The art of interruption: A comparison of works by Daniel Libeskind, Gerhard Richter, Ilya Kabakov.

This dissertation examines the Jewish Museum Berlin by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, the painting cycle October 18, 1977 by German painter Gerhard Richter and three installations--- Incident at the Museum, or Water Music; Healing with Paintings ; and the Communal Kitchen---by Russian artist Ilya Kabakov within the context of Rezeptionsasthetik (aesthetics of reception), associated with Hans Robert Jauss and Wolfgang Iser, and the aesthetic theories of Theodor W. Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Bertolt Brecht, Martin Heidegger and Victor Shklovsky in order to illustrate the commonalities between the works of art in terms of thematic content, the use of "interruptive" techniques and their capacity to create the conditions for the possibility of a valid aesthetic experience in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Each of the above works of art addresses issues of memory, loss, mourning or exile, and does so in a manner that, I argue, acknowledges and successfully contributes to the development of its respective medium (whether architecture, painting or installation). Such innovations are revealed to a greater degree, I believe, when the works are considered in conjunction with one another rather than separately. Similarly, corresponding aspects of the theoretical writings by the various authors are illuminated when they are brought into a dialogue around the notion of "interruption" and in tandem with actual experiences with the works of art.The "interruptive" techniques and particular innovations of these artists emerge as significant tendencies for post-World War II and post-Soviet era art in a European context.Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Ohio State University, 2004.School code: 0168