Apophatisme et non-dualité dans le Vedānta et chez Ad Reinhardt
Cahiers ERTA March 31, 2023 DOI: 10.4467/23538953ce.23.004.17566 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Ad Reinhardt's Ultimate Paintings and writings share affinities with the apophatic formulas of Advaita Vedanta and that the paintings refer to the yantra, the geometrical diagram into which Brahmanic iconography is supposed to subside. Contends that apophasis here defeats the attempt to signify, through painting and language, what constitutes itself in painting and language. |
Abstract
Apophatism and Non-duality in the Vedanta and in Ad Reinhardt's work The Ultimate Paintings, a series of abstractions made by Ad Reinhardt during the 1960s, are coupled with writings with obvious affinities to the apophatic formulas of the commentaries of the Upanishads (the philosophical conclusions of the Vedas) known as the “nondual Vedānta” (Advaita Vedānta). The abstractions themselves refer to the model of the yantra, the geometrical diagram into which Brahmanic iconography is supposed to subside. In this instance, the apophasis defeats the attempt to signify through painting and language what constitutes itself in painting and language.