Abstract:
The paper makes an attempt to review the genesis of non-figurative
art in respect to aesthetic anthropology. Analysis of “non-figurative features” as an
artistic method is viewed in dynamics of development from the “solid” Greek world of
ideas to the current non-figurative manifestations of the graphic activity. Aestheticanthropological
approach makes it possible to analyse particular tones of non-figurative
art as a dialogue of “visible” and “invisible”, “audible” and “inaudible”, to explicate
diversified relation to all complexes of a piece of art in a flexible manner.
Notion of “non-figurative art” is usually identified with the abstract or non-objective
art. This identity has to be explained. A figure is a random set of points on the plane.
A point, line, segment, triangle, circle, square, and so on are examples of plane geometric
figures. All abstract pictures, created since the beginning of the 20th century consist of
geometric figures. It’s a paradox, but geometrical abstraction appears to be non-figurative
“figurative” art. Extensional geometric shapes situated in the space used to be called
not figures but “geometrical solids”. In this sense the Realist style of painting, sculpture,
and architecture should be called “solid”. Postulates of Euclidean geometry are called
theorems, because to attain their truth it is necessary to percept an image not with mere
sensuous eyesight but reason. Any image to a theorem presents an idea embodied by
the Greek: we can see a figure but we reason and conclude at that about all the figures
of the same type. These conclusions have a practical sense. An artist working in “the
objectless trend”, from the practical point of view is absolutely useless. Having this in
mind, the artist tries to rehabilitate “higher” destination of art and proclaims the right
for updated spirituality, which is implemented into the programme of “non-figurative
art”. When the photography was introduced, a monopoly of painting over realistic
portrayal was gone, liberal-minded artists and spectators understood meaninglessness
of that competitive racing. Painting, getting rid of camera obscure, i.e. an illusion of
the “solid”, keeps going to the “thought”.
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