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Though I can't find this expression linked specifically to the work of Sylvain Dubuisson, it does seem appropriate to his work.
"Our work has a richness of form and texture which belies the economy of means by ... The garden below is his winning design from 1998 … ..." hortus2.wordpress.com/.../garden-designer-profile-tom-stuart-smith/
"The design philosophy is based on a consequential methodology of approach, ... greater richness of form and expression by maximising advanced technology. ..." www.australian-architects.com/harryseidler/ - Australia -
Seems a bit of a sweeping statement really, and critics are not the only ones to write about art. And again, there is so much more than plain describing going on. I'm certainly allergic to the just describing school of criticism myself.
in every field, whether critic, journalist, historian or, indeed, artist/designer. All play a role otherwise wouldn't exist, even if you don't like what they have to say. Must look up 'puissant blowhard', a new one on me!
Sure. And some say that. Others often quite eloquently say that critics are the last people capable of talking about art. Many others say that under their breath, supposing that critics are good for business. Lots of self-interested acquiescense to puissant blowhards.
And of course just because some critic or historian has labeled your art in a certain way doesn't mean the artist gives a damn. Greenberg talked about Rothko's neg space and colour fields. Rothko said, "oh, really?"
@ BD Finch: just because something is recouped, and this happens constantly in art/design/architectural history, doesn't mean it isn't the preoccupation of a particular later era/artist/designer. Modernist sculptors, for instance, weren't the first to grapple with direct carving but it became a mantra for them.
always said that the test of a good pot was to check that it looked just as good upside down. The ancient Greeks and Romans knew all about negative space, as was rediscovered in the Renaissance. But it is nice to play at being at the cutting edge!
No, I was referring to the text to be translated, which mentions "son travail". In the context which Sandra has but we don't, it may refer to his entire oeuvre, to a certain show, a certain piece or anywhere in between.
If you are referring to my comments, then I can't see any objection to formulating 'in the work' as I have. I suggest you check the images/sources available on Google and you will see, as I have, that he refers to himself as a designer. Some of his work is conceptual, some prototypes for more functional objects. I'm not arguing for anything 'being the same', so I don't know what you mean by your last comment. I merely noted that his oeuvre included pieces where one might reasonably speak about negative space having a value/meaning for him. You and I do not know the context beyond what Sandra has given. I'm sure she can sort it out based on the wider context and everyone's suggestions.
"His work" - is this referring to any particular part of his work? I see that he has done fancy art works, but I know him more as a designer of truly functional objects. I don't see the translation as necessarily being the same depending on what work is being referred to.
The definition most appropriate to my mind is the first part of David's no. 3. The crux of the matter with modern/contemporary sculpture or ceramics is volume - its presence or its indication in the reversed form of the void. This is sculptural form whether present or absent and it has been a key preoccupation since Archipenko/Zadkine et al - who both, by the way, worked in ceramics, produced Kleinplastik as well as working on the monumental scale. As for Dada art - well, it depends on what bit of Dada you are talking about. I really don't think the usage has changed as such, though the focus of art history has.
Plastique has had its meaning enlarged/narrowed as art has enlarged. Even fifty years ago, no one called Dada art plastique. Today experts disagree. Some say art plastique needs a physical object. In this case, is the author using plastique as a complement, as did Loti, or simply as descriptive? As far as porn, you may know what is porn for you, but I doubt you find everything that is porn for others to be titillating. Bare feet? La nuque exposée?
to my mind, isn't the same as "plastique/plastik/plastic" (the adjective, not the noun) --though the latter terms do imply the necessity of the former (there can be no non-physical plasticity).
A bit like "monumentality" (in its technical, art historical sense) doesn't *necessarily* imply "large in size," which is what it sounds like it demands. Rather, it is a question of... I don't know... "presence" or something like that. Quite large objects (I'm speaking primarily of sculpture here) do not possess "monumentality" --while quite small objects may be infused with it.
Interesting to note that the Germans also use Plastik as a noun --meaning, essentially, Skulptur/sculpture.
David, but, as you are no doubt aware "plastique" is frequently used in French art historical writing (as is Plastik in German), and it is pretty clear what, exactly, it refers to (thanks for the refs from Bob, btw). I don't know whether the Germans borrowed the term from the French (I expect so) or vice-versa, but I *do* know it when I see it --like pornography.
For me all the difficulty is in the fact that the French term is very ambiguous in the field of art, and in this text, i can be argued that all these definitions are present:
'tit Bob:
2. Relatif à l'art de donner une forme esthétique à des substances solides. Le génie plastique des Grecs. 3. Relatif aux arts dont le but est l'élaboration des formes, des volumes. Arts plastiques : sculpture, architecture, dessin, peinture; et aussi arts décoratifs, chorégraphie. Qualité, beauté plastique d'une œuvre. ◆ N. f. (1765) « Les règles de la plastique » (R. Huyghe). 4. Beau, quant à la forme. « De beaux gestes plastiques » (Loti).
is a bit difficult for me to get my head around, Helen; though i do take your point about spaces/voids being important "subjects" of modren "art" (and muzak). However, while Dubuisson's ceramics do create voids by their "plastic form," it is the form itself which is possessed of a "richesse plastique."
It should be noted that 'sculptural' used in this way approximates to three-dimensional (itself a bit too clumsy in such a case as this). It is not reducible to 'of sculpture' in the literal sense, as it seems to be understood by certain contributors to this question, for some reason. Difficult, for instance, to speak of the richness of form of a void (as mentioned in one of my links), but the 'sculptural richness of a void' works. Modern and contemporary art/sculpture/three-dimensional work of whatever kind is as often about the spaces/voids as it is about the form/presence of something, so one should be very careful. For this reason, I would avoid 'form' as a translation, unless one can pin it down very precisely to refer to that.
The way I think about sculptural/plastic form qualitatively is: any 3-dimensional form may be thought of as being generated by a line moving through space. If the line changes shape as it moves, the form it creates is a more complex (i.e., "rich") shape; the more it changes, the more complexity/richness.
Explanation: a first thought. I would avoid "visual" here, because Dubuisson's plastic qualities include modeling and other more sculptural elements. You could probably get away with "plastic" if the target audience is educated.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 33 mins (2011-04-12 13:30:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Maybe something with "physicality", which may correctly convey the idea, and contrast with the other qualities mentioned.
Sometimes I wish I could use some plastique on plastique. Often a translation problem.
David Vaughn Local time: 07:29 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 289
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you David. A mix of people will be reading this text, some familiar with the language of design and others who are more laymen (and women). Good point about the sculptural aspect, thanks.
Asker: Indeed, le plastique isn't always fantastique!
Though I can't find this expression linked specifically to the work of Sylvain Dubuisson, it does seem appropriate to his work.
"Our work has a richness of form and texture which belies the economy of means by ... The garden below is his winning design from 1998 … ..." hortus2.wordpress.com/.../garden-designer-profile-tom-stuart-smith/
"The design philosophy is based on a consequential methodology of approach, ... greater richness of form and expression by maximising advanced technology. ..." www.australian-architects.com/harryseidler/ - Australia -
B D Finch France Local time: 07:29 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 123
peer agreement (net): -1
