FINAL #5 Death of the Author

Question 1

Roland Barthes *

Answer 1

• Wrote the Death of the Author, and essay that discusses the change in the role of the author.
• Believes that we can’t truly critique an artwork b/c this would mean that there is a right answer, which would bring limitations.
• ## Believes that art that has meaning is a capitalist idea as it means that it has value.

Question 2

The Performative *

Answer 2

• It is reality… when language and phrases construct reality…
• A performative is a phrase that acts
  > It’s 1st person present tense… It doesn’t describe -it’s a doing.
  > For example - “I quit” or “I now pronounce you man and wife” or “You’re under arrest”… etc… it enacts change…
• According to Barthes all speech and language is performative.
  > For example - “I’m sad”… sad is a feeling… “I describe this feeling through language… idea of sadness enables me”…
• Experience is written by language… the world is discursive full of representational gestures… it does something not describes… for example: labeling boy or girl is a discursive act and a representational construct… “it’s a boy… or it’s a girl!”… it is a performative act….
• This relates to the “readymade dictionary.” These meaning created by language creates this world and our ideas and how we think.

Question 3

Author *

Answer 3

• The author has a relationship to the artwork.
• Work created by the author is created comes after you… meaning that first the author is born then he creates the work.
• Describes and treats art/work as a representation.

Question 4

Scriptor *

Answer 4

• The scriptor is born with the work. They are equal and the same.
• Language predates us and the scriptor learns language from parents. He channels this system to express self and to create work.
• Is performative and does art/work… channels language and meaning is created from the viewer/receiver.

Question 5

Readymade dictionary

Answer 5

• We are all given language with a preset idea of meaning.
  > We learn meaning and feelings b/c of language. Important for artists b/c it’s better to do than to describe.
• B/c we’re all instilled with a “readymade dictionary” Barthes says all art is a readymade object.
• Artists channel “readymade dictionary” through art so true meaning lies within the receivers.

Question 6

Importance of reader

Answer 6

• Has interpretive power
• Theological Model (old way)… Author (God) has the meaning…. the meaning is then transferred to the art object… the reader then receives the meaning.
• Barthes wants to reverse this model…
• Barthes view…. the author channels the readymade dictionary into the art object and the meaning is then created by the reader….
• This change leads to power sharing and dispersal.