Public Interest Advocacy Through Art and Law

Tag: somatic

  • Some Different Takes On What Post-Theory Art May Be, If There Is Such A Thing as Post-Theory Art In The First Place.



    Post-Theory Art: A Human Form of Knowing, Thanks to Head Plus Heart and Body-Felt Experience


    1. Post-Theory Art as a simple but holistic art proposition:

    When an artist creates a new, original theory, and presents that theory through a work that engages not just the head (intellect), but also the heart (emotion) and body (felt experience), the result is not merely conceptual or expressive — it is Post-Theory Art.

    This type of art practice (and it can be in any creative field–visual arts, music, literature, poetry, video, cinema, maybe even dance) suggests that theory itself can be the medium of art, not just its support. But for that theory to function as art, it must live through the full human spectrum — thought, feeling (heart, emotion), and sensation (a sensory experience or a body-felt response).

    In an era when AI can produce logical outputs and simulate insight, Post-Theory Art protects a uniquely human domain: the creation of theory that is not only coherent, but embodied and affective, human to human, humans for humans. It is not a return to traditionalism or a rejection of conceptualism. It is a next step — a sort-of hybrid or blend or fusion.

    Perhaps separately, Post-Theory Art also offers a possible resolution to a century-long divide in the art world: the false choice between conceptual clarity and aesthetic or emotional depth. It invites the possibility of wholeness — of meaning that is felt, not just known. It is a form of art that only humans, for now, can make, and communicate, to other humans, not the artificial.



    2. Post-Theory Art — What It Is, What It Isn’t, And, If There Is Something To It, Why It Might Matter:

    What It Is
    Post-Theory Art is art made from original theory authored by an artist — theory that is not just explained, but expressed in a way that affects the viewer’s head, heart, and body.


    What It Isn’t
    It is not conceptual art that only engages the intellect.
    It is not traditional expressive art that lacks theoretical grounding.
    It is not AI-generated — it depends on lived, emotional, human experience.


    Why It Matters
    It may offer a line between human and artificial creativity.
    It provides a framework to reunify art’s intellectual and emotional traditions.
    It brings theory into public life, including courts, media, and civic spaces.


    Just One Example of What Might Be a Type of Post-Theory Art:
    An artist writes a new theory about justice, or rights, or equality, and embeds it in a court filing. If that theory provokes emotional and bodily responses from both legal participants and the broader public, it is functioning as Post-Theory Art — in real time and after, whenever someone in the public learns about it and has an intellectual, emotional, or body-felt sensation response of any kind.



    3. For those who might be Curators, Art Critics, and/or Thinkers About Art and The Public:



    In the wake of conceptualism’s dominance and amidst AI’s encroachment into intellectual labor, a new category has emerged: Post-Theory Art. Unlike conceptual art, which prioritizes idea over aesthetic and human experience, Post-Theory Art proposes that a theory be authored by an artist, and that it move through the viewer’s intellect, emotions, and body. This isn’t just art with a message — it is theory-as-art, sensorially and emotionally alive … It also poses a cultural and even a species-relevant question: Can only humans make theory that is felt? Post-Theory Art suggests yes — and uses this premise to establish a uniquely human creative domain at a moment when such distinctions are vanishing–and at the same time, this proposal may offer the most coherent resolution yet to the art world’s long-standing divide between conceptual and traditional practices.



    4. In Outline-Student Notes Form: Post-Theory Art — Theory That Thinks, Feels, and Lives


    I. Introduction
    Define Post-Theory Art
    Originates when an artist creates a new theory and conveys it through art that activates head (cognitive), heart (emotion), and body (body-felt sensory experience).


    II. Key Differentiators
    Not just art about theory
    Not just theory about art
    Not reducible to conceptual art (head-only)
    Not traditional aesthetic art (heart/body without theory)


    III. Why It Matters Now
    AI can simulate logic, but not lived, emotional, somatic meaning
    Post-Theory Art may protect a human-exclusive zone of creativity
    Reunites intellect and feeling — ends art-world split


    IV. Forms It Can Take
    Text-based art
    Installations
    Performance
    Public document placement (e.g., court filings)


    V. Public Document Example
    Artist writes a theory about justice
    Submits it in a public legal venue
    Judges, parties, and public observers experience emotional or bodily reactions
    Theory has become Post-Theory Art — in action


    VI. Final Framing
    Post-theory art is human theory, not artificial theory, lived and felt, not just thought, through art

  • Post-Theory Art as Experienced by the Head, the Heart, and the Body



    Abstract

    Can it be argued that “post-theory art” affords visual artists and musicians–and their viewers and listeners–an expansion beyond traditional discursive intellectual / cognitive theoretical frameworks . . . towards modes of artistic expression that are not just intellectual and cognitive (the head), but that are also felt in the heart (emotion) and in the body (somatic or body-felt experience)? In other words, is it possible for “art” make “theory” become an embodied experience that both reaches human emotions and also causes a physical sensory experience?

    This essay explores the possibility of whether post-theory art as an art practice or genre within traditional conceptual art and post-conceptual art might potentially distinguish itself as meaningfully distinct. Normally, the distinction between conceptual art and post-theory art turns on numerosity or multiplicity–if a conceptual artwork is about one idea at a time, singular, then a post-theory artwork is distinguished as being about the connection and relation of many ideas, plural.

    But what if post-theory art also allows artists to convey and communicate “theory” across artistic mediums, including without limitation visual art, music, poetry, literature, and video/cinema, not solely through (a) intellectual discourse–the head– but also through the uniquely human capacities of (b) emotion–the heart–and also (c) the somatic–the sensory, body-felt experience?

    This is an initial discussion that draws on just a few of the potentially relevant artists, thinkers, and theorists who have considered parts of this question in other contexts. Even thought it is just an initial discussion based on initial research, this paper may be seen to underscore the irreplaceable role of human agency in creating and interpreting art in ways that transcend mere intellectualization. In other words, even though machines and the artificial can now make theories too, not just us, there seems seems to be something about human theory-making and human theory-receiving that goes beyond the cognitive and also reaches the unique human capacities of emotions and the unique human capacities of sense, including body-felt experiences.



    Beyond Theory As Merely Cognitive: Theory in Art as Emotion Felt in the Heart and Sensory Experience Felt in the Body


    Arguably, the modern historical development of art theory has often emphasized linguistic and structural analyses–cognitive analyses– as sometimes seen in the works of Clement Greenberg, and as sometimes seen in the the structuralist and post-structuralist critiques of the late 20th century. Speaking loosely, at least. From this, still speaking broadly, artists like Hans Haacke, Barbara Kruger, and Jenny Holzer may be seen as artist examples of this trend, producing works that engaged viewers through textual frameworks (text-based art) and conceptual frameworks (idea-as-art with less emphasis on object-as-art and aesthetic-as-art).

    It can be argued that post-theory art, while acknowledging this lineage, is also able to shift additional focus towards the experiential and embodied aspects of art. It seems to have the potential for the proposition that theory in art is not solely an intellectual exercise but can also transmitted through materiality of an artwork, sensory engagement arising from the artwork, and emotional resonance arising from the artwork.



    The Limitations of Artificial Intelligence in Artistic Expression in Relation to the Heart and the Body


    The advent of artificial intelligence has introduced two things relevant here: now we humans are not alone in the ability to make art, and now we humans are not alone in the ability to make theories. So far, however, AI models lack capacities in relation to the authentic and genuine in human emotions and the physical reality of human somatic (body-felt) experiences. Post-theory art and its philosophical underpinnings suggest that these are both integral to human artistic expression–and that, on that basis, human art-making and human theory-making can and should be distinguished from artificial attempts to do the same.



    Materiality and the Somatic Experience


    For artworks that are post-theory that are physical (painting, sculpture, installation, dance) or that are sensory (music, cinema/video, poetry, literature, and others), visual, material, textual, and sound choices in post-theory art–what the art is made of, how the art is made, and what all of it communicates to the recipient–are not merely aesthetic decisions in relation to the recipient’s eyes and ears and intellect, but rather are central to conveying, and perhaps even causing, genuine embodied experiences and genuine emotion. This part of the research needs to be developed, but there appears to be something to this possibility.


    The Human “Sensorium” in Post-Theory Art


    While more research is needed, it appears that it can be plausibly argued that post-theory art is relevant to the potentially increasing human need to underscore the significance of the human “sensorium” in this new era of the artificial, where the human “sensorium” refers to the human integrated system of sensory experiences–not just see, hear, taste, touch, smell, but also the integrated body-felt sensory experience that humans feel viscerally “in the gut”—in the creation and reception of art. In this sense, post-theory art and post-theory art practices and approaches may be increasingly relevant for recognizing that understanding, interpreting, and enjoying art involves more than the cognitive processes that AI can now achieve; rather, they also encompass emotional responses and bodily sensations that are, so far, to our knowledge, unique to the human species and some animal species.


    Conclusion: The Irreplaceable Role of the Human, Evidenced Through Emotion and Body-Felt Sensory Experience


    In an era where artificial intelligence, or empty intelligence, will increasingly permeate almost all parts of human life, including human artistic practices, post-theory art appears to have the capacity to allow artists to develop and expand existing art practices that reaffirm, and preserve and protect, the irreplaceable role of human agency in creating our own art–and our own stories–where “human agency” refers to our human capacity to act with human intention, not artificial reasoning, in relation to our making choices and decisions about ourselves as a species that are shaped by human thought, and human emotion and lived experience–not the artificial.

    This means, at least in part, that post-theory art argues and examples at the same time: That there be human art that resonates not only on a cognitive level, but also emotional and somatic levels– all at the same time–for the most important of human reasons in this age.

    If the somatic and the emotional can be woven into the cognitive, it may be that human-theory making can be preserved as human through the human practice of post-theory art. By being able to convey, communicate, impart, and cause the full spectrum of the human experience–head, heart, and body, all at once, post-theory art appears to offer a viable means for human artists to both contribute to, and preserve and protect,not just human theory-making about ourselves, but also human mythology-making about ourselves, before artificial intelligence creates its own myths about humanity for us.

    This article is preliminary; additional research and analysis is pending.

    — Written May 2025.

  • Post-Theory Art: Some of Its Possible Foundations

    This article moves beyond some of the usual areas of art discussion, such as themes, applications, and aesthetics, and instead provides an initial overview into the philosophical and conceptual foundations of Post-Theory Art, and one type of post-theory art, Artist-Placed Public Document Art.

    In other words, this article is not about what the art can look like, and it is not about what the art can address; rather, this article is about the intellectual traditions that are referenced by post-theory art and artist-placed public document art: What those traditions are, what traditions are extended, built upon, or reduced, and, also, what what philosophical and epistemic territories these potential areas of art ultimately may be seen to occupy.

    Because this is just an initial overview article, and because this area should be approachable and accessible to many, not just just academics and experts, this article presents its initial overview research findings as a top-ten list as to the broad ontological, epistemological, and aesthetic categories that may be seen to be within what is proposed to be observed in art history as post-theory art.

    Also, because this article and this top 10 list needs to use some fancy academic and philosophical terms, a list of vocabulary–definitions, what the words cover, and what they do not, so that distinctions may be seen–this list of vocabulary terms appears at the end of the article for reference while reading.

    Some of the Intellectual and Philosophical Foundation of Post-Theory Art

    1. Conceptual Art (Art-as-Idea-as-Art)


    Post-Theory Art directly extends and evolves the core premise of conceptual art: that an idea itself can be the artwork, no matter how presented. Post-theory art broadens this premise, it seems, from the singular idea-as-art to a larger connective and relative system—no longer just a singular idea can be a piece of art; rather, larger and more connective theories that compare, relate, and evaluate can be art, where a theory is defined in its traditional sense as a system or grouping of ideas and thoughts that are propositional and networked. Arguably, as discussed below, post-theory art expands conceptual art from object-less art (the idea itself is art, apart from any physical or sound manifestation) into something more, a natural extension of conceptual art: ontology-driven art.

    2. Analytic Philosophy and Epistemology

    Post-Theory Art may be seen as having a basis in analytic philosophy and epistemology because, like those thought disciplines, post-theory art as an art practice draws from the basis of many if not most human thought systems across time and across cultures: the use of structure for propositions and argument, the use of logical reasoning, and, it seems, the use of epistemic self-awareness. It borrows rigor from philosophy of language, theories of knowledge, and the analytic tradition—particularly in how it frames theory itself as form and content

    3. Continental Critical Theory, Including Institutional Critique

    Post-theory art inherits strategies of critical analysis from thinkers such as Foucault, Derrida, and, later, artists such as Andrea Fraser and Hans Haacke, who examined and critiqued power through art about some types of institutions. Post-Theory Art seems to be in a different category, with the key distinction being this: Post-theory art expands art-as-critique from being outside of the institution, as has previously occurred, to now art-as-critique that is embedded within the institution—in some ways, art-as-critique at the time as art-as-causal-catalyst, by initiating a process that results in an ongoing critique of power in real-time as the institution responds to developments sparked by the artist’s initial publicly-placed document within the institution in a way that requires a formal response.

    4. Philosophy of Law and Jurisprudence

    Especially within the genre of post-theory art that has been called Artist-Placed Public Document Art, this art-as-law and law-as-art practice engages in foundational questions arising from the areas of knowledge and reasoning related to the philosophy of law and theories of jurisprudence, such as notions of justice, due process, the function of law and legal norms and societies,, and the discursive power of legal systems. Post-theory art’s manifestation in artist-placed public document art appears to understand–and work within–law as both symbol and as process machinery—using art as a way to reveal how courts, and actors in courts, carry out the logic and intent of a given society’s laws, for better or worse, including in recognition that, so far, courts may be our last human place, where the rights and fates of humans are decided by human judges and human juries, not artificial intelligence.

    5. Happenings and Performance Art as Art-Plus-Philosophical Event

    Drawing on Allan Kaprow’s concept of Happenings, as well as many other performance art traditions, Post-Theory Art expands to treat the public-art-actions of placement, activation, and encounter as full-on ontological moments. The artwork initiated by the artist unfolds over time through, and by, the actions or inactions of the other actors that are required to respondl to the initial artwork–the artist-placed public document–in ways that are both able to be seen and able to be documented–creating a multi-actor performance that is, and records, the ongoing event of institutional engagement. The art is not at one moment in time, and it is not a static thing; rather, it initiates a process, with performers, who are free to act as they chose within the boundaries of the institution’s own rules.

    6. Phenomenology and Embodied Cognition

    Especially outside the genre of post-theory art that has been called artist-placed public document art, some post-theory artworks draw on concepts underlying phenomenological thought, especially post-theory artworks that attempt to activate text (in visual, literary, or poetic post-theory art) or to activate lyrics (in music and sound art) in non-cognitive, non-intellectual, sensory, feeling, or spatial ways. In post-theory artworks that draw upon phenomenology and the embodied experience (also known as the body-felt experience, or a somatic experience), the “theory” is not limited to the intellectual, the cognitive or the abstract; rather, the theory can be placed, performed, and felt, activating for each viewer and listener both their sensory perception and their lived experience.

    7. Socratic and Pre-Socratic Thought (As Method, Not Just History)


    In some kinds of post-theory art, such as post-theory art that manifests as artist-placed public document art, the artist can become a type of public advocate, including taking a role somewhat like a public philosopher, a public intellectual, or a question-asker on behalf of the public interest on matters of public importance. In this sense it is like a Socratic dialectic. This type of Post-Theory Art aims to ask why many times, and aims to both reframe debates and initiate debates by asking questions instead of stating positions. In this way, it makes art for the public, on public issues, that are propositions and proposals, not conclusions or demands for acceptance of views. Post-theory art is art that is intentionally structured as inquiry and curiosity, rather than dogmatic or didactic statement.

    8. Semiotics and Systems Theory


    Post-Theory Art, at is broadest, encompasses everything about theories–in all their applications developed thus far by humans, including how they are communicated from the artist and received by the viewer or listener. This means, in part, that post-theory art can be a means by which artists and viewers and listeners, and readers, can understands theories as systems of signification–meaning, the structured ways in which meaning is created, communicated, and interpreted through signs and language within a given cultural system–and also as systems that are embedded in larger human systems—legal, linguistic, ecological, even political in the sense of citizens and their government. In other words, Post-theory art can be useful to both the artist and the recipient for exploring how meanings can emerge not just from isolated concepts but also from connecting, interrelation, and feedback across ideas, cultures, times, and actions not usually thought to be connected.

    9. Humanism (But Post-Crisis Humanism)

    As described and defined by some, post-theory art has central to it a strong insistence that the “post” in post-theory art refers to human authorship, interpretation, and responsibility. In an era where now anything can make a theory, be it human or machine, this aspect of post-theory art asserts that human theory-making should be distinguished from artificial intelligence theory-making, and that this human element is what distinguishes post-theory from theory. Stated differently, implicit in post-theory art seems to be the concession that “theory” has been lost as no longer the province of just us, and posits that, from a perspective of humanism, only theories that are made by us can properly be deemed to be about us and for us. This seems to raise a debate, however, as to whether the distinction is artificial, or exclusive: What would make human theory-making better than, or more important than, artificial-theory making?

    Reflexivity (Self-Insight)

    Post-theory art is not just an art practice but a theory about theories themselves. As such, it may be seen as attempting to engage in self-insight, using theory not only to critique the outside but to look reflexively, within, critiquing and evaluating the validity of the idea that there can even be such as thing as post-theory art. In other words, insight and reflexivity seem to be a defining part of not only the cognitive and intellectual elements of post-theory art, but also the emotional and the somatic (body felt experience) elements of post-theory art. As an example, post-theory art seems both willing and able to think and feel about what thinking is, and what feeling is, and whether a given theory made by the artist, or made by other humans, can be measured in some way (objectively, emotionally, somatically) not to determine whether it is good or bad, reasonable or unreasonable, useful or not useful, but rather to see what can be created, and what can be communicated, when an artist, through an artwork, does not simply create or critique a theory, but rather uses theory to theorize about theory itself, the nature of the artwork, and the nature of the communication that occurs when an artist releases a visual or literary or musical work for the unknown recipient to receive and interpret (if they wish to do so). In this sense, post-theory art may be said to belong within the lineage of self-referential, recursively aware art practices.

    Brief Explanations of Some of the Vocabulary in this Article


    Analytic
    Definition: Related to logical reasoning and breaking down ideas or concepts into simpler parts.
    Key Point: Primarily concerned with logical clarity and structure.
    What it’s not: Not about personal judgment or creative expression, but about strict analysis and logical reasoning.

    Aesthetic
    Definition: Related to beauty, art, and the appreciation of visual or sensory experiences.
    Key Point: Deals with how we perceive, enjoy, and evaluate art or beauty.
    What it’s not: Not about the content or meaning of the artwork, but the sensory or emotional response it triggers.


    Critical Theory
    Definition: A philosophical approach that seeks to understand and critique society, culture, and institutions, focusing on power dynamics and social change.
    Key Point: Critiques existing structures with the goal of improving them, especially in areas like inequality or injustice.
    What it’s not: Not just theoretical analysis, but an active form of criticism aimed at social reform.


    Dialectic
    Definition: A method of discussion or reasoning where opposing ideas are debated to reach a higher understanding or truth.
    Key Point: Involves the back-and-forth process of thesis (an idea), antithesis (its opposite), and synthesis (a new idea formed from their combination).
    What it’s not: Not a simple conversation, but a structured debate aimed at resolving contradictions.

    Didactic
    Definition: Intended to teach in a way that is overly instructive or moralizing, often with a tone that tells the audience what to think or believe, leaving little or no room for interpretation or critical engagement.
    Key Point: Implies a preachy or patronizing approach to teaching, where the focus is on imposing knowledge or values rather than encouraging independent thought or discussion.
    What it’s not: Not about fostering open dialogue or critical reflection, but rather about delivering information in a directive, one-sided manner.

    Discursive
    Definition: Related to reasoning or argumentation, typically involving a flow of ideas that may cover various topics.
    Key Point: Involves discussion or explanation, often moving from one idea to another in a logical, sometimes indirect way.
    What it’s not: Not a rigid, structured argument; it’s more about exploring a topic through broad discussion.

    Due Process
    Definition: A legal principle that ensures fair treatment through the judicial system, including the right to a fair trial and legal protections.
    Key Point: Involves legal safeguards to prevent unfair actions by the government or authorities.
    What it’s not: Not a quick or informal process; it ensures fairness and adherence to established legal procedures.

    Epistemology
    Definition: The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature, scope, and limits of knowledge—how we know what we know.
    Key Point: It asks questions about truth, belief, and justification.
    What it’s not: Not concerned with specific facts, but with the process and justification of knowledge itself.
    Epistemological (Adjective): Related to the study of knowledge and how we understand it.

    Humanism
    Definition: A worldview that emphasizes human values, individual dignity, and the importance of reason, often in contrast to religious or supernatural beliefs.
    Key Point: Focuses on human agency and the potential for individuals to improve and shape the world.
    What it’s not: Not necessarily religious or supernatural; it prioritizes human-centered understanding.

    Institutional Critique
    Definition: A critical examination of the structures, systems, and power dynamics within institutions (like schools, governments, or corporations).
    Key Point: Aimed at revealing and challenging the hidden power relations or biases within institutions.
    What it’s not: Not about criticizing individual people, but rather the institutions themselves.

    Insight
    Definition: A deep understanding of a complex situation or problem, often involving a new perspective or revelation.
    Key Point: Insight leads to clearer understanding or a breakthrough in solving a problem.
    What it’s not: Not just surface-level understanding—insight goes beyond simple facts or observations.
    Insightful (Adjective): Having or showing a deep understanding of something, often with clarity.

    Jurisprudence
    Definition: The theory or philosophy of law; the study of the principles and concepts that underpin legal systems.
    Key Point: Focuses on how laws are created, interpreted, and applied in society.
    What it’s not: Not the practice of law itself, but a theoretical examination of law and its nature.

    Meta-Art (Now often called Art Reflexivity or Art Insight due to the company Meta)
    Definition: Art that comments on or critiques the nature of art itself, often exploring its limits, definitions, or concepts: What is and is not art?
    Key Point: It’s art that reflects on art, questioning its meaning, medium, or purpose.
    What it’s not: Not just about creating art; it’s about exploring the idea of art itself.

    Ontology
    Definition: The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of being, existence, and reality.
    Key Point: It asks questions about what exists and how different categories of things relate to each other.
    What it’s not: Not focused on knowledge (epistemology) or beauty (aesthetics), but on existence itself.
    Ontological (Adjective): Related to the nature of being or existence.

    Phenomenological
    Definition: Related to phenomenology, a philosophical approach that focuses on experiences and how we perceive things.
    Key Point: Explores how things appear to consciousness, often through personal experience.
    What it’s not: Not concerned with abstract theories but with subjective human experience.

    Reflexivity
    Definition: The ability to examine and reflect on one’s own beliefs, actions, or perspectives, often to better understand one’s impact or biases.
    Key Point: Involves self-awareness and critical self-examination.
    What it’s not: Not merely introspection, but a structured, analytical form of self-reflection.

    Socratic Method
    Definition: A form of cooperative argumentative dialogue used to stimulate critical thinking, where questions are asked to draw out answers and encourage deeper understanding.
    Key Point: Focuses on probing questions to challenge assumptions and promote reasoning.
    What it’s not: Not about giving answers, but about asking questions that lead to insights.

    Semiotics
    Definition: The study of signs and symbols, and how they create meaning in communication.
    Key Point: Focuses on how words, images, sounds, etc., act as signs to convey meaning.
    What it’s not: Not just about language itself but the broader study of all signs.

    Systems Theory
    Definition: An interdisciplinary theory that studies complex systems and how their parts interact and affect each other within a whole.
    Key Point: Emphasizes relationships and patterns within systems, such as biological, ecological, or social systems.
    What it’s not: Not focused on individual parts in isolation, but on the system as a whole.

    — Written April and May 2025.