THESENTÜR: CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR TO FORMALISM

Excerpt from Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism
by Theodore A. Harris

Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism is a series of minimal image- and quotation-based works that uses poetry to confront mainstream art criticism and art history, to look beneath the surface politics of aesthetics and formalism in a presentation of art that is not self-referential or to put a Black face on the art history of imperialism. Formalism functions as the cosmetics of art criticism like aluminum siding on a slumlord’s property. It is an attempt to disguise what is crumbling beneath the surface politics of its proselytizing church bells, ringing, in the megachurch / museums and galleries where there are more Black bodies guarding the white cube than exhibiting in it. What marginalized artists know is that canon formation is a battlefield and critical art is the weapon! In the crossed out words of Basquiat to repel ghosts ... 
(2017)
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Cover of Theodore A. Harris's book, "Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism." Click image for buying options.
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Theodore A. Harris. Greenberg's Forked Tongue (ghosts) Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series. 2015, digital image.
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From Theodore A. Harris: 'For this series I have appropriated the image from the Dutch Masters cigar box, which is an edited version of Rembrandt van Rijn's “The Syndics” (1662). The Sampling Officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild inspected and priced samples of dyed cloth in order to maintain “quality control” for their industry. Here I use the image with text not only to talk back to art history’s critics, but also to the history of the Dutch West India Company, who were major traders in the flesh business at the time Rembrandt painted this work. I am interested in what the artwork is not telling me about the world in which the artist lived at the time he created this work.'
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Theodore A. Harris. Johnson's "Stop and Frisk" Criticism (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2015, digital image.
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Theodore A. Harris. After Craig Burnett (ghosts) Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series. 2015, digital image.
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Theodore A. Harris. After Kerry James Marshall (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2015, digital image.
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Theodore A. Harris. After Mieke Bal (ghosts) Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series. 2015, digital image.
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Theodore A. Harris. After Jean-Michel Basquiat (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2017, diptych, digital image.
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Theodore A. Harris. After Kobena Mercer (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2017, diptych, digital image, collection of the artist.
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Theodore A. Harris and Taji Ra’oof Nahl. In studio draft, 2005 After Aimé Césaire, half here / half gone (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2015, digital images, African mask, soup tureen, books, African stool.
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Theodore A. Harris. After Ota Benga / ghosts free to roam (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2017, mixed media, collection of the artist. Installation view, Rush Arts Gallery (Chelsea, New York) group exhibition, "High John the Conquer Ain't Got Nothing On Me: American Hoodoo and Southern Black American-Centric Spiritual Ways," Jan. 12-Feb. 10, 2017, curated by Danny Simmons and Shantrelle P. Lewis.
For more about avant-garde conceptual artist Taji Ra'oof Nahl, visit his website.
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Theodore A. Harris. 2005 After Aimé Césaire, half here / half gone (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2015, collaged digital images.
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Theodore A. Harris. 2005 After Aimé Césaire, ghosts (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2015, digital image.
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Theodore A. Harris and Taji Ra’oof Nahl. 2005 After Aimé Césaire / ghosts (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2015, digital images, African mask, soup tureen, books, African stool. Installed at Kislak Center, University of Pennsylvania, 2019.
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Theodore A. Harris and Taji Ra’oof Nahl. 2005 After Aimé Césaire, (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2015, digital images, African mask, soup tureen, books, African stool. Detail of installation at Kislak Center, University of Pennsylvania, 2019.
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Theodore A. Harris. Greenberg's Forked Tongue (ghosts) Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series. 2015, installed on the sanctuary door at Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia. Photos: Vita Litvak and Erin Bernard.
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Theodore A. Harris. Greenberg's Forked Tongue (ghosts) Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series. 2015, installed on the sanctuary door at Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia. Photos: Vita Litvak and Erin Bernard.
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Theodore A. Harris. After Fanon and Shozawa (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2014, diptych, collection of the artist.
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Theodore A. Harris. Perloff's critical coffin (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2020, digital image.
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Theodore A. Harris. After Harold Rosenberg, ghosts (Thesentür: Conscientious Objector to Formalism series). 2015, digital image.
Many thanks to:
Bill Adair for insight into the Thesentür series’ references to Martin Luther
Erin Bernard, Lisa Backe, Xavier J. Richardson, Lamont B. Steptoe for assistance with the autopsy on the text
Rick De Coyte for images
Marek Danielewski for the 2005 in-studio photo of Aimé Césaire (half here, half gone)
Ariel Herbert for her work on After Kobena Mercer
Najja Z. Keita for assistance on the first versions of the images and fonts from the cigar box
Henry Lee for printing
Stephen Paulmier for assistance with images, guidance, and support
​Emily Brewton Schilling for image assistance

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