Jean-Yves Jouannais on Idiocy as a Western Wisdom in Art

In a 2003 interview with artpress, Jean-Yves Jouannais discusses his book "L'Idiotie" (published by Beaux-Arts/Flammarion), which explores idiocy as a central principle of modern art. He argues that idiocy is not a theme but the very substance of modernity, akin to a "Western wisdom" that resists philosophical monopoly. Drawing on Clément Rosset's definition of the idiot as the unique, Jouannais traces idiocy through historical, aesthetic, and political lenses, linking it to Dadaist anti-sense, art brut, and anarchist traditions. He distinguishes idiocy from dialectics, seeing it as an esoteric principle that rejects synthesis and competition. The book includes illustrations and original drawings by Pierre la Police. Jouannais notes the underrepresentation of women in idiocy's history, citing Cindy Sherman's clown photos and Sophie Perez's theater as exceptions. He emphasizes that idiocy, like kitsch per Abraham Moles, is a mode of relation rather than an intrinsic quality, advocating for an "idiotic" vision that embraces both physiological sight and hallucination.