On the (im)Possibility of Reading: The Ontology of Technique as Explored Through the Early Work of Peter Eisenman

As the title suggests, this paper focuses on Ontologies and Technique more than tectonics. The putative subject of the paper, the early work of Peter Eisenman, consciously eschewed tectonics in the quest for a “technique” (process) to solve what Jorge Silvetti referred to at the time as “the problem of communication.” And indeed, what was Eisenman’s early work if not, as the brief states, architecture “. . . without a direct material assignation, without signification, and without cultural impetus.”?Just how does architecture “speak to us today;” indeed, is it even possible? The paper will start with a brief introduction of the noted American philosopher W.V.O. Quine’s seminal work, ‘Ontological Relativity’, which demonstrates the impossibility of a direct correspondence in reading intent from form, while leaving open the possibility of an approximate reading. The paper will then explore, with text and illustration, the means by which we read and understand form, or in the terms of the topic brief, how art speaks to us. It will rely for its premise on the works of two of Quine’s prodigies: Nelson Goodman’s ‘The Languages of Art’ and Hillary Putnam’s ‘The Many Faces of Realism’ along with Raymond William’s ‘The Long Revolution’ and Benito Croce’s ‘Aesthetics’. Finally, the paper will look at several specific case studies of Eisenman’s work to suggest how this method can be understood as an “Ontology of Technique”A Note Regarding Images: the brief calls for a maximum of five images, something I noticed just prior to submission. This paper contains 17 images. If this paper is accepted for consideration I will work with the topic coordinator to determine the most appropriate five for inclusion. Sources for the images are currently being cleared and so are not cited in this draft but will be cleared and cited in any final version. Images 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 17 are likely candidates. I leave them in this submission to suggest to the committee the sorts of images that I hope to be using in the conference presentation, as not all may be familiar with some of the references.

Volume Editors
David Ruy & Lola Sheppard

ISBN
978-0-935502-95-4