Konst med konst som motiv : parafrasens estetik i 1900-talets bildkonst

Sammanfattning: The subject of the thesis is 20th-century art about art. The intentions of the artist, the reference given in the work, and the reaction of the perceiver are all important factors in the definition of a paraphrase of art.A paraphrase is made by an artist with the intention of clearly alluding to earlier art. One purpose is that the perceiver will identify important correlations in terms of likeness and difference between the paraphrase and the alluded art. The paraphrase is looked upon as a specific kind of imitation of earlier art, where one purpose is to present a visual comment on the work referred to.It is stated that a paraphrase has an intertextual relation to the alluded work implying mutual influence between objects of art, rather than any one-sided influence on the part of the referred work.In paraphrases of form, the main transformation deals with changes in the way a given subject is represented. In paraphrases of theme, the main transposition deals with presenting the earlier subject in a new context. These two types basically refer to specific works of art. In the third type,the paraphrases of style, the art referred to is not limited to specific works, but rather to groups of works. A paraphrase of style uses common denominators of other artists or other styles in order to comment on them.Paraphrases can be apprehended as contradicting the modernist expectations of originality as a contrast to imitation. We find important similarities in expression paired with radical contrasts in form or theme. This infers that it is possible to say something new, without really saying something new, simply by using new means. Late-20th-century paraphrases of style on the other hand, are more concerned with saying something new, while hardly effecting any change, or at least without any dramatic change in form or content. Either one tends to see significant similarities where there are obvious differences in form or thematic content, or one tends to discern significant differences hidden.A common factor in the analyses is that the beholder will find paraphrases intimately connected with meta-art, with art that takes art as its theme. Such was not the case until this century, when artists chose or had to choose between different genres. With the breakdown of earlier hierarchies, art paraphrases established a genre focussing on the interplay between imitation and originality, between 20th-century art and traditional art, as well as within contemporary art itself. The paraphrase facilitates a critical and self-reflective way for artists to comment on the ways of defining not what art is, but when there is art.