pictorial space means make-believe space suggested on a flat surface. it implies depth, as if the flat surface was dissolved to reveal some degree of depth. it is synomymous with illusionism, a necessary subjective reaction to any mark on any surface. perspectival methods tended to implement rules, usually regarding diagonal lines or shapes, to provide a more or less believable and sequential type of pictorial space. the oblique sort of perspective utilized in some asian art is often more revealing in terms of what can be shown than the vanishing point type perspective common in western art. in the latter method, shapes and subjects are frequently overlapping and covered by the sequential placement. that can obscure reading of the narrative and also tends to tie it to a specific moment. there is always some sort of perspective in a pictorial work because there is always an implied viewer vantage point, either fixed or multiple. and there is always the make-believe space because at least one part of perception is imagining what the image seems to look like. of course, i would insist that any and all marks do evoke otherness, something else besides what is literally present.
sorry, my cap key is busted. wc --- On Mon, 2/9/09, Chris Miller <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Chris Miller <[email protected]> > Subject: Definable and measurable truths > To: [email protected] > Date: Monday, February 9, 2009, 9:51 AM > I'm not quite sure, David, how you're using the > words 'pictorial space' and > 'perspective'. For example, would you consider the > following paintings to have > either one ?: > > http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_u_KW4nuKg9k/SJUYWOod4CI/AAAAAAAAFl0/ufmVvaXzvyY/s16 > 00-h/o2.jpg > > > (the artist is Chen Wu, and the painting is dated 1832) > > > http://www.corbettvsdempsey.com/artists/barazani/works/gallery/large/valley_f > og.jpg > > (the artist is Morris Barazani, the date is 1972) > > > > > ************ > > > Much of drawing and painting technique has to do with > giving the viewer a > feeling of pictorial space which perspective is a part. > German psychologists > coined a term, "gestalt", which refers in part to > our ability to discern > figures or form from the background. The ability to, for > example, to discern > visually an apple on a tree from the background in order to > pick it. We have > evolved a host of ways to use vision to navigate in space > and to manipulate > objects. Artists in the past have learned to exploit these > things in order > create their compositions. Linear and atmospheric > perspective, overlapping > shapes, and groupings of related colors have all been used > to create pictorial > space. I consider them almost truths because they are > aspects of human > psychology. There is variation in human brains, however. > Some people are color > blind, for example. The problem with terms like > "visual literacy" and > "formalist credentials" may be chalked up to the > fact that the artworld, like > a lot of other fields, has developed its own esoteric > language which doesn't > have a lot of meaning to anyone who hasn't been through > art school. We should > be conscious of that. > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Experience true Southern hospitality. Click now for great > vacation packages to > Atlanta! > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/fc/PnY6rc2c9erO5r2pK36kal5T5fNnZK > uZDkc2ryOaCM9IkWxcQpMsU/
