THE PRESENT BODY

Untitled (Cast Iron) 2001

Three thoughtful readings on Whiteread:  
1. Uros Cvoro's 'The Present body, the Absent body, and the Formless' provides a terribly lucid and necessary translation of Whiteread's work in Derridian terms. While Whiteread is typically referenced to Derrida, I have found most links shallow and the critique lacking. (We are typically given a logic somewhat along the lines of Derrida = trace = presence + absence = Whiteread).
2. Damon Hyldreth's 'The Uncanny' discusses Whiteread in Freudian terms based on the double.
3. Doreen Massey's 'Space-time and the Politics of Location' discusses how 'House' functions in social terms.

IDEAL CRITICISM

Post-critical theory suggests that THEORY IS DEAD. I propose to address  post-critical theory through a combination of two primary themes: the capacity of architectural criticism to function as critical method, and the development of architectural criticism towards spatial practice.

Drawing in particular on the work of Jane Rendell and John Hejduk on the question of criticism as spatial practice, I will inquire into the status of the architectural object as a site for criticism beyond post-critical thinking.

Two models of architecture-space-writing-criticism which will underly and guide this discussion are:
Henri Lefebrve's triptych of spatial practice, representations of space and spaces of representation and Derrida's parallel triptych of space of writing, space as writing and space as the distance of representation.

It is postulated that the implict idealism of criticism springs from the ambiguity of languge itself. By allowing a slipping of architecture towards critical practice, and criticism into spatial practice, can we 'prevent it [the language of criticism] from becoming the instrument of a sacred rite?' - Manfredo Tafuri

And if so, we find a new way to critique the death of theory as post-critical theory defines it.