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Sport and Art SARAF
Sport and Art SARAF
Sport and Art SARAF
M. J. SARAF (U.S.S.R.)
Abstract
The question of connections between sport and art becomes particularly actual:
it is relatedas well with the development of sport itself and its variants, as with
its spectacular side which is especially emphasized by the mass media, above
all by TV.
The analysis if this question shows, at any rate, three aspects. The first the —
most controversial: whether sport is art, or not. The second is a problem of sports
spectacles and their main components. The third are artistic questions, appearing
—
The associating of sport with art, the putting of an identity mark between them,
results, to our mind, from the fact, that one magnifies the alleged compositional
uniformity of the sports phenomenon and the one of artistic effect. However, firstly,
this uniformity is of syntactic character only (arranging, putting together),
secondly-semantic (transmission of significant substance) and sigmatic (rela-
tion to the received subject). The assumptions of sport and art are essen-
tially different. From this we draw the conclusion to the effect, that one cannot trans-
fer to sport the laws ruling art and build a sport spectacle according to these
laws.
The spectacular value is one of the most important conditions making the
existence and development of sport possible. It arises on the basis of objective
action of sports fights rules of composition, irrespective of whether it is a fight
against an opponent, or weight, against speed, or highness. These are the
vicissitudes of the fight, its consistency, that make the effect of the compositional
structure of sport, the base of its spectacular value. Therefore many of the sports
branches demand not only a stage-setting, but simply cannot exist without it.
That is just why the rules of aesthetic perception, the rules of stage-setting of
sports undertakings are of the same importance in sport as canon in music, or
composition in fine arts.
Finally, the crucial aspects of cooperation between sport and art appear in
connection with the necessity of organization of space and creation of conditions
for sports activity. Sport creates ground itself a specific atmosphere these are —
various implements, equipment and sports symbols. There takes place a complex
entanglement of interests of sport and architecture, of applied and monumental
art this question demands a separate study.
—
aesthetics.
Since it has become an urgent need to find the reasons to explain
the above-mentioned phenomena the question regarding interaction
between sport and art has become especially pertinent.
One of theinterpretations most widespread in social opinion and
philosophical interpretations of sport is the point of view whose
adherents maintain that sport is very close to art or that sport is one
cf its spheres.
E. Van Aaken and ~C. Nat,tkampière voiced similar opinions, inspired
most probably by the philosophical essays of Karl Jasper and Jose
Ortega y Gasset, dealing with sport. The principal thesis and at the
same time starting point is here the statement that the
unity oi art
and sport stems from the similarity of the results.. Or .more accurately:
the results in both these fields are the outcome of the drive to achieve
some practical, utilitarian goal.
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Identifying sport and art one also makes use of the ideas voiced by
Dufr6 and Surio regarding the characteristic features of works of art.
They maintain that the material existence of works of art depends
on g’Lving matter new shape, while a sport deed depends on the devel-
practice of sport and art. Proof of this is partly the discussion entitled
&dquo;Sport and Art&dquo; which was published by the magazine &dquo;Teatr&dquo; (Thealtelr)
in the second half of the 1960s. Some of those taking part in it, people
enjoying respect in the world of, art, thought that sport undoubtedly
should be considered as art. Note, haweve~r, that it was precisely during
that period that the Soviet figure skating champions and those of
artistic and sport gymnastics were winning world renown.
The ties between sport and art certainly exist and the postulate
to investigate them is undoubtedly fully justified and should be carried
out. Not less important for an understanding of the reflation between
these two fields is to make a sharp distinction between them, to point
to the existing differences.
We think that the central problem in this plan is the question
whether it is possible to make use in sport of means of artistic expres-
’
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big training load is for ballet, circus and floor show artists. Thus,
a
despite the importance of sport fans for sport, the spectacular aspect
of sport is not the principal goal of sport, it makes its appearance
as an accompanying phenomenon. The sharper and more intense the
situation of a fight in sport, the better the show aspect. The opposite
is not possible.
I- -
fight in the true sense of the word, especially directed activity imitates
sport competitions or in a specific manner defines the value of sport.
Since such activities have no content typical of sport their spectacular
aspect is being defined by other principles which are closer to the
theatrical aspect.
.The absence of an authentic sport conflict is here being replaced
by a conflict constructed according to the laws governing theater plays.
The. principal driving force of activity is not the logic of sport fight,
but he subject, the scenario-writer’s idea. The acting hero is not the
sportsman as such, but the athlete who plays the role laid down for
him in the scenario.
The elementary dramatic principles, made use of for the organiza-
tion of a show of this type, were in the past applied in circus where
all sorts of &dquo;world&dquo; championships were organized. Each one of these
circus wrestlers had his own title, such as &dquo;the public’s favourite&dquo;,
&dquo;the Volga strongman&dquo; or &dquo;Ki.n,g of the athletes&dquo;. He bad to wear
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130
figure skating, diving and fencing, all have simdlar features. Despite
all their differences they belong to the same category of phenomena.
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131
ization of the sport environment. But the latter its already a new and
fully independent sphere of problems connected with the interaction
between sport and art. ,
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Zusammenfassung
Die Probleme des Zus.ammenihangs zwisohen Sport und. Kunst slÏ1nd bes-o-nders
akiGuell. Sie sind sowohl mit der Entwicklung des Sports und seiner Va~rieta~te~n
wie auch mit seiner Spe~ktakelseite VerhUIl1:d’ð.ll. Besontders die Spe<kt.aike1selilte
wird von den Massenmedien, vor allem vom Fernsehen, betont.
--
°~
lichkeit hat diese EinheAlichkeit nur einen syntaktischean Cha~r~a,lote~r (das Ordnen
und Zusaanmenstellen). Weiter handelt es sich hier um ei~nen semantischen (das
Uberweisen der Bedeutungsinhalte) und einen sygmaIti,schen Character (Beziehng
zum emjpfangenen Objekt). Die Voraussetzungen de.s Sports und der Kunsst
unterscheiden sich voneinander und darum diirfen die Gesetze, die die Kunst
regieren, auf den Sport nicht automatilseh übertlla.gell1 werden; das Spartspektakes
da~rf nicht naoh diesen Re~ohten awtomatisch ko~ns~t~ru2ert werde’l1. Die Schaubarkeit
ist eine der wichtigsten Bedingungen, die da,s Existieren wn~d die Entwicklung
des Sportlebens ermbglichen. Die Schauba~r.keit eiltsteht auf der G~nund,lage der
Wirkung der Prinzipien der Komposition des Sportkampfes, unabhang’ig von
dem, ob es sich urn einen Kampf gegen einen konkreten Gegner handelt, older
gegen das Gew~icht, die Geschwindigkeit oder H6he. Dies sind eben die Aben.teuer
des Kampfes. Die Logik des Kampfes bildet das Wesen der Kompositiotll6<truiktuŒ’
des Sports, die Grundlage seiner Schauba~rkeit. Viele SpOrtd~iSZi~pliQlen k6nnen sich
ohne Regie in der Organisierung des Spektakells nicht entraten. Es ist eben die
Ursache, daf3 drie pI)ÎiI1JZ~pien des ästhetis.~hen Empfa,ngs, die Regieprinøipien der
Sportveranstaltungetn fur den Sport eine gleicvhe Bedeultun,g haben wi,e der
-
Kanon in der Musiik oder wie die Komposi tion in de.n bildenden Kunsten.
iDi~e wi’chtigen Aspekte der Zusammenwlrkulng des Sports und der Kun~st
k4o~mmen - in Beziehung mLt der Notwendigkeit, den Plaltz und die Be4di-iigu,nge(n
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133
bildet um sich eine besol1Jde-re Sphere; dazu tragen die verschiedenen Sporteiln-
richtungen., die Sportausrusttunfg und dde Sportsymbolik ihren Anteil bei. Es bes-
teht ein kompliziertes Geflecht der Interesse des Sports und der Architektur,
der ange~wa~ndten und der rnol1!urnentalen Kun~t. Dies brauchtt einer besonderen
Behandlung.
6chluJ3fo.lgeru’ng: das Problem der gegenseitigen Beziehungen zwisiche-ii Sport
u:nd l~,u~nstgeh6rt zu den komplizierten.
Resume
.
pour des sports une meme importance comme le canon pour la musique ou la
composition pour les arts piastiques.
Et, enfin, 1es aspects impo,r’tatI1its de la cooperation des sports avec des
arts -