Politics of Telepathic Collaborations, the 60s, the 80s and Now | Jacquelene Drinkall

Summary: Collaborations in Modern and Postmodern Visual Arts | Jacquelene Drinkall The paper investigates the relationship between telepathy, collaboration and politics in conceptual and contemporary art. Conceptual artists and theorists Larry Miller, Carolee Schneeman, Yoko Ono, Joseph Beuys, Jean Jacques-Lebel, Marina Abramovic all worked with telepathy in their collaborative practices in the 60s and early 70s. They worked with telepathy and collaboration to deal with issues of abuse trauma, the repressed feminine, the alchemy of social sculpture, guerrilla revolt and the fusion of mysticism and Marxism. Theorists such as Rosalind Krauss and Lisa Blackman enable further examination of conceptual and body art through an appreciation of the value of telepathy, via psychoanalysis and affect theory, for understanding aesthetic and communicative transmission and contagion. Blackman’s notion of self that extends beyond the individual’s body is crucial. Also key is Krauss’ connection between post-mediumism and the narcissism of telepathy in technologically mediated performance. Further, the paper looks at the late/post-conceptual telepathetic collaborative tendencies and relationship between conceptual artists Robert Filliou, Arakawa and Imants Tillers, as well as discourse connecting the telepathy of Tiller’s with that of Abramovic/Ulay’s collaboration in the 80s and 90s. This leads into an examination of past and recent discourse about Tillers’ subsequent collaboration with indigenous Australian artists Gordon Bennett and Michael Nelson Jagamara. Post-colonial theory of William Du Bois reflects on the relationship of psychic andpolitical states. Finally, the paper looks at contemporary artists, 90s – 00s, such as Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger, Jane and Louise Wilson, Gianni Motti and various ways they have connected telepathy to intersubjectivity, collaboration and crowd consciousness. Younger Australian artists Ms&Mr, Veronica Kent and Sean Peoples and Gabriella Mangano and Silvana Mangano could be seen to be consolidating a nexus between telepathy, collaboration and narcissism. How is it possible, or indeed necessary, to locate these young Australian artists within an emerging genealogy of the politics of telepathic collaboration? How does their love extend to the social? Jacquelene Drinkall has lectured in a range of full-time, sessional and casual positions at Canberra School of Art at Australian National University; College of Fine Arts at University of New South; Design Lab, Faculty of Architecture at University of Sydney; and School of Creative Arts at James Cook University. She holds a PhD in Art History and Theory, Masters by Research in Visual Art and a BA in Visual Art (Painting). Jacquelene has received many awards and grants such as Curriculum Refresh grant; NAVA grant; two COFA Student Art Prizes; an Artspace residency; a Cite International des Arts Paris residency; Australian Postgraduate Award; Marten Bequest; Telecom Travelling Scholarship; Janet Johnston Award; two AGNSW awards; University Medal; and she was a 7 time finalist and 5 time exhibitor in the NSW Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship.