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edited by John Sallis McMullen Museum ofArt, Boston College [ThisblankpagedeliberatelyinsertedbyBostonCollege DigitalLibrariesstafftopreservetheopeningsofthe analogbook.] edited by John Sallis McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College DistributedbyTheUniversityofChicagoPress 0 2 ThispublicationisissuedinconjunctionwiththeexhibitionPaulKlee:PhilosophicalVision;FromNaturetoArtattheMcMullenMuseum ofArt,BostonCollege,September1-December9,2012. OrganizedbytheMcMullenMuseum,incollaborationwiththeZentrumPaulKlee,Bern,PaulKlee:PhilosophicalVision;FromNature toArthasbeencuratedbyJohnSallisinconsultationwithClaudeCernuschiandJefferyHowe.Theexhibitionhasbeenunderwrit- tenbyBostonCollege,thePatronsoftheMcMullenMuseum,andtheNewtonCollegeClassof1967,withadditionalsupportfrom swissnexBostonandSwissInternationalAirLinesLtd. S* ^3Swiss LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2012939001 ISBN:978-1-892850-19-5 DistributedbyTheUniversityofChicagoPress PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica ©2012bytheMcMullenMuseumofArt,BostonCollege,ChestnutHill,MA02467 Copyeditor:KateShugert Bookdesigner:JohnMcCoy Frontcover: Paul Klee,WallPlant(Mauerpflanze), 1922/153.Watercolorand penon paperoncardboard,25.8x30.2cm, MuseumofFineArts,Boston,SethK.SweetserResiduaryFund,64.526.Photograph©2012MuseumofFineArts,Boston. Backcover: Paul Klee, Eidola:ErstwhilePhilosopher(EIAQAA:weilandPhilosoph), 1940/101.Chalkon paperoncardboard, 29.7x21 cm,ZentrumPaulKlee,Bern,PKSZ2128. Photocredits:ArtResource,NY©TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt:plate13;KerryBurke(BostonCollege):plate5;ImagingDe- partment©PresidentandFellowsofHarvardCollege(HarvardArtMuseums):plates3-4, 15, 18,21-24,28,61,64;Petegorsky/ Gipe(SmithCollegeMuseumofArt):plates7, 12;SCALA/ArtResource,NY©TheMuseumofModernArt:plates34,37,55,65; PeterSchibli(FondationBeyeler,Riehen/Basel):plate45;LauraShea (MountHolyokeCollegeArtMuseum):plates33,63;Peter Siegel(ColbyCollegeMuseumofArt):plate6. This publication is funded in part by the Peggy Simons Memorial Publications Fund - PEGGY SIMONS memorial PUBUCAT1C3KSKVM> /I/f Contents Nancy Netzer Director's Preface 5 John Sallis Introduction 7 Paul Klee On ModernArt 9 John Sallis Klee's PhilosophicalVision 15 AlejandroArturoVallega Paul Klee'sVision ofan OriginaryCosmological Painting 25 Claudia Baracchi Paul Klee: Self-PortraitoftheArtistasaTree 35 David Farrell Krell Klee and Novalis:ApprenticesatSaVs 45 DennisJ. Schmidt Paul Klee andtheWriting of Life 55 CharlesW. Haxthausen "Abstractwith Memories": Klee's"Auratic" Pictures 61 Marfa del RosarioAcosta Framing Klee'sWindow 77 Galen A.Johnson Metamorphosisand Music: Klee and Merleau-Ponty 85 3 Gunter Figal Pictorial Spaces:TheArtof Paul Klee 99 Claude Cernuschi Paul Klee and Language 105 Eliane Escoubas A Polyphonic Painting: Paul Kleeand Rhythm 135 Marcia Sa Cavalcante Schuback The Poeticsofthe Sketch 149 Damir Barbaric The Lookfrom Beyond: On Paul Klee'sViewofArt 157 Jeffery Howe Paul Klee andthe Unseen World: Ghosts, Somnambulists, andWitches 165 Stephen H.Watson The Sublime Continuum: Klee'sCosmic Simultaneities 185 Plates 197 Index 263 Contributors 267 4 Nancy Netzer Director's Preface Inthefallof2008,mycolleagueJohnSaMisinthePhilosophyDepartmentcametotalkabouthisplans toorganizeaninternationalconferenceatBostonCollegeonthephilosophicalvisionofPaulKlee,anartist whohadbeenamainstayofhisscholarlyinquiryformanyyears.HewonderediftheMcMullenMuseum mightmounta smalldisplayofKlee'sworkstocoincidewiththegathering. Ina matterofminutes,after hearingthescopeofthenewresearchbeingundertaken,itbecameclearthattheMcMullenshouldtryto organizenotasmall, butrathera majorinterdisciplinaryexhibitionexploring Klee'sroleintheworldof philosophy—somethingthathad neverbeenattempted.John SaMisimmediatelyagreedtoserveascura- torandtocontactscholarsattheZentrum Paul Kleein Bern.JuriSteiner,thentheDirector,and Michael Baumgartner,theZentrum'sDirectorofResearch,respondedwithenthusiasm,generouslyagreeingtocol- laborateontheprojectandtolendalargenumberofKlee'sworkstotheexhibition.ArthistorianGottfried BoehmattheUniversityofBaselalsoofferedtohelpwithsecuringloans.Meanwhile,atBostonCollege, arthistoriansClaudeCernuschiandJefferyHoweoftheFineArtsDepartmentbeganworkingwithSaMisas consultingcuratorsandcontributorsofessaysforthiscataloguetoaccompanytheexhibition. Inthelatter task,theywerejoinedbyarthistorianCharlesW.HaxthausenandphilosophersMariadelRosarioAcosta, ClaudiaBaracchi,DamirBarbaric,ElianeEscoubas,GunterFigal,GalenA.Johnson,DavidFarrellKrell, DennisJ.Schmidt,MarciaSaCavalcanteSchuback,AlejandroArturoVallega,andStephenH.Watson. OurprincipaldebtofgratitudeistoJohnSaMis. Hisvisionforexploringhowphilosophicalideascon- ceivedinKlee'swritingsandlecturesweretranslatedbytheartistintolineandcolorunderliesallaspects oftheexhibitionandthisvolume.Sallis'smasteryofthefield,hisyearsofdialoguewithcolleaguesaround theworld,andhisgenerous,engaging,andopenmannerhavebornefruitinthisendeavorandmadeitan enjoyableexperienceforeveryoneinvolved.Itiswithequaladmiration,bothscholarlyandpersonal,that wethankourtwocolleaguesClaudeCernuschiandJefferyHowe.WealsoextendspecialthankstoDeputy Director/ConsulAndreasRuferofswissnexBostonandtoPaulKlee'sgrandsonAlexanderKleeandhisfam- ily,withoutwhoseassistanceandsupportwecouldnothaveundertakenthisproject. Ofcourse, noneofthiscould have beenaccomplishedwithoutthecontributionofcolleaguesatthe McMullenMuseum,acrossBostonCollege,andbeyond.DianaLarsendesignedthegalleriestoevokethe aestheticofthoseinwhichKleeexhibitedhiswork.Indesigningthiscatalogueandtheexhibition'sgraph- icsandwebsite,John McCoyechoedthe Bauhausstyleoftheyearswhen Kleetaughtatthatschoolin WeimarandDessau.KateShugertorganizedloansandphotography,andshecopyeditedwithextraordi- narydiscernmenttheessaysinthispublication.NancyFedrow,JohnSallis'sassistant,contributededitorial and organizational assistance. Kerry Burke provided photographsandJon K. Burmeisterproduced the catalogue'sindex. InternsFrancesca Falzone, Liah Luther, Lauren Passaro, MollyPhelps, EmilieSintobin, and Christina Tullyhelped with proofreading and loan processing. AnastosChiavarasand Rose Breen from BostonCollege'sOfficeofRiskManagementprovidedvaluableguidanceregardinginsurance.We aregratefultotheUniversity'sAdvancementOffice—especiallyJamesHusson,ThomasLockerby,Catherine Concannon,MaryLouCrane,andGingerSaariaho—foraidingfundingefforts. 5 Friendsandcolleaguesatotherinstitutionsassistedwithloans and photographs: Amy Ryan, Susan Glover, and Karen Shafts (BostonPublicLibrary);SharonCorwinandPatriciaKing(Colby College Museum of Art); Nannette V. Maciejunes, Melinda Knapp,JenniferSeeds,andStefanieWolf(ColumbusMuseumof Art);LisaFischman,Sandra Hachey,and BoK.Mompho(Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College); Sam Keller and Tanja Narr (Fondation Beyeler); Thomas W. Lentz, Mary Schneider Enriquez, Francine Flynn, Sarah Kianovsky, Nicole Linderman-Moss,ChristopherLinnane,andLynetteRoth(Harvard Art Museums); William Stoneman, Hope Mayo, and Carie McGinnis (Houghton Library, Harvard University); Thomas P. Campbell,EmilyFoss,andGaryTinterow(MetropolitanMuseum ofArt);JohnR.Stomberg,RachelBeaupre,andWendyWatson (MountHolyokeCollegeArtMuseum);MalcolmRogers,Clifford Ackley,MartaFodor,PatrickMurphy,KimPashko,andStephanie LoebStepanek(MuseumofFineArts, Boston);Glenn D. Lowry, Katherine Alcauskas, and Eliza Frecon (Museum of Modern Art, NY); Dorothy Kosinski,Joe Holbach,and Gretchen Martin (PhillipsCollection,Washington, DC); BrentR. Benjamin, Diane Mallow,andShannonSweeney(SaintLouisArtMuseum);Jessica F. Nicoll, Aprile Gallant, Louise Laplante, and Kathryn Kearns (Smith College Museum ofArt); and Peter Fischer,Juri Steiner, Ursina Barandun, Michael Baumgartner, Heidi Frautschi, Edith Heinimann,andMyriamWeber(ZentrumPaulKlee,Bern). The McMullen could nothave undertaken such a complex projectofinternationalscopewereitnotforthecontinuedgener- osityoftheadministrationofBostonCollegeandtheMcMullen family.WeespeciallythankPresidentWilliamP.Leahy,SJ;Provost CutbertoGarza;ChancellorJ. Donald Monan,SJ;Vice-Provost Patricia DeLeeuw; Dean ofArts and Sciences David Quigley; andInstituteofLiberalArtsDirectorMaryCrane.Majorsupport fortheexhibitionwasprovidedbythePatronsoftheMcMullen Museum,chairedbyC.MichaelDaley,andtheNewtonCollege Class of 1967. Additional supportwas provided by swissnex Bostonand Swiss InternationalAirLines Ltd.Thispublication is underwritten in partbythefund named in memoryofourlate, andmuchbeloved,docentPeggySimons,anenthusiastofcross- disciplinaryinquiryintoworksofart.Toallmentionedabovewe extendheartfeltthanks. NancyNetzer,DirectorandProfessorofArtHistory John Sallis Introduction Although recognitionofPaul Klee'sartisticaccomplishmentshasneverreallywaned,a newwaveof interestinhisworkaroseinthefirstdecadeofthiscentury.MajorexhibitionsweremountedinParis,Basel, Frankfurt,Tubingen,andseveralothercities.Theyear2005broughttheopeninginBernofthenewZentrum PaulKlee,designedbyarchitectRenzoPiano.ThisfacilitynowhousesthelargestcollectionofworksbyKlee (overfourthousandworks),manyofwhichweredonatedorgivenonpermanentloanbyLiviaKlee-Meyer, PaulandLilyKlee'sdaughter-in-law,andAlexanderKlee,theirgrandson.Inaddition,theZentrumPaulKlee functionsasarepositoryforKlee'spersonallibraryandfordocumentsconcerninghislifeandhisart.The facilityhasthusservedtospurresearchdealingwithvariousaspectsofKlee'scareerandworks. Inviewofthesedevelopmentsin Europe,itseemedappropriatetoexplorethepossibilityofanevent in Boston centered on the artof Paul Klee. After Nancy Netzerand othersat Boston College offered generousencouragementand collaboration, I contacted Michael Baumgartner, DirectorofResearch at theZentrumPaulKlee,andrequestedameetingwithhimandhiscolleaguestodiscusstheideaofaKlee exhibitionattheMcMullenMuseumofArtatBostonCollege.InJune2009,ItraveledtoBernforanexten- sivemeetingwith Dr.Baumgartner;heprovedentirelyreceptiveandofferedbothgenerouscollaboration anddetailedadviceastohowtheexhibitioncouldbearranged.AttheUniversityofBasel, Ispokewith GottfriedBoehm,directoroftheSwissnationalresearchproject"Eikones/NCCRIconicCriticism,"andhe, too,offeredencouragementandsupport.Aftermyreturnto Boston, I beganaseriesofdiscussionswith NancyNetzerandherstaffattheMcMullenMuseumofArt;twocolleaguesfromtheFineArtsDepartment, ClaudeCernuschiandJefferyHowe,joinedthesediscussionsandcontributedsignificantlytotheplanning oftheexhibition.Graduallytheplansfortheeventbegantotakeshape. The basicideawastofocusonthephilosophicaldimensionofKlee'swork,somethingthatnoother exhibitionhaddone.TheprimaryaimwouldbetoexamineanddemonstratehowideasdevelopedinKlee's writingsandlecturesarerealizedinhisworksofart.Thethemesthatweretobetakenupextendfromthat oftheartist'srelationwithnaturetoKlee'sconceptionofthenatureofartandofitsrelationtophilosophy. Thisrangeofthemesisbeautifullyadumbratedin Klee's 1922watercolorWallPlant(Mauerpflanze) (frontcoverandplate2).Theworkdisplaysseveralimagesofnatural,growingthings,includingmostpromi- nentlyaplantarticulatedintoitsseverallevelsofgrowth.Thereareindicationsbothoftherootstructurethat nourishesitsgrowthand,especiallybymeansofcolor,ofthesunlightessentialtoitsgrowth.Thepicture constitutesatransformationofnatureintoart,which makesvisibleallthatbelongstovegetativegenesis. Withinthesameframe,itjuxtaposesvegetativelifetosomethingeminentlyfabricatedandrestrictive;inthe dualityexpressedinthetitleWallPlant,itbroachesinthemediumofarttheencounterbetweennatureand thehuman,whichrecentphilosophersaddressasthequestionoftheimpactoftechnology.Inaddition,by picturingvegetativegrowthasitdoes,theworkpromptscomparisonwithKlee'sdescriptionofartitselfby meansofthemetaphorofatree.ItiswiththisparadigmaticdescriptionthatKleebeginshismostseminal essay"OnModernArt,"newlytranslatedbyDavidFarrellKrellforthepresentvolume. Withinthebroadscopeexpressed bythephrase"from naturetoart,"severalmorespecificthemes— 7 some evident in Wall Plant—are pertinent. Most basic among Larsen,andJohnMcCoy,withwhomithasbeena pleasureto theseare Klee'sideasconcerningthegenesisofnaturalthings collaborate.Iwanttoexpressmygratitudetotheauthorsofthe and theirrelation toa primal ground. Closelyrelatedtothese essaysinthiscatalogueforofferingtheirinsightsintoKlee'swork ideasarehisthoughtsaboutthenatureofspace,time,andmove- and providingtherebyabasisforfurtherdiscussionandappre- mentand aboutthe interrelation between these moments that ciation of Klee'sachievements. Thanksalsoto Nancy Fedrow, occursinworksofvisualart. Marina Denischik, Peter Hanly, Nicholas Sallis, and Jon K. Asbothapoetandamusician,Kleedevelopedoriginalideas Burmeisterfortheirverycapableassistance. abouttherelationofdrawingandpaintingtowordsandmusic. Inmanyofhisworks,elementsofscriptareinscribedalongwith drawnorpaintedimages,tosaynothingofthehighlypoetictitles thatheinventedformanyofhisworksandthemanifestmusicality thatmanydisplay. Klee'sconceptionofhumanexistence,attestedconcretelyin hisdiaries,is,atonce,bothoriginalandresponsivetoclassical textssuchastheGreektragediesthathereadsoavidly.These thoughtsbecameparamountaftertheNaziscametopower,and whiletheywentlargelyunwritten, Kleeexpressedthem power- fullyinaseriesofmorethantwohundredsatiricaldrawingspro- ducedin 1933. Klee'sconceptionofthenatureofartistobefoundthrough- outhispublished essaysand his Bauhauslectures.Yetits most succinctstatementliesin thecelebrated remarkwith which he openshisessay"CreativeCredo":"Artdoesnotreproducethe visiblebutmakesvisible." In addition to considering Klee'sown ideasastheyguide and are developed in hisartisticwork, thisexhibition and the essaysinthiscatalogueexplorethereceptionofKlee'sworkbya numberofmajorphilosophers.ThelistincludesWalterBenjamin, Martin Heidegger, Michel Foucault, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, andothers. Ineverycasethequestion is:whatdothephiloso- phersdiscerninKlee'sworkandhowdotheyregardhisartas complementingtheirthought? Thefollowingessaysexplorethisbroadarrayofthemesand questions.Amongthecontributorsthereare both philosophers andarthistorians,andonbothsidestheyapproachKlee'swork fromavarietyofperspectives.Severaloftheessaysexplorethe relationbetweenKlee'sworkandthatofparticularphilosophers orphilosopher-poetssuchasMerleau-Ponty,Novalis,Benjamin, and Heidegger.OthersfocusonthewaythatcertainofKlee's ideas—concerning space, language, rhythm, temporality—are carriedoutconcretelyinhisartisticwork.Stillothersfocusonthe cosmologicaldimensioninKlee'sthoughtandworks,onhisvery distinctivesenseofsimileand metaphor,andon hisconception ofvisibilityanditsrelationtotheinvisible. Takenasawhole,thecollectionisintendedtoprovideacom- prehensiveassessmentofthephilosophicaldimensionofKlee's artandthought.Tothisend, theessaysdrawextensivelyboth from Klee'sownwritings(hisessays, lectures,anddiaries)and from theart-historical scholarshipconcerning Klee'stheoretical andartisticwork.Inaddition,manyofthemtakeuptheinsights intoKlee'sworkfoundinthewritingsofvariousphilosophersand reexamineKlee'sartandthoughtinthelightoftheseinsights. IamgratefultoNancyNetzerforhercontinualencourage- ment,strongsupport,andexpertadvice,aswellastothevery ablestaffoftheMcMullenMuseumofArt,KateShugert,Diana