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Friday, May 06, 2005
On Wednesday I went to see the Rodin exhibition at the AGNS. I've seen Rodin stuff before but never really appreciated it. When I saw it on Wed, though, it amazed me. He does two things extraordinarily well - capturing movement, and demonstrating the body's expression of emotions.
One sculpture in particular really captivated me. As you approach it, it seems to be nothing more than a massive torso - no other appendages. But as you get closer, you see more and more imperfections, including large gashes on the sides and back. On one hand, the torso is very realistic - well proportioned and detailed. On the other hand, there are far too many cuts and gashes for the sculpture to be a true representation of a human being. It seems to me that what Rodin is trying to demonstrate in this sculpture is the cumulative effects of both physical and emotional turmoil on both our bodies and ourselves. Each wound represents either a physical or emotional crises that the person has lived through, and here they are, all brought together for us to view, not as other artists would show through a face or a scene, but instead with the central part of our body.
There were many other sculptures which I found similarly astonishing, each for different reasons. I started to wonder why I'd never really appreciated sculpture before. I think part of the reason may be that sculpture is usually isolated, simply shown in a room of an art gallery, more of an aside than anything. As a result, I've probably unconsciously tried to compare the sculpture before me with the paintings I'd just previously seen. Sculpture, though, is not a different form of painting, but an entirely different medium. To me, sculpture and paintings seem almost as different as paintings and movies. Paintings are more like memories - a single still image. Sculpture is much more immediate. I think the exhibition allowed me to appreciate sculpture because I was not comparing it to something else, but instead appreciating it's own unique form of art.
One sculpture in particular really captivated me. As you approach it, it seems to be nothing more than a massive torso - no other appendages. But as you get closer, you see more and more imperfections, including large gashes on the sides and back. On one hand, the torso is very realistic - well proportioned and detailed. On the other hand, there are far too many cuts and gashes for the sculpture to be a true representation of a human being. It seems to me that what Rodin is trying to demonstrate in this sculpture is the cumulative effects of both physical and emotional turmoil on both our bodies and ourselves. Each wound represents either a physical or emotional crises that the person has lived through, and here they are, all brought together for us to view, not as other artists would show through a face or a scene, but instead with the central part of our body.
There were many other sculptures which I found similarly astonishing, each for different reasons. I started to wonder why I'd never really appreciated sculpture before. I think part of the reason may be that sculpture is usually isolated, simply shown in a room of an art gallery, more of an aside than anything. As a result, I've probably unconsciously tried to compare the sculpture before me with the paintings I'd just previously seen. Sculpture, though, is not a different form of painting, but an entirely different medium. To me, sculpture and paintings seem almost as different as paintings and movies. Paintings are more like memories - a single still image. Sculpture is much more immediate. I think the exhibition allowed me to appreciate sculpture because I was not comparing it to something else, but instead appreciating it's own unique form of art.