“Joan d’Arc” and Bakhtinian Architectonics

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Joan D'Arc ©2008 Bethany Vanderputten

“Joan d’Arc” and Bakhtinian Architectonics

by Bethany Vanderputten BDes MFA

“Joan d’Arc” is a work of art that embraces the philosopher Michel Bakhtin’s notions of the ongoing process of identity and language – his architectonics. Unlike the classical Greek philosopher Plato’s tripartite soul in which it is easy to identify the soul, spirit, and body, the Bakhtinian tripartite identity is hard to pin down. But I will attempt to extrapolate in this artwork, the center, not-center, and the relationship between them. Also evident are the heteroglossia, intertextuality, and simultaneity Bakhtin speaks of in his writings on architectonics. The artwork’s narrative is based on the story of Joan of Arc who followed a divine call to win France back from the English in the Hundred Years War in the 1400s, and represents three images of Joan within one space. I will be employing the following quote from Bakhtin’s “Problems of Dostoevsky’s Poetics” to help explain the connections between his philosophy and this illustration: “I am conscious of myself and become myself only while revealing myself for another, through another, and with the help of another. The most important acts constituting self-consciousness are determined by a relationship toward another consciousness (toward a “thou”)… the very being of man (both external and internal) is the deepest communion. To be means to communicate… to be means to be for another, and through the other, for oneself. A person has no internal sovereign territory, he is wholly and always on the boundary: looking inside himself, he looks into the eyes of another or with the eyes of another… I cannot manage without another, I cannot become myself without another; I must find myself in another by finding another in myself (in mutual reflection and mutual acceptance)…”.

The first part of the Bakhtinian tripartite identity represented in “Joan d’Arc” is the center. It is the centrifugal force that is hard to isolate, and yet, here it is shown as the figure in the foreground holding up the sword. This is Joan as she finally makes the decision to follow God’s call. The nature of this call is outward directed; it is not for fame that she accepts it, but for others, for her country. All parts of this artwork expand from this central figure. The floor recedes from sight and other copies of her figure are receding through the great hall. Bakhtin states that “The most important acts constituting self-consciousness are determined by a relationship toward another consciousness (toward a “thou”)…” In this artwork we find the psychological aspect of this. She is not only finding her identity in her relationship with the “thou” of God, but with the “thou” of her countrymen, and even the other parts of herself. 

The second part of Bakhtin’s identity construct evident in this work is the not-center. If the foreground figure represents Joan’s center, the figure farthest back, grasping the column, could be described as her not-center. It isn’t her, and yet it is. This figure is centripetal as she looks toward the foreground figure. She is representative of a different stage of Joan’s journey, as she is in a moment of decision between accepting God’s call or not. Bakhtin’s words describe this part of Joan’s character: “A person has no internal sovereign territory, he is wholly and always on the boundary: looking inside himself, he looks into the eyes of another or with the eyes of another…” One gets the impression that she could move at any moment, becoming the different Joan’s also represented, and them becoming her. The movement of the artwork also reflects this idea as she is the smallest figure and the others grow larger in scale. The hall itself could also represent Joan’s not-center as well as the indistinct animal in the far-right doorway, and the French landscape beyond – as they all are part of the not-center of her identity construct.

The third part of this identity language is evident in the mid-ground figure holding the sword toward the floor. This also is Joan and she represents the relationship between the not-center and the center. As she is the middle figure in the perspective of space shown one wonders if she is about to move towards her center – accepting the divine call – or towards her not-center, the other Joan and the space without. “…the very being of man (both external and internal) is the deepest communion. To be means to communicate… to be means to be for another, and through the other, for oneself.” This quote from Bakhtin illustrates what is intrinsic in this relationship between – communication. She is almost the mediator between the other images of Joan, indicative of the inner dialogue involved in a decision of this magnitude. Here the viewer also becomes a part of the relationship between. As the viewer identifies and makes connections between different facets of Joan’s personality, the viewer also becomes an architect of this identity.

Further on this theme, this artwork is demonstrative of Bakhtin’s concept of heteroglossia. As this piece represents Joan in many different stages of her life’s journey it speaks to her interior dialogue. Was Joan always a hero for the French and leader of an army of men? Was she always so certain of this call? Who was she in the process of her life? From our modern perspective we often portray a simplistic view of her life. At one point in history there was a dissonant view of Joan as a heretic, but later came the consonant view: she was exonerated and became a Catholic saint. This idea is essential to interpreting the artwork. Her identity wasn’t just within herself, but was also exterior – expanding beyond the boundaries of her own life and into the history books. This polyphony in “Joan d’Arc” and in the character’s wider story is also part of Bakhtinian architectonics. 

This work is a unique representation of Joan’s ongoing self. She is not anything defined or pinned down and she changes in each moment. This is significant of the simultaneity within “Joan d’Arc”. Three images of her character are played out at the same time here in this piece, as also reflected in history. Her heroism, her gender, her decision, and her faith, are all revealed in this one artwork. Distinct moments of her identity process are on display separately but these moments are all simultaneously Joan.

This piece also represents Bakhtin’s idea of intertextuality. Her identity is known to history as being made up of this interiorization of another. Her call from God came from without, and within. Her identity was both bestowed by her God, but also by the French, our history books, and us! This intertextuality is especially seen when one attempts to read each character as unique and unrelated. There are too many similarities with the three characters to keep them separate. This also causes the viewers to ponder their own similarities with each other. Because this illustration reveals three parts of Joan’s identity it is an interesting example of the unique combination of Bakhtin’s identity construct. At every level of reality she is herself, and yet she is another, and for another.

Are we not, alongside the artist, architects of Joan’s life as we interpret the artwork “Joan d’Arc” with the philosophy of Bakhtinian architectonics? Her identity is formed through the spaces within herself, where her identity connects with her God, her environment, and the French. Also – not to be left out – her identity is formed where our reading of this artwork crosses her center, not-center, and the relationship between. The ideas of heteroglossia, simultaneity, and intertextuality within Bakhtinian architectonics also are evident in this work. Shortly after her death, the Roman Catholic Church made the historical Joan of Arc into a saint, finally recognizing her stalwart piety. Here we grasp her significance, as Bakhtin once wrote, “Every meaning will someday have its homecoming festival.” 

Written by Bethany Vanderputten, January 2008