The Radical Use of Chance in 20th Century Art. Lejeune, Denis Amsterdam/New York, NY, 2012, 275 pp. With ill. Pb: 978-90-420-3439-6 € 55 / US$ 74

Series: Faux Titre 366 To many, chance and art are antagonistic terms. But a number of 20th century artists have turned this notion on its head by attempting to create artworks based on randomness. Among those, three in particular articulated a well-argued and thorough theory of the radical use of chance in art: André Breton (writer), John Cage (composer) and François Morellet (visual artist). The implications of such a move away from established aesthetics are far-reaching, as much in conceptual as in practical terms, as this book hopes to make clear. Of paramount importance in this coincidentia oppositorum is the suggested possibility of a correlation between the artistic use of chance and a system of thought itself organised around chance. Indeed placing randomness at the centre of one’s art may have deeper philosophical consequences than just on the aesthetical level. Contents General Introduction The Rise of Chance in Modern Sciences Part I The Tribulations of Chance within Philosophical Thought The Philosophy of Clément Rosset Part II The Dialogue of Chance and the Arts André Breton François Morellet John Cage General conclusion Bibliography Appendix 1: Interview with Clément Rosset Appendix 2: Interview with François Morellet