Mediating Pothos
Mediating Pothos is a dissertation written in 2008 for the Master of Visual Art at the Sydney College of the Arts.
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Abstract
Love, because it is shaped by language, is distinguished by absence. We use language to mediate the distance between ourselves and the other. I define this state of being as Pothos, a state where, instead of connecting to the other by touch, we attempt to connect by language. The televisual embodies Pothos. It forestalls the embrace by creating an experience where things are neither near or at a distance. Video artists inhabit the televisual space to participate with the other, to participate in the imaginary void that is shaped by language. The silent exchange between the artist and viewer, where there is an invisible interplay of meaning, is much like a lover’s exchange. I propose that the artist through utilising language does so to create a void where such exchanges can take place. I propose that the artist mediates Pothos.