Rethinking Theory

John Rajchman writes on Postmodern theory in "The Lightness Theory." In the article, he calls for a re-evaluation of theory. According to Rajchman, "it was as though a great sense of irreality descended upon us which extended into the realm of theory" (390). When the artist was declared dead, original thought was no more, and nothing was real or true it brought a sense of depressive passivity to society and theory. This brought about a search for something real in art.

Rajchman terms this desire for the real "dirty realism" and writes, "We again see a concern with 'abject' bodily functions, a need to expose what is intolerable in our society and our relations with ourselves and one another, a desire to speak again of the 'real' causes and movements" (392). The materialism of the decades infiltrated with postmodern theory brought out a great need to make a connection with something "real." This is why, according to Rajchman, we must "stop theorizing and start experimenting" (393). If we bring a lightness to this experimentation we can bring theory back to life. A fresh perspective on theory awakens art from the bored, hopeless, and passive irreality that resulted from over-theorizing.
(John Rajchman, "The Lightness Theory" Kocur and Leung, 388-394)