California Italian Studies

In recent art history, the “plastic” is a concept undervalued as a designation for sculpture, or, in perception, as a single sense associated with touch. “Plasticity,” as popularized by the neurosciences, is generally understood as an elastic adaptability that evades fixity for flexibility. Current continental philosophy has revisited plasticity for its explosive rather than regenerative capacity to receive and produce form; however, this rethinking has neglected the concept of the plastic in art. Using scholarly comedy to explore accidents of resemblance (pseudomorphisms) and acausal coincidences (synchronicities) among artist-writer Piet Mondrian’s “plasticism,” art historian Aby Warburg’s “plastic art,” and artist-humorist Gelett Burgess’ plastic figure called “goop,” this essay generates insights on the concept of the plastic in art history, artist writings and art practice.