Material culture: Jules Prown's model

Given the interdisciplinariness of material culture studies, each of the numerous models or methods for relating material to culture carries traces of its origin in an "older" discipline. In turn, art history and anthropology seem to have been grandparents to almost every one of these approaches, often assisted by their midwives, the many theories of literature and of linguistics.

According to the editor of his re-published essay of 1981, Jules David Prown "draws heavily upon established analytical traditions in the history of art -- the field of his own training and research." But, further, "he challenges students of material life to respond by generating a paradigm able to bridge all artifacts as it interprets the physical contours, the sensual textures, of mentalité manifest in tangible forms" (Prown 1988: 17).

How then would Prown divine the mentalité of Krazy Kat, or Tintin, or the X-Men?

Prown begins with six material categories based on function, and comics would seem to be classifiable in three of them: Art, Diversions, and Applied Arts. Comics are certainly diverting, occasionally artistic, and a series of arts very much applied through mass production and distribution. Prown does not suggest that different functions require different analyses per se, but he concludes his essay pointing out that it may be easier to deal with (that is, to analyze) obviously intentional artifacts like artworks, in comparison to "devices" that are made to do things other than be messages or expressions of their creators. Devices, to Prown, based on his reading of Jan Mukarovsky on semiotics, are very much more complex, mixing use-value with communication-value in uncertain ways (32). With his concluding position in mind, it may be best to think of comics as diversions. Artistic, mass-produced diversions.

Regrettably, Prown was not confident about the diversion category when he wrote this piece almost 20 years ago; this initially "miscellaneous category" contains objects that "share the quality of giving pleasure, or entertainment, to the mind and body, and the category has an affinity with, although separate from, art. This is a category in the process of definition, and further discussion of it must be deferred." (30)

Perhaps what distinguishes -- or ought to distinguish -- art and diversion in this schema is the relative roles of producer and consumer, or creator and viewer. Prown's definition of the Art category is very much about the observer and interpreter of art objects, and very little about the aesthetics of creating. Art seems to be about announcements; diversions are more like conversations.

Prown's working method has three progressive stages: description (subdivided into analysis of substance. content, and form); deduction (subdivided into analysis of sensory engagement, intellectual engagement, and emotional response); and speculation (comprising the formulation of hypotheses and theories, followed by planning for scholarly investigation and validation).

DESCRIPTION

DEDUCTION

SPECULATION

		Ephemeral landscapes: material culture Material culture: Prown's "Mind in Matter"

`back to the beginning of MATERIAL CULTURE MODELS` `check out some of the REFERENCES`		Given the interdisciplinariness of material culture studies, each of the numerous models or methods for relating material to culture carries traces of its origin in an "older" discipline. In turn, art history and anthropology seem to have been grandparents to almost every one of these approaches, often assisted by their midwives, the many theories of literature and of linguistics. According to the editor of his re-published essay of 1981, Jules David Prown "draws heavily upon established analytical traditions in the history of art -- the field of his own training and research." But, further, "he challenges students of material life to respond by generating a paradigm able to bridge all artifacts as it interprets the physical contours, the sensual textures, of mentalité manifest in tangible forms" (Prown 1988: 17). How then would Prown divine the mentalité of Krazy Kat, or Tintin, or the X-Men? Prown begins with six material categories based on function, and comics would seem to be classifiable in three of them: Art, Diversions, and Applied Arts. Comics are certainly diverting, occasionally artistic, and a series of arts very much applied through mass production and distribution. Prown does not suggest that different functions require different analyses per se, but he concludes his essay pointing out that it may be easier to deal with (that is, to analyze) obviously intentional artifacts like artworks, in comparison to "devices" that are made to do things other than be messages or expressions of their creators. Devices, to Prown, based on his reading of Jan Mukarovsky on semiotics, are very much more complex, mixing use-value with communication-value in uncertain ways (32). With his concluding position in mind, it may be best to think of comics as diversions. Artistic, mass-produced diversions. Regrettably, Prown was not confident about the diversion category when he wrote this piece almost 20 years ago; this initially "miscellaneous category" contains objects that "share the quality of giving pleasure, or entertainment, to the mind and body, and the category has an affinity with, although separate from, art. This is a category in the process of definition, and further discussion of it must be deferred." (30) Perhaps what distinguishes -- or ought to distinguish -- art and diversion in this schema is the relative roles of producer and consumer, or creator and viewer. Prown's definition of the Art category is very much about the observer and interpreter of art objects, and very little about the aesthetics of creating. Art seems to be about announcements; diversions are more like conversations. Prown's working method has three progressive stages: description (subdivided into analysis of substance. content, and form); deduction (subdivided into analysis of sensory engagement, intellectual engagement, and emotional response); and speculation (comprising the formulation of hypotheses and theories, followed by planning for scholarly investigation and validation). DESCRIPTION DEDUCTION SPECULATION
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Material culture: Prown's "Mind in Matter"