt
psychologistscreatenewboundariesbetween
natureandculture,objectivityand
subjectivity,andperception,sensation,
andcognition,butstrugglewiththe
normativetermssetbymodernpsychological
andbiologicalprojectsfortruth.Evenif
theydebatetheplaceofnatureandnurture,
learningorinnateness,indevelopinggestalt
forms,thetermsofthedebateare
fundamentallynormativeanddisciplinary.
Gestaltpsychologyhybridizestwoformsof
discourse.15
Thisdisjuncture,inthepostwarperiod,
betweenchanceanddeterminismdebatesthe
significanceofauthorityor"control,"a
termthatbindsDerentoBateson,both
pragmaticallyinthatshewantstogeta
Guggenheimandbeauthorizedbyscientists
andanthropologists,andconceptually
becauseitisasiteinwhichtonegotiate
anewseparationbetweenartandscience.
Derenherselfregularlydeploysthisterm
inlabelinghercinemaa"controlled
accident"("Cinematography").Controlis
indeedaninternallyinconsistenttermat
thismoment(andperhapseveninourmoment)
ofhistory.Ingametheory,andinthe
postwardiscourseofgestalt,controlisa
doublefigureboththeconditionof
possibilityforemergence,andtheidealof
anauthoritativeaccountoffutureaction.
Gametheory,especially,hopesthatthe
models,templates,andapproximationsthat
producethesystemcansimultaneously
analyzeit.Ingametheoryperception,
cognition,andanalysisareallthesame.
Thegameisbothrepresentativeand
predictive.Controlisthefunctionthat
temporallyorganizestheprocessofgame
play.Butcontrolcanalsomeanperfect
prediction,theproductionofafuture
thatreplicatespastdata.Theproblem,
asBatesonsaysandasDerenisquick
toaffirminhercommentthat"time
perspective"defines"man,"allowinghim
to"buildmachines"andact
"idiosyncratically"isthatingame
theorytherulesarestatic.Rulescannot
changewithinthegame,andtheplayers
cannotlearn.16Time,forDeren,is
destroyedwhenthemodelandtheworld
becomeone.Gametheoriesusepastdata
topredictthefuture,butthenew
politicalandethicalconcernisthat
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thetechnologyobscuresthefactthat
whilewearealwayspredictingdifferent
futures,wedosoaccordingtothesame
formoroperation.Derenisworriedthat
Bateson,inhisreformulationof
psychologyandculturethroughgameand
communicationtheory,enactsthevery
problemheisdescribing.
WhetherIdoordonotagreewithDeren's
appraisalofthisparticularlecture
(Batesonishardlyanethnographer
dedicatedtoauthorityorobjectivity),
shehighlightsanimportantpoint.
Ethicalconcernsingamingandart,I
arguethroughDeren,nowdonotmerely
concernthemanipulationoftime,but
alsothespecificorganizationoftime.
InDeren'sdiscourse,artisclassified
notbytellingtopicalortechnical
concernsapartartistsusenew
technologiesandmediums,theyspeak
tosciencebutbyorganizingthem
accordingtotheirdifferenttemporal
organizations.Moreimportantly,for
Derenonlyparticularformsofpractice,
nowlabeledart,allowustorecognize
andexperiencetime'smovementsand
passageconsciously.Theemerging
questionDeren'sworkposesis:how
willtimebeorganized,nowthatits
teleologicaloperationsareunmoored
andhistoryisavailablefor
recombination?Herworkalsoasks:what
doesitmeanfortimetoenterthe
realmofexperienceandconsciousness?
Forwhilesheadherestothepossibility
ofasubjectcapableofchange,she
waversbetweenthedesireforapsychotic
perceptionandtheneedtodifferentiate
betweenentitieswithinthefieldof
perception.
Derenisveryexplicitaboutconsciousness.
Sheviolentlyresiststheshockand
unconsciousautomatismofSurrealism,for
example.Shealwaysdeniesthepossibility
thatherworkexpressestheunconscious.She
considersherfilmstheresultofa
"controlledaccident,"ofanintentional
experimentthatproduceschance,andnotof
atimeandfateoutsideofsubjectivecontrol.
Time,forDeren,unlikeforBergson,emerges
fromwithinasystem.Itissubjecttocontrol.
Timeisproducedbytheartistthroughthe
cinematicpractice.Timeisnotboughtinto
representation;itemergesfrompurposefully
producedaestheticstructures.Itappearsthat
Derenharborsherownpersonalarchiveofa
neverrealizeddreamofsovereigntyandagency
thatsheexplicitlyseekstosee,finally
realized,throughthecinematicmedium("Cinema"
2931).InDeren'sdiscoursememorybecomes
centraltotheprojectofmakingtime
experienced.Itis,however,amemoryinfected,
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likeBateson's"linearanalysis"byproblemsof
storageandarchiving.Thefateofthisarchive,
thearchiveofolderformsofstorageand
knowledge,thearchiveofimagesandtheir
taxonomies,thearchiveasitselfan
historicallyspecificformofstorageinherent
inthecinemaandto19thcenturyanthropology
andpsychology,isnowunclear.Derenwantsto
breakfromahistoryofobjectivityand
ontology,thoseordersaffiliatedwiththe19th
centuryarchive,butatthesametimeshe
desirestopreservememoryandthetraceof
indexicality,maybehistoryandcontext.She
wantstimetofeedbackintotheimage,butshe
doesnotwantustoidentifythistimeasknown
andcontrollable,butratherasalienand
outsideoflegibility.17
Memorytakesacomplexplaceinthisdiscourse
asthesitethatbothproducestimeandrefuses
identification.Derendefinesmemoryvery
particularlyasreconfiguringtheindexintime.
Sheofferstwoaxesformemoryhorizontaland
vertical.Derenwrites:
By"horizontal"Imeanthatthememoryofmanis
notcommittedtothenaturalchronologyofhis
experience...Onthecontrary,hehasaccess
toallhisexperiencesimultaneously...hecan
comparesimilarportionsofeventswidely
disparateintimeandplace...andheisable
toperceivethatanatural,chronologicalwhole
isnotimmutable,butthatitisadynamic
relationshipoffunctioningparts.("Cinema"11)
Whatartmustutilizeandpreserve,sheargues,
isnotthedirectindex,butratherthis
"horizontal"memory,whichcanproducenew
relationsbetweentimesratherthanorganize
timeinonedirection.Thisisnotalinear
memory,evenasitcanfacilitatechange.This
isalsonotamemorybasedonanarchiveof
static,spatialrepresentations.Rather,this
memorybankisrelational.Derenwishesto
evoketherelationshipsbetweensubjects,and
betweensubjectivity,perception,andcinema.
Twotemporalvectorsoperateinthisdiscourse.
Ontheonehand,Derenassumestheavailability
ofaninfiniteandrecombinantstoragespacefor
manipulation,andontheother,sheseeksnotto
returntoanysingleelementwithinthisstorage
system,butalwaystofocusontotalities
(gestalten)thatexceedindividualelements.She
dreamsofamemorystoragesystemoperatingin
internallyreferentialfeedbackloops,onethat
producesnewrelationsbetweenhistoricalevents
and"functioningparts."Inthis,Derenreflects
muchofwhatIhavealreadyarguedinthis
articleaboutanhistoricalshiftinfavorofthe
recordandofprocess.Twotimesoperate
simultaneouslyinherworkrepetitivefeedback
andanirreversibleteleology.
Deren'smostcomplexfilm,RitualinTransfigured
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Time,interrogatesthisrelationshipbetweencinema
andtime.Thefilmmaker,however,countertoher
interlocutorsinpsychologyandanthropology,
strenuouslyinsistsonreattachingthesetwo
temporalvectorsoffeedbackandprobabilityto
historyandsubjectivity.Dereninsistson
remindingusbothofthememorializingand
indexicalfunctionsofthephotographembedded
withinthecinema,andofthehistorically
changing,situated,andcontestedstructureof
visuality.Thefilmadamantlymaintainsamemory
oftheindex,butonlyinordertorethinkthe
natureofsubjectivityandvisualityinthe
future.Thefilm,notincidentally,iscompleted
in1946,whenDerenbeginstoengagewithBateson
andMead.Whilemostfilmcriticismhas
highlightedthemovie'sfocusonritualand
ethnography,18Iarguethatthisfilmhighlights
Deren'salternativeideaofgamesandimages.It
isalso,inmanyways,asynthesisofanongoing
process.Derenisnotafilmmakerwhoseproject
canbecomprehendedinanyonefilm,ortext,or
lecture,butratherisabouttheongoing
relationsbetweenallthesesites.Inmanysenses,
herfilms,themselves,aremerelytracesof
anotherprocess,onethatcanneverbefully
defined,orseen.Inthisfinalmomentinthis
essay,Iwanttousethisfilmtofeedbackinto
allthatIhavealreadydiscussedinherwork.
Fig.8.StillsfromRitual.1946.(c)MysticFire
Video,2002.
Deren'searlyscriptofRitualinTransfiguredTime
describesatransformationintime,ametamorphosis
(Legend453)."Slowmotionisthemicroscopeof
time,"Derenwrites.Andunderthismicroscope,at
itsend,the"Fourthdimensionisyou."Theritual
willendandtheprotagonist(playedbyayoung
AfroCaribbeandancer,RitaChristiani)will
finallybecomeOther,changingplaceswitha
characterplayedbyDeren.Shewillmoveawayfrom
deathtolife,changingfroma"widow"toa
"bride."Historywillreverseitselftoembrace,
inDeren'sterms,"life."Thisisafilmabout
"changeofidentity...andsuddenchangein
statureofrelationship"("PreproductionNotes"
466).Heropeningdescriptionofthefilm
anticipatesthattimewillbeinvolvedinthe
productionofanewformofintersubjectivity
or"relationship"betweenthefixityofidentity
andthe"metamorphosis"ofbecomingasubject.
Inkeepingwithheranagrammaticpractice,Deren's
productionnotesdissectthemovieintoseven
segments,layingouteveryshotandmovement.This
isamoviepreplannedineverydetail,butone
shestillhopeswillinducethe"controlled
accident."Eachscenefeedsbackintoprevious
onethroughtherepetitionofgestureandfigure.
Themovieopenswithaseriesofshotsinaroom,
whereourtwoprotaganistsDerenandthedancer
RitaChristianifirstencountereachother.
TheyarewatchedbyathirdfigureAnisNina
figurewhoreappearsasathirdeyethroughout
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thefilm.Bywatching,sheduplicatestheviewer
inthefilm,butweareneverallowedaccessto
herperspective.Sheisthusasiteofthelimit
ofvisibilityinthestructureofthefilm.Nin
occupiestheplaceofawitness,perhapsto
historicalchangeandtothelimitsofdescribing
orknowingthisprocess.Alreadyfromthefirst
scene,therefore,Derenemphasizestheproblemof
seeingandrecordingthepast.
Inthisroom,Derenisplayingwithyarn,
creatingacat'scradle,asreferenceto
children'sgamesandtomythandritualaction.
Thesearepracticesthatareuntimely,arriving
fromelsewhere,butalsopracticesthatmediate
theinteractionbetweensubjects.Asthescene
progresses,thetempobecomeseverslowerand
Deren'smovement'smoredramatized,untilthe
yarnfliesoff,andwithacinemacutweare
thrustintoanotherroomfullofpeople.No
soonerareweofferedaseriesoffigureswith
whichtopotentiallyidentify,thanthis
alignmentbetweenourvisionandthecamera
isdisruptedthroughthecutandthe
manipulationofthetimeofeventsinthe
film.AseriesofshotstracksChristiani's
outstretchedhandassheapproachesthe
figurewhoisweaving.Thetwowomennever
touch,sothatourphenomenalexpectations
ofanencounterareneveranswered.Inthis
failureofevents,however,toculminatein
rationalaction,wearealsolefttowonder
atthepotentialfutureofthesefigures.We
are,thus,notallowedtoestablishwhothese
womenare,norwhattheirspecific
relationshiptoeachothermightbe.Deren
refusesusasspectatorsaccesstothe
present,sowecannotrenderthesesubjects
intostaticobjects.Norareweofferedsolace
incinematicconvention,sincetheabruptness
oftheeditbetweenoneroomandanotheris
jarringandunexpected.
Thecutintothe"second"scenecomesthrough
thetrackingofthisfigureChristianiand
maintainsarelationshiptointeriorspace,
buttheroomisnowdifferent.Inthisscene,
theprotagonist(Christiani)enterstheroom
asabride(perhapsofChrist)inblack(see
Fig.9below).Thecameracutstoapartial
viewofaroomseeminglyfullofmeninsuits
andwomenindarkdressesanddarklipstick.
Itappearstobeaparty.Weareneveroffered
anestablishingshot,andweareneversureif
ourviewpointcoincideswiththatofthe
protagonist.Wearethusrefusedanycommanding
senseofwhereorwhenthiseventishappening.
Thereisacutbacktothe"bride."Sheremoves
aveilfromherheadandenterstheroom.With
thisgesturesheistransformedintoanother
memberofthepartyinggroup.Bereftofveil
andcross,sheisanotherwomaninadark
dress.
Fig.9.The"bride"inRitual.1946.(c)Mystic
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FireVideo,2002.
Butthecameratracksherdifferently,offering
hertheintimacyofthecloseup,focusingon
herfacialexpression.Asviewers,weregister
ontheprotagonist'sfacethesearchforthe
otherwomansheinitiallyencounteredinagame.
Christianiisamongtheonlyindividuals(the
otherinthissceneisNin)whomweactually
recognize.Sheistheonlyfiguretolookatthe
cameradirectly.Sheisalso,ofcourse,racially
marked,astheblackwomanintheparty.Herskin
colorisnotwhatidentifiesher.Themovieis
blackandwhite,thereisnosound,herskinis
nottrulyvisible.Rather,weidentifyherthough
differencesinherhairstyle,gesture,andlack
ofmakeup.Sheistheonlyindividualinamass
ofmechanicallymovingandsimilarlydressedand
madeuppeople.
Deren'snoteworthymovehereistomakedifference
appearsequivalenttogesture.Boththenormative
socialactionsandthemovementsthatseparateand
differentiatesubjectsarenolonger
representative,butperformative.Notonlydoes
gesturecomprisetheterrainofvisuality,butit
isalsorenderedequivalenttothetechnologyof
cinematicmanufacture.Itisthechoreographyof
gesturethateditsthismovie,producing
perception.Difference,theverygestural
interactionsbetweenthefigures,isthe
technologythatmakesthiscinemajustasin
gestaltitistherelationsbetweenobjectsthe
veryprocessofperception,thatproduces
cognition.Thelogicoftheperformativesign
alsogovernsDeren'sanagrammaticfigureandA
StudyinChoreographyforCamera(1945).
Representationthusonlyentersindelay,asthe
spectatorretroactivelyrecognizes,andassigns
meaningto,theperformativeandhistorical
natureofvision.Onlythroughthisfeedbackloop
wheregesturalconventionsarereturnedtous
aftertemporaldelaydowebecomeconsciousofhow
andwhowesee.Fromthebeginningofthismovie,
therefore,wearemademindfulofthehistorical
natureofvision.Werecognizeboththeabilityto
perceivedifferenceandtheconventionsthatmake
uslook.Thepartyisadramatizationofsocial
normsfedbacktousthroughthecinema.
Thenextseriesofshots,however,revealsthat
themoviewillnotallowustofullyidentifyand
classifyeitherhistoricalnormsordifference.
Thecamerazoomsout,andwestarttosee
movement.Thepartyisadance,apasdedeux
betweenpeoplemeetingandgreetingeachother.
Weareofferedmidlengthshotscapturingthe
upperbodiesandhandsofthese"dancers"
greetingeachother.Themomentsofgreetingare
continuallyrepeated.Theserepetitions,however,
areinterspersedwithtwoformsofcutting.On
theonehandtherearesuddenmomentsof
stillnessphotographs.Peoplecaughtin
indefiniteposes,inalmost,butnevercompleted,
greetings.Ontheotherhand,weareregularly
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offeredshotsofChristianiandNinencountering
eachother.Thecamerafocusesontheirfaces,
affordingustheabilitytowitnesstheirmoment
ofalmostrecognition.Isay"almost"because
thefacialexpressionassumessomefamiliarity
onourpart,butwithoutadefinedemotionor
identification.Neitherlooksatthecamera;
theyarecaughttotheside.Thelooktheygive
eachotherismoreaglancethanagaze.
Asthetwowomenencountereachother,their
gesturesaresoslowastoallowustosee
theireyesmomentarilymeet,andtonotethe
gestureoftheirbodies.Eachtimetheymeet,
theirinteractionsubtlychanges,becoming
slightlyelongated.Theirsistheonly
relationshipthatappearstoprogress.The
protagonist'smovementacrosstheroomisa
linearcounterpointtotheemptyandrepeated
performancesofsocialitythatdonotengage
inrecognitionevenastheyareidentifiable.
Herebothtimeandcinematicconventionare
madevisible.Thephotographicstillelongates
timeandservesasareferenttophotography,
areminderthatthecinemacarrieswithinit
thememoryoftheontologyandindexicalityof
photography.Theimagesarealsoamongthe
mosthistoricallysituatedinthefilm,
depictingthesocialdressandmannersofa
partyinthemid1940sinaNewYorkapartment.
Butnotexactly.Theseimagesarenotreally
indexes;theyarereferentstoindexicality
itself.Thephotographrefusestoserveasan
indexbecauseitsfunctionismerelytomakeus
consciousofperceptionitself.Bystopping
movementsfromcommencingandcuttingintothe
sensorymotorchain,thephotographforcesus
torecognizetheveryconventionsofvisuality,
justastherepetitionofsocialcodesforces
historicalrecognitionofnormativity.Two
temporalvectorsdevelopthecircular
repetitionofindividualsgreetingeachother
andthelinearanddiegeticsearchforthe
Otherwhichmirrorthehistoricalmemoryof
theindexagainstthetightlychoreographed
movementofthefilm.
Atthefinalmomentofthisscenethereis
anothercut.Throughapose,thespaceofthe
partyistransformedintoanother:weentera
thirdspaceor"scene,"althoughneitherterm
isappropriate.Atthefinalmomentofthe
partyChristianientersacloseupwithaman
(FrankWesterbrook).Theyappearabouttoengage
inakiss,orperhapsanassault(seeFig.10
below).Thesituationisrenderedambiguously
inthatthewoman'sfaceisturnedaway.The
cameraholdsstill.Itisalmostaphotographic
still,althoughnotquitethefreezeframe
doesnotlastlongenough,andtheanimationof
thedancersisnotentirelystopped.Through
thewaveringofthismomentofpotentialityin
interactionbetweendesireandviolence,there
isanimmediatecuttoalmostthesamepose,
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nowinagardenfilledwithGrecoRoman
statues,aspacewheremonumentandmemory
collapse.Derenthusmakesexplicitthe
relationshipbetweenidealformsandhistorical
change.
Fig.10.Stillsfromthethird"scene"ofRitual.
1946.(c)MysticFireVideo,2002.
Weareneverpermitted,however,todwellonthe
monumentalandidealfacetofthisenvironment.
Theformsofsexualperfectionandidealized
bodyencodedwithintheGrecoRomanaestheticdo
notenactthemselvesinthesexualact.For
immediatelyuponentryintothisspace,the
potentiallysexualactofencounterinakiss
(orassault)generatesadifferentformof
action(seethefiguresabove).Thescene
immediatelycutstothreewomenfromtheparty,
dancinginacircle.Acutdoublyreferencing
thelingeringtraceofsocialconventionthat
entersthisdreamlikespacefromtheprevious
scene,andanodetoritualenactmentandgame.
Thisisthepatternthatrepeatsinallthe
scenes.Bothmythandhistoryarecontinually
reintroducedthroughrepetitiveformsofgames.
Fromabriefseriesofshotsshowingthewomen,
wearethrustbacktothecouple.Theirkiss
doesnotend.Rather,thedancerlurchesinto
theair.Wetrackherarmsinacircle,the
camerashotisbeneathher,thenthecamera
shiftsidiosyncraticallytoanotherviewpoint,
perhapsthatofthemaledancer.Butnotquite,
becauseweseethebackofhisshoulderandhis
extendedarm,framinghermovements,perhaps
threateningherbodyasshetwistsonthe
ground.Thecameraisangledandthemovements
deployedinslowermotionsothattheactual
reverberationsofthefallandthequiveringof
hermusclesarevisible,offeringavery
embodiedsensetotheimage.Thereisacut
backtothreewomeninthebackgrounddancing
inacircle,asthougharoundamaypole,or
playing"ringaroundtherosy."Thesegment
vacillatesbetweenthesetwositesofaction
thecoupleandthetriadofwomen.The
maypolecirclerepeatsuntilthedancersfly
offasthecouplecontinuesintheirathletic,
orperhaps,violentmovements.Weareoffered
scenesinthisdancethatarealmostmimetic
ofLeniRiefensthal'sTriumphoftheWill
(1935),asthemaledancer'snakedbodyis
filmedagainstGreciancolumns:
Fig.11.FrankWesterbrookinRitual.1946.
(c)MysticFireVideo,2002.
Idealsofbodyandhistoryplayagainstthe
incoherenceofafilmwherethereisnoclear
identificationofwhotheseindividualsare,
orwhattheirambitionsmightbe.
Allthefiguresfinallyflingapartand
recombine.Themaledancerjoinsthecircle
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game,astheprotagonistcontinueshersearch.
Repeatedlyoneactionafteranothergetsstrung
intoanothersetofmotions.Themaleandfemale
dancersappearcaughtinarepetitivegameof
chasingoneanother.Thewomeninthecircle
repeatanotherhistory.Therepetitionofa
circulardanceisassociatedwithdeath,ritual,
theplague,alonguedureinhistoryagainst
thespeedyandconstantlychangingflightand
fightofthiscoupledancingandchasingeach
other.Dereninterjectsphotographicstillsin
thegardensceneatpreciselythosemomentsof
choreographicvelocitywhenbodiesflingapart,
andweassumecertainlinearlawsofNewtonian
physicstotakehold.Ourexpectationsare
thwarted.Forexample,atonemomentawomanis
flungoutofthecircle.Herbodyhasno
structuredposeandshowsnointent.Atanother
moment(seeFig.12below)themaledancer
suddenlyleapsoutofastatuesqueposeto
pursuetheprotagonist.Thisleap,however,
occursatalmostthewrongmomentforsuchstill
capture.Unlikethestatuesqueposeprecedingit,
thisisnotadefinedorclearaction.Itis
neithermonumentalnormemorial.Itis
undefined.Itisamomentofpreservationthat
doesnotshowhistoricalintentionalityor
identificatorypowerasanaction.
Fig.12.GardenChaseSequence,Ritualin
TransfiguredTime.1946.(c)MysticFire
Video,2002.
Thesephotographicimagesareimagesof
potentialityandillegibility.Theyoffera
memorialcounterpointtothemovingimages
unfoldinginthepresent.Thesemomentsof
stasisinterruptaction,depictingactions
thatfailtofinalizeandaretherefore
indecipherableinintentorpurpose.These
imagesconveysupplementalandexcessive
gestures.Theseareimagesthatcarrywithin
themnottheindexasanauthorityoverthe
past,butanindexoftheverypracticeof
mediaandtheprocessbywhichhistoryis
narrativized.Theymakethenatureofthe
mediumvisible,thusdisruptingcinema'sown
omniscienceasatimebasedandanimated
medium,andremindingtheverymachineof
itsownhistoryandinternalresistances.
Derenmakesusawarethatmythiccinematic
andsocialformsareunattainableideals.
Thegreetingsphotographedinthefilmare
tootheatricalanddramatized,toosudden
ordisruptedtobetrulyidentifiableas
normalbehaviororaspartofacausal
storyline.Thechoreographedmovement,
intercutwithstills,ismarginally
familiar.Webecomeconsciousthatitis
familiar,butalsoseeitasuncanny.
Derenforcesustolookinanewmanner
atthemundaneandeverydaypracticesof
sociality.Weareforcedtoseeactsof
expressionandexcess.Weareforcedto
recognizetheformsthatconstrainand
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produceouractions.Finally,wearemade
consciousofthemediumsoftechnical
media,ofsocietythatstructureour
verymovements.Theseimagesare
remindersofthetechnicalformsthrough
whichcinemaprovidespurposeand
linearitywherenoneexist.Inthis
momentofcinematicrememory,allthe
timesarerearranged,andtheviewerand
thecameraboth"fail"toachievea
commandoverthetimeorspaceofthe
film.Theseareimages,therefore,that
operatelikeDeren'smemorynottostop
timeandorganizeitbuttomakevisible
relationshipsbetweensubjects.These
imagesmaketheproductionoftime,
itself,availabletoperception.
Therearetwotemporalmovements,therefore,
inthefilm:therepetitiveactionsofthese
social,encoded,andgenderedgamesreplayed
inthevisceralactionsofthedancers,and
thelineardiegeticnarrativeofsearchand
transformation.Thesetwovectorsare
embeddedintwocinematicactionsthe
recombinationoffilm'sownhistoryandthe
productionofnewrelationsbetweenimages.
Thesetwodirectionscutintoeachother,
bothrepeatingthemselvesbutnever
culminating.Thesevectorsemergefroma
cinemastructuredongestaltforms.If
visualityisondisplay,itisalready
embeddedinthefilmnotesandinDeren's
anagrammaticschemas.Derenwantstomake
perception,itself,atechne.Yetoutof
thisstructuresheseekstocreateaccidents.
Awholebeyondthesumofitsparts.Forthis
reason,perhaps,themovieinsistson
repetitionofchoreographedmovements,of
cinematicconvention,ofmediums.Deren
continuesthismodeasthemoviemoves
throughnewgeographies,culminatingina
momentofintersubjectivetransformation
whereDerenandChristianibecomeeachother.
Thisendingculminatesinmultiple
possibilitiesasanactionofintersubjective
substitutionwhoseeffectsandsignification
havemultipleinterpretations.AsUteHoll
argues,"Emotionsareartificially,almost
mathematically,producedbytechnical
devices"inafilmthatis"constructingand
transformingsubjects,"butneverdepicting
them,afilmthatHollsuggestsproduces
subjectivityfromwithoutthroughthis
mathematicallogic(157).Thisisafilmthat
producespsychologyasanexternalmedium,
thusdenigratingthesuturedsubject,while
continuingtoaffirmthepossibilityof
differentiationandsubjectproduction.This
filmoperatesliketheanagrammaticand
gestaltlogicthatunderpinsitsmaking.
But,Derenrefusesgestalt'seffortto
recuperatetheauthorityofscience.Rather,
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sheproducesanimagethatpushesthepast
towardsthefuture,butdoesnotontologically
describeordefinethesubjectinthepresent.
Inthisfilmtheactionneverstops,andthere
isnofinalityorculminationtothemovie.We
mightbelievethattheloopbywhichthewomen
switchplaceswouldbereplicated,justasthe
movieendlesslyreplaysthesamecinematic
devices,recoveringanendlessarchiveofforms,
frompartiestodances,tomoveusthrough
spacesfamiliar,yettransformed,throughtheir
associations.
FailuretoFeedback
Structureandemergencemustrecombine.Deren
inaseriesofuntitlednotestothemovie
writesthat,"Cubismofeventwedonot
recognizewhatisoccurringoverandoverwe
fail"("PreproductionNotes"468).Howdowe
understandthisideaofa"failure"todepict
oridentifythesubjectinrelationtotime?I
arguethatDerendeploysaseriesofcinematic
conventionsinordertocreateafissure
betweentheindexofthepastandthefuture.
Thisfailuretoidentifyemergesfromthe
relationshipbetweenthetechnicalsubstrate
ofthemediumanditsownarchiveof
conventions,mirroredbythesubjectivetime
ofperformanceandsociality.Atthelevelof
convention,thefilmisaboutthearchiveof
cinemaitself:makingvisible,throughre
performance,conventionsofediting,
photography,cinematography,camerawork,and
recordingspeeds.Therepetitionsarealso
choreographic,embeddedinthestructureof
"games"suchasgreetingritualsatparties
andchildren'sdances.Thegamesandthe
repetitivecinematicconventionsliterally
mimearepetitionwithoutdifference.It
isthetechnologicalrepetitionofmedia,
andthesubjectiverepetitionofsociality
renderedequivalent.Thisrepetitionis
dissected,however,bytheveryforwardflow
ofanotherchoreographythatisaboutchance
andchange.
Themultipletimesemergingfromthefilm
makethespectatorrecognizebothmediaand
history.Ononehandthisfocusoncadence,
editing,andnonlinearoperationsreveals
thespecificnatureofthefilmicmedium.
Film'sowntimelinessandsenseoftime.On
theotherhandtheviewerbeginstobecome
consciousofhistoryspecificrituals,
specifictimesandplaces,specificforms
ofcinema,butalsospecificandcodified
idealsofsocialnorms,genderedinteraction,
andbodies.Ifthereisatechnologymade
visibleinthisfilmitisthatofthe
processofsocialcodificationand
formalization.Theveryprocessofritualis
renderedtechnicalandrepresentablehere.It
isnot,however,oneparticularritualthat
isdepictedinthismovie,buttheentire
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processofrituals,particularlythoseof
ColdWarAmericansociality.
Buttheserecognitionsoftheprocessesby
whichwecomeintobeingarenot
identifications.Weareofferedtracesof
ahistoryofnormativity.Theimageisof
amemoryoftheprocessofsubjectivization.
Weareneverofferedthedirectindexthe
imageofthesubjectasanobject.Noris
thishistoricalspecificityeverdefined.
Ratheritismerelyproducedasa
possibility.Theviewersmustprojecttheir
individualunderstandingoftimeandplace
uponthefilm.Itistheviewerwhomust
bringthescenes,indelay,into
representationthroughaprocessof
projection.Theresultmightbean
"accident";Derenhopesitwillgeneratea
newformoffuturethatdoesnotrepeatthe
past.Thisinabilitytoreturnispronounced
ifwethinkaboutthisfilmwithinDeren's
oeuvre.Thefilmmakercontinuallymoves
betweenmediums,replayingthesecinematic
conventionsinhercinematheory,recycling
herownaestheticconventionsinallher
films.Noonepieceofherwork,therefore,
standsaloneasanobject.Nooneelement
ofherworkiseverfinished.
Neithertheawarenessofthemediumnorof
historyisthereforepermittedtocomplete.
Wecannotreturn;thefeedbackloopfailsto
finishorfinalize.Unlikethetheoriesof
Bateson,orthereturnoftheobjectivevoice,
Deren"fails"togobacktoanysetidealor
tofullyallowustoidentifythoseother
historieseitherofthecinema,orofthe
societythatshedocuments.Thisfailure
allowstemporalmultiplicitytoenter,but
defersanyabilitytogainauthorityover
thepast,ortheindividualswithinit.The
multiplicityoftimesforcesanopeningthat
doesnotallowareturntostaticand
nostalgicidealsofsubjectivity.
Thisfilmmaking,Iargue,ethicallyactivates
allthatIhavediscussedinthisessayabout
thepostwardisplacementofontologyfor
process,theavailabilityoftheindexfor
manipulation,andthecommunicativeobsession
withpredictionandemergence.Derenmustdeal
withfeedbackandwithchangesimultaneously.
Bymakingthesetwotimesavailable
synchronously,Deren,Iargue,opensupthe
possibilityofothermodesofbeing.
Consciousness,perhapssubjectivity,inher
cinemalieswithinthisgapbetweenprediction
andreturn.
Derenholdsamirrortothetheoriesof
communicationandcontrol,andrecognizesthat
itispreciselyamultiplicityofcommunicative
situations,alwaysaquestionofhistory,
situation,andtime,thatallowssubjective
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agency.Shewritesinhernotebooksthatshe
mighthavemisunderstoodBateson'stalk.But
whatshedoesunderstandisthatBatesonis
enactingascientificdiscourse,performinga
discussionthatwrenchesthespecificityof
Balioutofitscontext,andmakesitamenable
tocomparisonwithVonNeumann'sgames,and
withthebehaviorsofothertribespolicy
makers,communicationscientists,curatorsat
museums.Intuitively,sheunderstandsthat
thisemergentmodelofimageandcommunication
isproductiveandthatitisasitebothof
dangerandofpossibility.Forthisprocess,
nowunmoored,isamenabletoanymanipulation.
WhenMeadandBatesonwereinBalitheysought
tofindtheexpressionoftheinteriormindof
thenativeinthegestureofthebody.Unable
tospeakanylanguageoftheregion,skeptical
oftheirtranslators,theyturnedawayfrom
translationandrepresentationinwritten
language.Instead,theycreatedarecording
machine.Theywantedtocaptureeverything.
Theyfilmedmilesofstills.Inthecourseof
thisstudy,thesearchfordifference
metamorphosedintoanarchiveofperformative
inscriptionsandgesturesfromwhichanew
practiceofcinema,andanthropology,then
emerged.Bothanthropologistsusedthis
researchtodevelopcybernetictheoriesof
mindandhumandevelopmentafterthewar
(BatesonandMead,"Introduction,"Balinese).
Theresultwastheeliminationofsituation,
context,andhistory,apureprocessextracted
fromanyphenomenaltime.Differenceturned
intoatechnologyofcommunicationand
performance.Ononehandthisisanopening...
anabandonmentofthenormativestricturesof
apreviouseras'Oedipalsituationsand
essentialbiologies.Areleasefromdiscipline.
Therearenoobjectshereforstudy.Thereare
noclearboundariestodemarcatehuman
difference.Buttherearenewtechnocratic
orders.Fortheemergentcomputationaland
psychologicalordersoftendestroyedmultiplicity
andtimeinthenameofmultiplicityandtime,
simultaneouslycallingforthepossibilityof
differenceincommunicativesituationsand
creatingprocessessoperfectlyinterchangeable
andconvergentthatsuchmultiplicityceasesto
exist.Theartist,inturn,seekstoreturn
theseprocessestolivedtime,tomemory,to
thespecificityofdifferentformsofbeingand
living.Shestillaspirestoproducemeaning,
notmerelymessages.Shehopesthatthememory
traceofconsciousness,andhumanism,mightyet
informthiscondition.
Perhapsthisengagementbetweenartandscience
allowsustotransformourownthinking.We
experienceashockofrecognition,sincesomuch
emanatingfromthesenewcinemasandtechnologies
thatemergeafterthewaranimatesour
contemporarytheorizationanddiscourseofthe
image.Thequestionabouttimeandtheimageis
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not,however,whetherthetimeimageisthe
digitalimage,orwhetherthedesireforcinema
isnowaformofnostalgia.Rather,itopens
toaseriesofquestionsabouthowwewanttime
tobeorganizedinoursystems.Inaworldof
infinitearchives,feedbackloops,performative
epistemologies,andpredictivetimes,wemight
ask,instead,whatworkitdoestoreturntoa
memoryofamediumorasubject?Whichmemory
tracesdowewishtoactivate?Andtowhat
effects?
Wemayalsoaskwhatisatstakeinthe
relationshipbetweenart,science,and
technology.Dowewantthesethreetocollapse,
ordowedesiredifferentiationinpractices
andgoals?Ultimately,theconcernsaboutgame
theoriesandhistoriesofobjectivityand
subjectivityarealsocompetingimaginaries
abouttherelationshipbetweentechnology,
repetition,andimagination.Itisnotwhether
Deren'svisionisbetterthanthatofgestalt
psychologyoranthropology,butratherwhatis
lostifwefailtomaintainanyseparation
betweenthesethreeformsofknowingandbeing
intheworld...ifanything.Intheinteraction
betweenfilm,science,andthetechnologyof
gamesafterthewarsomethingismadevisible
theproductionofradicallydifferentforms
ofvisualityandperception,andperhapseven
life,fromthesamematerialsubstrate.
Despitesharingthesameepistemewithher
interlocutors,Derencraftsfilmsthatproduce
verydifferenteffectsintheworldthan
psychologicaltheoriesorgametheories.I
arguesheproducesaformofdesirethathas
notyetbeenformalizedastechnology.
IamreturnedtoBateson.Heis,afterall,
prominentlyrememberedforformulatinganew
definitionofdifferenceintermsof
information,therebyrevisingmodern
anthropologicalformulationsofbothotherness
andtime.Hearguesthatinformationis"any
differencethatmakesadifferencetoa
conscious,humanmind."Inhissummation,
datacancomefromanywhere(eitherwithinor
outsidethemind)andinformationdoesnot
needtobemeaningfulitmustmerelybe
effective.Communicationis,therefore,about
effectsandbehavior.Consciousnessisalso
revised,perhapsseparatedforeverfroma
relationshipto"spirit;"inBateson's
formulation,tobeconsciousismerelytobe
abletotakedifferentpathsofaction,it
isnottobeseparatedfromtheexternal
world.Mostimportantly,forBateson
differenceisnonontological,butrather
processionalandtheresultofinteractions.
Differenceisalwaysrelativeandrelational.
Ifdifferenceisdefinedbyinformation,and
informationisameasureofpotentialstates
oractionsasystemcantake,thendifference
isalsoalwaysalreadydefinedasemergent,a
stateandnotastaticobject(Steps459).
32/38
01/02/2015
Derenrespondsindirectlybyaskingwhether
thismightnotbeanautomationofemergence
ordifferenceitself.Shemarksamomentin
whichthesitethatallowsustothink
differentiationmovesawayfromontological
categorizationtotheverystructureof
communicationchannels.Changeismadestatic
nolongerthroughamechanicalprocessof
rationalizingtime,butthroughadiscourse
thatinsistsonemergence.Itistothis
possibilitythatourcontemporarythoughtmust
answer.Inhercinema,thefilmmakersuggests,
perhapsnotalldifferencescanberendered
equivalentthroughthismodelofinformation.
Perhaps,Derensuggests,onecanproduce
imagesthatcancontainformsofnonequivalent
encounter,differencesthatareneitherstatic
norimmediatelyamenabletotransmissionand
circulationintoanyothermedium.Whatisan
imageofdifferencethatcanstillproduce
meaningorsignificationdareIstillsay
representation?Adifferencethatisnolonger
onlyadifference,butcanorganizeaffectand
gestureintosignification.Thisdifference
comesthroughaveryparticularorganization
oftemporalmultiplicity.Itisimmanent.
PerhapsthisiswhatDerenwouldcallart.
Thereismuchatstake,therefore,inthis
renegotiationofbodiesandimages,timeand
otherness,allonthescreen.Forthisdream
ofanimagethatcanstillconfronttheOther
withlove,thatcanopentoaworldthatis
notyetknown...hasnotyetbeenrealized.
Fig.13.BecomingOther.RitaChristianiand
MayaDerenintransformationinRitualin
TransfiguredTime.1946.(c)MysticFire
Video,2002.
Notes
IwanttothankthearchivistsattheHoward
GottliebArchiveatBostonUniversityfor
assistancewiththeDerenpapers.Theirtime
andgenerosityboughtherworkandthinking
tolife.Iwouldalsoliketothankthe
supportoftheFranklinHumanitiesInstitute
atDukeUniversityandtheInterfaceSeminar
PostdoctoralFellowship200607,forthe
supportandfundingforthisresearch.Ialso
wanttothankthefollowingindividualsfor
theirinvaluableinputandcommentaryJoe
Dumit,RobertMitchell,PatriciaClough,
TimothyLenoir,DeborahLevitt,VickyHattam,
DavidBrody,andtheVisualCultureWorking
GroupatNSSRandParsons.
1"Teachingbymuscularroteinwhichthepupil
ismadetoperformthecorrectmovementsis
moststrikinglydevelopedinthedancing
lesson...Thissequenceofphotographs
illustratestwoessentialpointsinBalinese
characterformation.Fromhisdancinglesson,
33/38
01/02/2015
thepupillearnspassivity,andheacquiresa
separateawarenessinthedifferentpartsof
thebody(cf.Pl.20,fig.4)"(Batesonand
Mead87).
2Batesondiscusseshowhisaffinitywith
cyberneticsemergesfromhisethnographyin
theprefacetoNaven.
3MayaDeren,HandwrittenNotesfromLectures
GestaltPsychologywithKurtKoffka,
September1938,MayaDerenPapers,box7,
Folder5.BostonUniversity,HowardGottlieb
Archive,SpecialCollections,Boston.Print.
4"ClimateofCommunication."194647.Deren
Collection,box4,Folder1.BostonUniversity
HowardGottliebArchiveSpecialCollections.
Boston.Print.SeealsoCatrinaNeiman'sArt
andAnthropologyattheCrossroads.
5NotetoMeshesoftheAfternoon(1943)
transcribedfromtheDVD,NewYork:Mystic
FireVideo,2002.
6Throughoutthe"Anagram"essayDeren
comparesSurrealismandshocktotheeffects
oftheBomb.Shebeganafilmprojectwith
MarcelDuchampin1943,TheWitchesCradle,
thatwasnevercompleted.
7FormoreworkonDeren'srelationshipto
AmericancinemaseeThomasSchatz'sBoomand
Bust:AmericanCinemainthe1940s.
8"Previousfilms,mostsignificantlyRene
Clair'sDadaistEntr'acte(1924),
investigatingthekinaestheticimpactofthe
mediumandshowingan'impossible'shotofa
balletdancertakenfrombeneathherfeet
(sheisdancingonaglasstable),or
Cocteau'sBloodofaPoet,wheredeath
appearsasaBlackmaledancerappearingas
aghostbywayofreversalonthenegative,
paralleledDeren'suseofbothdancersand
theblackmalebody.However,nothingquite
approachingashershaddevelopedbefore
thattime"(InterviewwithTalleyBeatty).
9SeeDeleuze,TheMovementImage;Bergson,
MatterandMemory;andDeren,"Anagram."
10Forbackgroundongestalt'splacein
psychology,historyofscience,andpostwar
America,seeGoodwin,Mandler,andHarrington.
ForworkongestaltandperceptionseeOrit
Halpern,DreamsforOurPerceptualPresent.
11AsGreennotes,"Inotherwords,onehears
themelodyfirstandonlythenmay
perceptuallydivideitupintonotes.
Similarlyinvision,oneseestheformof
thecirclefirstitisgiven
'immediately'(i.e.itsapprehensionisnot
mediatedbyaprocessofpartsummation).
Onlyafterthisprimaryapprehensionmight
onenoticethatitismadeupoflinesor
dotsorstars."
12Whilegestaltpsychologyinheritsboth
conceptsofprobabilisticandrelational
temporalities,andthesubsequentproblems
ofobjectivityandrecordingfrommodernity,
asascienceitalsoturnsolderproblemsof
objectivityintosubjectivepossibilitiesfor
research.Refractingargumentsmadeby
34/38
01/02/2015
scholarssuchasarthistorianJonathan
Craryaboutthesubjectivizationofvision
inmodernity,gestaltpsychologyresponds
directlytocontentionsinthephysicaland
behavioralsciencesthatthesubjective
natureofperceptioncannotbedealtwith
scientificallybyarguingthat,infact,
everythingissubjective,andthisisthenew
foundationforalogicalmethodology.No
longerconcernedwithanabsolutereal,
however,gestaltpsychologistsshift
experimentalinteresttoprobingthe
subjectivenatureofhumanexperience.
13Thissummationofgametheoryisindebted
totheworkofPhilipMirowski,Machine
Dreams:EconomicsBecomesaCyborgScience.
14DerenattendedBateson'stalksattheNew
School,andalsoMeadandBateson's
discussionoftheirBalineseworkinFranz
Boas'saloninNewYorkinthecourseof
194647.Inherarchivethereisafolder
labeled"OnCommunication,"withaseries
ofnotesonherthoughtsinthesedirections.
ShefeltthathearingBateson,shehadfound
someonewithwhomherpreviousthoughtfound
affinity.Sheviewedherworkafterexposure
tohisideasasorganicallyextendingthe
workshehaddonebefore.Weshouldnotview
theintroductionofcommunicationassomehow
acriticalbreakpoint,butratherasamoment
formalizingherconcepts,andofferingfurther
terms.
15Gestalt'srelationshiptoNazismand
eugenicsiscontested.ArgumentsinGestalt
psychologywereusedonbothsides,andwere
appropriatedforbothargumentssupporting
nurtureandnatureinunderstandinghuman
psychologicaldevelopment.SeeHarrington.
16ThisisBateson'scritiqueofgametheory,
basedonhisethnographicwork.See"Bali:
TheValueSystemoftheSteadyState."
17Forworkontherelationshipbetween
temporality,difference,andgovernmentality,
seeDeleuze,Cinema2,aswellasLim,
Koselleck,andStoler.
18MeadandBatesonarealsoreconfiguring
anthropologyatthetimeinrelationto
cybernetics.Theirpracticesarenotthose
ofcolonial,butratherofnew,postcolonial
orders.ItisusefultoconsiderJohannes
Fabian'sargumentthatMeadisthefirstto
signaltheendoftheethnographicpast,and
anethnographyofthefuture.Meadherself
arguesthat"Fewanthropologistswritefor
thepeopletheystudy,"aproblemsheseeks
torectify.Shegoesontoelaboratethat
sheisnolongerinterestedinthosetopics
obsessingmostanthropologistsinthe1920s
to40s,whenshecameofageasan
ethnographerstudying"thepast,the
'ethnographicpresent,'ortheactual
present"(TheWorldAhead6).
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Ash,Mitchell.GestaltPsychologyinGerman
35/38
01/02/2015
Culture,18901967:HolismandtheQuestfor
Objectivity.Cambridge:CambridgeUP,1998.
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Bateson,Gregory.Naven:ASurveyofthe
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Anagram, Gestalt, Game in Maya Deren: Reconfiguring The Image in Post War Cinema

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