Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT Scholar Works
Theses
Thesis/Dissertation Collections
5-1-1996
The Name that can be named
Anthony Bissell Rizzolo
Follow this and additional works at:
http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses
This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion
in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact
ritscholarworks@rit.edu.
Recommended Citation
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
A Thesis Submitted
to the
Faculty
ofThe College
ofImaging
Arts
andSciences
In
Candidacy
for
the
Degree
ofMASTER
OF FINE ARTS
'THE NAME THAT
CAN BE
NAMED'
by
Anthony
Bissell Rizzolo
Approvals
Adviser:
Edward Miller
Date:
J ) -7
r
7
Associate Advis,%. Ph2P Bornarth
Date:
32:<{
q
7
I
(
Associate Advjser.lhomas Lightfoot
Date:
'3
LZ
0;
r
7
J
(
Department.S:~h
irJ:e~r
on: Luvon Sheppard
Date:
':;_ _
7
/
I,
Anthony Bissell Rizzolo, prefer to be contacted each time a request for
reproduction of this thesis is made. I can be reached at the following address:
78 Mulberry Street
Rochester, New York.
14620
89716) 242-0432.
Signed,
----=:-:--~-=-::::r.~'t7_-vr=_,_-Date:
3J-3£/~
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I
wouldlike
to thank the
Faculty
andStaff
ofthe
Rochester Institute
ofTechnology,
School
ofArt
andDesign
andSchool
ofAmerican Craftsmen. I
believe
they
went well above what was required ofthem
in
their
positionsand,
in
spite of roadblocks erectedby
their
greaterUniversity
Administration,
they
were ableto
provide an education of exceptional value and quality.CONTENTS
1)
Introduction
2)
Semiotics, Syntax,
andSemantics
3)
The Paintings
4)
The Prints
5)
Conclusion
COLOR
PLATES
COLOR PLATE 1
COLOR PLATE 2
COLOR PLATE
3
COLOR PLATE 4
COLOR PLATE 5
COLOR PLATE 6
COLOR PLATE 7
COLOR PLATE
8
COLOR PLATE
9
The Bigger The Lie. Oil
andAcrylic
onCanvas.
90"X
100" and
78"
X
100."1996.
The
Harmony
of Chaos. Acrylic
andOil
onCanvas.
78"X90."
1996.
Untitled. Oil
onCanvas
withCanvas.
58"X
60."1995.
Untitled
(detail,
plate3).
Untitled. Oil
onCanvas
withCanvas.
80"X
65."1996.
Untitled.
Oil, Acrylic,
andPolymer
Foam
onCanvas
withCanvas.
60'X64."1996.
Untitled Diptych.
Lithograph
onRieves BFK.
19
1/2"X
27
1/4"each.1996.
Untitled. Lithograph
onRieves BFK.
21"X26."1995.
Untitled.
Lithograph
onRieves BFK. 21
1/4"X
26
1/4."The
Tao
that
canbe
told
is
notthe
eternalTao.
The
namethat
canbe
namedis
notthe
eternalname.The
namelessis
the
beginning
ofheaven
and earth.The
namedis
the
mother often thousand things.
Ever
desireless,
one can seethe
mystery.Ever
desiring,
one can seethe
manifestationsThese
two
spring
from
the
same sourcebut
differ in
name;
this
appearsasdarkness.
Darkness
withindarkness.
The
gatetoall mystery.'Lao Tsu
In
addition,
theauthoritative parties ofthe
government understood nextto
nothing
ofthevalue andthe
natureofpropaganda.That
by
propaganda,
with permanent and cleverapplication,
evenheaven
canbe
palmed off ashell,
andthe
otherway
around, the
most wretchedlife
asparadise, this
only
the
Jew
knew,
whothen
actedaccordingly; the
German,
orratherhis
government,
had
notthe
faintest
idea
ofthis.
This
wasto take
its
most serious revengeduring
the
war.2
Adolf Hitler
A
propaganda modelfocuses
onthis
inequality
ofwealthand power andits
multilevel effects on mass-media
interests
and choices.It
traces the
routesby
whichmoney
and power are ableto
filter
outthe
newsfit
to print,
marginalizedissent,
and allowthe
government anddominant
privateinterests
to
gettheir messages acrossto the
public.3
Noam
Chomsky
1
Lao
Tsu,
Tao Te
Clung,
trans.Gia-Fu
Feng
andJane
English(New York: Vintage
Books,
1972)
, chap.one.2
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf,
(NewYork:
Reynal&
Hitchcock,
1941),
p.379. 3INTRODUCTION
They
seem adisparate group
ofquotesto
begin
athesis
with.And
the authors,
Lao
Tsu,
Adolf
Hitler
andNoam
Chomsky,
arejust
asunlikely
to
appeartogether.
On
atime
line
they
would spanthe ages,
andthis
would mirrortheir
position on a similar'ideology'
line
as well.The
aspect ofhumanity
whichinexorably
connectsthem
is
language.
The
spoken word.The
written word.When
starting
the
taskofthis thesis
I
wasreminded of an experiencefrom
childhood.
I
recalledhaving
heard
astory
onthe
evening
news.There
wasan exhibitof,
I
believe,
watercolors.This
exhibit wastaking
placein Austria
andit
wascreating
a greatdeal
of controversy.The
specificdetails
ofthestory
are notessential,
whichis
a goodthing,
giventhe
weathering
ofmy
memory
due
to time.
The
essential elementsto this
memory
arethat there
was anart exhibit of watercolors andthey
had been
paintedby
Adolf Hitler. Even
atthat
young
age(
I
believe
I
wasless
thanten
atthe
time)
I
washaving
trouble
understanding
thecontroversy.They
werejust
watercolors,
after all.I
amassuming,
in
retrospect,
thatthe
controversy
wasnotsimply
overthe
watercolors,
but
that
Hitler
wasthe
'author' ofthem.
Some may
have
believed
that this
was
in
someway
a glorification ofthe
obvioushistory. Others probably
believed
that this
exhibit would serve
to
draw
attentionto
andteachpeoplethat
'evil'can,
in
deed,
spring
from mediocrity
and mundanety.And
even othersmay have felt
that the
watercolors wereindependent
entities,
disembodied
from
their
creator with certaininalienable
'Formalist'rights.
All
ofthem
wereprobably
right.Each
pointhad
embodied a certaindegree
ofRaised
a strictCatholic
andfully
indoctrinated
in
Catholic
school, truth
seemedobvious
to
me.Truth
wasthat
which wastold to
usby
the
infallible
Pope in Rome. Truth
was
that
which wasincorporated into
the
great constitution of ourU.
S.
ofA.
Truth,
witha capital "T"
was
that
which wastaught to
usby
the
Bible
because it
camefrom God.
Why,
in
this
situation withHitler'spaintings,
wastheirnoclear-cut,
black
and white rightand wrong.
This story
cameto
mind againrecently,
awakenedby
something
elseI
saw ontelevision.
I
happened
to
catchthe
Reverend Louis Farahkan playing
theviolin withanorchestra.
I
believe
it
wasMendelssohn
thathe
played.I personally find
the
'Reverend'Farahkan'
s
hatred
andbigotry
to
be
abhorrent anddestructive
to theAfrican-American
community.
But he
playedbeautifully.
I
do
not recallhaving
ever seenanyoneplay
the
violin withsuch passion.The
music seemed
to
emanatefrom
a place muchdeeper
thanthe
mechanics offingers
andstrings.
The
sum ofthe
exquisite sound wasinfinitely
greaterthanthe
totalof oneviolinand one man.
He
was asdelightful
to
watchashe
wasto
be heard. His
wholebody
swayed and gesticulated with
the
rising
andfalling
ofthe
notes.The
tension
in
his lips
andhis
closed eyelids mirroredthat
ofthe
strings ashis
fingers
movedup
the
frets creating
ever
higher
notesI
wastruly
inspired
and enlightenedby
his
performance.How
couldI
have
suchdisdain
for
this
manand, simultaneously,
such admiration?How
couldthis
man's words andbeliefs
strike suchdiscord
withme,
but his
music suchI
also recallhaving
liked Hitler's
watercolors,
or whatI
saw ofthem
onthe news,
but
I
rememberfeeling
guilty for
doing
so.I
now realizethat
they
are quitemediocre,
but
in
the
context ofmy
childhoodandbarring
the
knowledge
oftheir authorship,
I probably
would
have
enjoyedthe
watercolorswithout confusion.In
a graduate course concerned with art andpolitics, the
subject of publicfunding
for
thevisual arts wasintroduced.
I
recallhaving
taken theunpopular pointofviewagainst public
funding.
My
reasons werethat ties
togovernmentfunding
created away
through
whichthe
government could control artistic content andoutput,
both
overtly,
throughcontent
restrictions,
andsubconsciously,
withintheartist,
by
controlling
the
pursestrings.
My
opposition arguedin favor
ofunconditionalfunding
ofthe
visual artswith,
whatseemed
to me, the
opinionthat there
is
anintrinsic
valuein
visualart andits
benefits
for
society. 'Art'seemed
to
be
equatedwith'good,' with
'quality,' and
'benefit.'
Opposition
to art,
in
the
form
offund-cutting,
was seenas'bad,' 'philistine,' and
'detrimental.'
It
all seemedsocut-and-dried,
soblack
and white.The Hitler
watercolorstory
cameback
to
me.Here
was a case wherethere
wasvisualart
Hitler's
watercolors-that
was consideredbad,
philistine anddetrimental,
if
notevil,
by
many.Also,
Hitler,
whilein
power,
used visual artin
the
form
ofFine
Art,
Sculpture, Architecture,
Graphic
Design, Illustration, Photography,
andFilm
to
createthe
propaganda which
fueled his
agenda.Here is
a case wherethe
visual arts were usedfor
The
realization cameto
methat
visualartjust
is. It
simply just
exists.It
is
merely
the
result of some creativeprocess,
a product.It
is
avehicle,
atransmitter,
a conveyerjust
aslanguage is.
I
canenjoy
aHitler
watercolor or aFarahkan performance,
just
asI
can
enjoy
thesound of someonespeaking Italian
orthelook
of writtenChinese
withoutunderstanding
a word.Language
does
notbear
the
blame
for
allthe
evilsthat
befall
the
world.It
is
usedfor both
'good' and 'evil.'Language,
asthe
spoken andwrittenvehicle ofhuman
interaction,
canbe simultaneously informative
andmisleading,
truthfulanddishonest,
clearand ambiguous.
The
written andspoken wordcancarry
beauty
anddeliver
ugliness,
canforward
humanity
anddehumanize,
canliberate
and enslave.But
,language is just
atool.
It has
no conscience and cancarry
noblame.
The
blame for
evilis entirely levied
onthe
relationship between
the
speakerandthelistener
andthe
subsequent actionsthey
take.
Visual
artis
also alanguage. It
alsohas
no conscience.It
canbe
usedto
forward
humanity
andto
degrade it. It
canexpressthe
greatest aspects of asociety
orbecome
theembodiment of
its
mosthideous
qualities.Blame for
evil perpetratedorperpetuatedas aresult ofvisualart
falls
onthe
dynamic between
the
artist andthe
viewer.Knowledge
ofthe
frailties
oflanguage
seemto
be
much morereadily
acceptedthan those
ofthe
visual arts.Propaganda
is
seento
be
the
child ofthe
writtenand spokenword,
withthe
visualartsescaping from blame. Reinforced
by
Modernism,
the
visualartsseem
to
enjoy
a popularbelief
in
aninnate
'truth' ortruths
embodied within.With my
thesis
worksI
explorethe
relationship between
the
visualarts andparallel
to
language,
a metaphorfor
a universallanguage.
By
constructing
this
metaphorI
hope
to
illustrate
that the
frailties
andambiguitiesoflanguage
also existin
the
visualarts.Language,
in
essence,
can notcarry
truth
successfully
by
nature ofits
inherent
weaknesses.
These
weaknesses are embodiedby
the
semantics of alanguage
which canoperate
defiantly
andindependendy
of alanguage's
syntax,
lexicon,
semioticsystem,
andall othersystemswhich attempt
to
'regularize,' standardize and otherwisedefine language
and
the
way it
works.Language
is
thus
anunreliablepurveyoroftruthby
nature ofits
built-in
inconsistencies.
Yet
people stillinsist
onthe
truth.
They
believe,
time
andtime
again,
whatthey
aretold
by
theirleaders,
theireducators,
theirclergy
andtheirthinkers,
what
they
readin
the
newspapers or see ontheevening
news,
eventhoughthe
messenger-language-
is
dubious.
I
attemptto
makemy
paintingsbe
the
physicalembodiment ofthese
contradictions.
I
utilize whatI
see asregularizing
or'truth'
imposing
factors
as abasis
to
undermine and
negate,
and make visiblethe
inherent
contradictionswhichexistin
art aswellas
in language.
I
wishtocallinto
questioneventhe truthof whatone seeswithone'sown eyes.
I
attemptthis
in my
workby
using
oilandothermediato
simultaneously
represent
solidity
andviscosity,depth
andflatness,
essenceandmateriality,
allusing
the
'truth'
ofa single mediasystem.
The
concurrent presence ofthesediffering
elementsin
suggesting
a wholebecomes
aphysicalandvisualmanifestation ofthe
ambiguities andcontradictions
inherent in language.
Ultimately,
I
hope
to
contradictthe
arroganceI
seein
the
arts community.I
desire
modernist
influences.
I
seethe
lingering
adherenceto the
dogma
of modernismto
be
equivalent
to
like
adherenceto
religiousdogma
by
extremists, to
politicaldogma
by
the
far
left
andright, to the
socialdogmas
ofthose
in
a multi-class society.I
wantartiststo
know
that
they
aresusceptibleto the
same pressures andregularizing influences
asany
one else.
I
wantthe
worldto
acceptthe
subjectivity
oftruth
and embracethe
indeterminacy
of meaning.I
want everyoneto
be
comfortable withchaosbecause only
thenwill
theiVbe
peacein
the
world.Can I
accomplishthese
lofty
goals withmy
workandthis thesis?
I
hope
not.For
if I
did,
thenthe
reader ofthis
thesiswouldhave
changedtheirbeliefs based
onmy
use ofa spurious
language. If I
did,
the
viewerofmy
work willhave
reached conclusionsbased
on
images
designed
to
be self-negating
andusing
a visuallanguage
also misrepresentativeby
nature.SEMIOTICS,
SYNTAX AND
SEMANTICS
I begin
this thesis
with anexplanationofthe
system ofsigns,
orthe
semioticparadigm,
whichI employ
asbasis
ofthe
visual'language'
representing
this
body
of work.Circles,
squares,
stripes andtrianglesall combineto
representthe signified; the
vocabulary,
the
lexicon
ofametaphorical universallanguage. It
is
widely
recognizedthat
system of
signs."4
This
metaphorfor
a universallanguage
whichI
employ is
meantto
encompass-visually
-the
worldof written as well as spoken
language.
From
westernalphabets
to
near eastern andAsian
pictographs,
the
written wordis
a system of graphicdesigns, delineation's,
convolutions,
dots, dashes,
stylized and abstracted representations.As Morse
code,
and morerecently,
binary
code, translates
language into
the
simplest ofsystems , so
I
seethe
stripe/circle/squareparadigmbecoming
thevisualequivalentfor my
purposes.
It
is
notdifficult for
meto
askthis
association ofthe
viewer.The
use of graphicsymbols
to
replace or suggest words and nameshas been in
common practice sincelanguage began
to
be
written.Aside from
obvious examples ofcommunication,
such asancient cave
paintings,
other examples throughouthistory
such as coats ofarms,
variationsin
weaves of plaidgarments,
company
andcorporatelogos-just
to
name avery few-all
represent
the
grayed separationsbetween
'art'and
the
written word as metaphor.For
justification
ofthe
validity
ofthis
metaphorI probably
need go nofurther
thangiving
as anexample ancient
Egyptian
hieroglyphics,
or,
continuing
untilthis
day,
the
Chinese
writtenlanguage
of pictograms or characters.I
wouldlike
to
further
supportthe
universality
ofthis
metaphorbetween
art andlanguage
by
referring
to
theLinguistic
theory
ofUniversal
Grammar
as pioneeredby
noted
linguist Noam Chomsky. "The
goals ofthe
theory
areto
describe language
as aproperty
ofthe
human
mind andto
explainits
source."5
The
aspect ofthis
theory
most4
Robert Atkins.Artspeak:
A Guide
toContemporaryIdeas. Movements
andBuzzwords.
(NewYork:
Abbeyville
Press,
1990)
p.142.
5
pertinent
to
my
thesis
work andits governing
metaphoris
the
belief
that
"All human
beings
share part oftheir
knowledge
oflanguage;
regardlessof whichlanguage
they
speak,
[Universal
Grammar]
is
their
commoninheritance."6It
is
the
belief
thatthe
cognitive apparatus
by
whichhumans
acquirelanguage is
innate;
andthis
subsequently
effects
language
development,
universally,
by
effecting
rudimentary
similaritiesamong
alllanguages
in
their
spoken and written structure.Thus,
I
extrapolatefrom
this
theory
that,
given
the
establishmentofthemetaphorbetween
art andlanguage,
art,
too,
might alsoderive
from
acommonly
sharedinnate
human ability
and, subsequently,
wouldalso sharebasic
universal properties.Of
course,
writtenand spokenlanguage do
not consist of simple 'A'(object/signifier)
is
equalto 'B'(concept/signified)
relationships.The
systems ofwrittenlanguage;
phonetic alphabets orcharacters,
only become
,inessence,
a vehiclefor
the
transferof more complicated concepts.
Concepts in
language,
both
writtenandspoken,
such as
meaning, subtext, context,
idiom,
metaphor, ambiguity, vagueness,
intimation,
double
entendre,
irony,
simile, metaphor,
voiceintonation,
inflection,
gesticulations,
facial
expressions-all combinewiththewritten and spoken systems
to
provide almostinfinite
varieties of expression and
complexity
withinandamong
the
languages
ofthe
world.Within
the
structuralparadigmof stripe/circle/squareI
have
proposedto
representlanguage,
I
usecolor,
hue,
texture,
variationsin opacity
andtranslucency,
representation,
trompe
l'oeil, juxtaposition,
suggested andactuallayering,
plasticity, shading, modeling,
and actual objects
to
representthe
semantics and pragmatics ofmy language
metaphor.As
the
stripe/circle/square paradigmrepresentsthe
signsystem and'text'
of
my
visual10
language,
sothe
manipulation of pigments suspendedin
the
various vehicles which makeup
oil andacrylicpaint,
lithographic
ink,
watercolors,
pastelsand othermark-making
materials,
representsthe
'meaning,' 'context,' and'subtext' ofthe
language. To
use aneven simpler
metaphor, the
stripe/circle/squareparadigm providesthe
corporealbody
andthe
manipulation ofpigmentsand vehicle representthe
soul ofmy language
metaphor.The
use of colorto
suggestmeaning is
evidenced almostuniversally
among
cultures.
Though
the
specific colors and whatthey
evokecanvary greatly from
cultureto
culture,
colormay
evenbe
aunifying factor among different language
systems.Throughout European
andAmerican
cultures, there
are avariety
oflanguages,
but
black,
for
instance,
is
a colorgenerally
associated withdeath
orsolemnity
acrossthese
culturesand
languages. In
China,
whiteis
accepted asthecolor ofmourning among
its
many
distinct
cultural groups.The
significance of colorin language
and communicationis
a pointI
feel I
neednot
belabor,
but
nationalflags,
as aconcluding
example ofthe
evocative power of colorand
design,
cansuccinctly illustrate
this
concept aswellas provide abasis for discourse
yet
to
be
covered.The American
flag
andthe
accompanying controversy
coveredby
popular mediaover
the
pasttenyears orso,
servesas an appropriateillustration.
The
Supreme Court
ruling
ofthe
late
Eighties protecting
flag burning
as aconstitutionally
protected right offree
speechtouched
offanationalcontroversy
whichcontinuestoday.
In
essence, the
American
flag
is
a graphicdesign
incorporating
ablue field
containing
fifty
starsontoa11
innocuous,
but
this
symbol ofgraphically designed
colorelementscantouch
offextremeemotions,
evenviolence,
among
the
citizenswho shareit.
In
this example,
as well asin
my
thesis work, stripes, squares,
color and other graphicelementshave
combinedto
create a metaphor
for
conceptsusually
expressedin
language
andbecome
a'language'
in
the
process.In
additionto the
metaphorsfor
language,
structure andmeaning, these
worksbecome
representativeof communication withthe
written word evenby
nature oftheir
physical presentation.
The
flattened
plane withhorizontal /
verticalorientation cansuggest
the page,
clay
tablet(tabula),
manuscript, newspaper,
gravemarkers,
televisionand movie
screens,
computerterminals,
billboards,
andthe
almost universalway in
whichthe
written word andimages
ofmany kinds
arephysically
presentedto the
viewer andhave been for
centuries.The
traditionaltwo
dimensional form
of canvas andpaper,
whichmy
thesis
worksconsistsof,
embody
this
seemingly
universal method ofconveying
andcommunicating
by
means ofsome physical manifestation oflanguage. I
am surethere
would
be
exceptionsif I
wereto
offerthis
as arule,but offering
this
as a metaphor allowsme
to
further
punctuate concerns yetto
be
discussed.
One may
thinkthat
theseexplanations ofmy
metaphorical connectionsbetween
language
andart areunnecessary.Surely
it is widely
acceptedthat the
visual arts andlanguage
areinextricably
connected and are governedby
essentially
the
same 'rules.'But
I
amnottrying
to
justify
my
thesis
works asbeing
part of an artisticlanguage
in
and ofthemselves, I
wantthem
to
be
a metaphorfor writing
andlanguage directly.
I
createdthis
12
dichotomies
I
already
recognizein language.
My
aim anddesire is
to
presentopposites,
contradictions,
anddichotomies,
simultaneously,
so asto
present a unified wholewhichis
inherently
disunited.
I
do
this
using
a pictorial system whichis
meantto
metaphorically
represent
human
language,
thus
allowing
meto
illustrate
andphysically
representthe
deconstruction
oflanguage.
The
net result wouldfacilitate
commentary
on thecomplexities of
human
communication,
politicalrhetoric,
propagandaandthe
useandmisuse of
the
mass media.It
is
through these
contradictionsthat
I
hope
to
illustrate
that,quite
often,
"beautiful
wordsare nottruthful,
andtruthful words are notbeautiful."8
And
that the
reader ofany
given 'text'should always
be questioning
the
honesty
ofthe author,
and
be
aware oftheprobable sub-textswhichexist.THE PAINTINGS
Having
thoroughly
setforth
the
governing
metaphor ofmy
thesis,
I feel
comfortablenow
to
addresstheworkitself. I begin
withthe
paintings.As
a workthatencompasses
the
essence ofmy
metaphor,
The Bigger The Lie [Color Plate
1]
is
anappropriate
starting
point.The dominant
graphic'theme'
running
throughboth
panelsis
the
vertical stripe.Using
atwo
inch
widthasastandard,I
placed stripes adjacentto
and contiguous with7
A
philosophicaltermpopularizedby
Jaques Derridawhich,formy
purposes,will refertoaword orimage
whichis
selfcontradictoryby
nature ofits
veryexistence or use.This
termhas
cometomeanmany
things tomanypeople,soI
felt
it necessarytoclarify myparticularinterpretation.See
also:Peter
BrunetteandDavidWills,
eds., DeconstructionandtheVisualArts,
(Cambridge:Cambridge
University
Press,
1994). 813
each other
to
coverboth
panelscompletely,
hanging
the
panelsin
such away
asto
leave
atwo
inch
gap
between
them
as an "unspoken' orsuggestedstripe.This
createsthe
first
ofmany
duplicities
offered withthis
work.The
diptych
as a whole presents a'landscape'
orientation which
is
createdwiththe
juxtaposition
oftwo
'portrait' oriented canvasseswith
the
inclusion
of atwo
inch
space.This
'landscape'or
horizontal
compositionis,
ironically,
accentuatedif
notexaggeratedby
the
intense verticality
ofthe
stripe system.The lexicon
of vertical stripesis
alsoheightened
by
the
visual'hum'
or
increased
visual'volume'
created
by
alternating
warm and cool colors andthe
strategicuseofcomplements.
Fighting
the
confines ofthe two
inch consistency
ofthe stripes, the
colorin
the
stripes createsthe
effect of anundulating
recessionand progressionin
space,
thusdefying
the
flattening
tendency
ofthe
regularwidthanddrawing
more attentiontotheir
verticality.
Undermining
theapparentverticality
ofthe textis
thesuggestion of asubtextual stripe system
speaking
in
support ofhorizontality. In 'torn
away'exposures of
a possible or suggested sub-layer of
canvas,
horizontal
stripes ofprimary
color appear.These
appearin
the
upperright
andlower left
cornersbut
also and mostpertinently
between
the
top, inside
corners ofthe two
canvases.These
'exposed' areas actin
aacrylic
way
to
subtly
askthe
eye ofthe
viewerto
suspendtheir
optical'disbelief
ofthe
overriding verticality in favor
ofasubliminally
assertedhorizontality.
Ultimately,
I feel
the
verticalstripes winthe
battle; however,
it is
ahollow
victory.In
theireffortsto
dominate both
canvasesseparately
and as awhole,
they
failed
to
achievecompleteverticality.
Not
one vertical stripeis
ableto
completeits
purpose and all are14
interrupted
or undermined and aresubsequently
untrue(or
lie)
in
their
vertical assertion.The only
'stripe'that
seemsto
have
achieved truthin verticality is
the two
inch
spacebetween
canvases,
andthis
stripe went 'unspoken'by
means ofits
lack
ofphysicalsubstance.
This
strugglebetween
the
vertical andhorizontal
stripesfor
visualdominance is
the
first
ofmany
manifestations ofmy
language
metaphor.As in
language,
the
visualtextof
The Bigger The Lie
in its
embodimentin
the
form
ofstripes,
"reveals
themultiplicity
of potential meanings generated
by
the
discrepancy
between
the
ostensible contentofatext"
and
its
possiblesubtexts.9
In
essence, the
workdeconstructs itself
by
nature ofits
construction.
This
notionmay
seem paradoxicalif
notoxymoron,
but it
servesto
illustrate
this
very
aspect oflanguage
andlanguage's inherent inconsistencies. This
unificationofdisunity,
this
harmonizing
ofchaos, this
presentation ofsuggestedtotality
using
visualquantities,
factors
whichlogically
do
not'add
up,'
all serve
to
strengthenmy
metaphoricalconnection
between
language
and art.A
work which epitomizesthis
aspect ofthelanguage
metaphoris
The
Harmony
Of
Chaos [color
plate2]. This
work constructs a matrix of adjacent circleswhichcoversthe
entirecanvas, and suggests acontinuumby
'bleeding'
off
the
canvases edges.This
image
could callto
mind an extremeclose-up
ofa color photograph or suggest anarray
oftelevision orcomputerscreen pixels.
In any
case,
it is
a whole madeup
of parts.Each
circle
has
atwo
inch diameter
andis
adjoinedby
four
other circles.The human
eye,
experiencing
this
workin
away
thatthe
human
ear wouldmetaphorically
experience9
Robert
Atkins,
Art Speak: A Guide
toContemporary
Ideas,
Movements,
andBuzzwords.fNew York:
15
language,
tends to
automatically
stylize or 'regularize'the
image. The
two
inch
circles,
like
the two
inch
standard ofthe
stripesin
The Bigger
The
Lie,
shouldhave
aflattening,
graphic
effect;
denying
the
viewer of such perspectival clues asdiminishing
orenlarging
proportions
to
suggestdistance.
This
'regularizing'effect,
however,
is
underminedor'deconstructed'
by
othereffectssuch as colorintensity,
aerialperspective,
shading,
modeling,
translucency,
opacity
and plasticity.Metaphorically
speaking,
then,
the
regularmatrix of same size circles
is
representative of an ostensibletext;
thesemiotic sign systemand syntax ofthis
language.
However,
theintroduction
of'meaning'
in
theform
of colorand
the
other artistic visual effectsmentioned,
produces a paradox.Suddenly
this
structure
is
calledinto
questionby
circles which appear asillustrated
spheres and actualthree
dimensional
spheresprojecting into
space andachieving
an actualdistance from
the
picture plane.
These
circles seemalsotorecedeand projectin
spaceby
virtue ofthe
manipulationof
their pigments,
whichaltertheirintensity,
andby
strategic use ofcomplimentary
colorsin
adjacent circles andin
the
'negative' spacesbetween. The
employment of
these
artistic strategiesin
conjunction withtheregularity
ofthe
matrixcreates a visual chaos.
Seemingly
desperate definitions
of'the
circle'exist
implausibly
side
by
side,
forming
acontinuumofchaos;
abreak down
ofthe
'truth' ofthe two
inch
standard.
Human
perception,however,
stilltendsto
'harmonize'the
chaosby
default.
My
intent
here
is
to
supportmy
thesis
by
creating
a visual manifestation ofthe
metaphor
I
proposedto
graphically
representlanguage.
The
Harmony Of
Chaos
represents
the
inherent dichotomies existing simultaneously in
language,
yetlanguage
16
language
systemthat
I
striveto
callinto
question.In
essence,
I
wishto
make apparentthe
human desire
to
'suspend
disbelief,'and
to
make apparentthe
dangers
toward
dogmatism
that this
tendency
creates.The
suspensionof
disbelief
,usually
associatedwiththeaterandfiction,
is
a crucialelementrequired
to
makethe
connectionbetween
artists andtheir
audience.For
aplaywright,
for
example, to
effectively
convey
their
intended
evocations of emotion andexperienceon a
stage,
it
requiresthe
participation ofthe
audience.The
audience mustsimplify,
reduce and abstractthe
performancefrom
the
reality
ofthe
theater,
the
lights,
and
the
peoplesitting
nextto them.
If
this
canbe
accomplished, the
audience canbecome
enraptured and enveloped
by
thevisual andverbalinteraction
ofthe
performers.If
the
'Ideal'
connection
is
madebetween
the
speaker andthe
listener,
the
speaker will evoke'truths'
latent
in
thelistener. These truths, in
theform
of memories andexperiences,
serveto
lend
credenceto the story,
facilitating
the
suspension ofdisbelief
and, subsequently, the
enjoyment of
the
experience.Verisimilitude,
orthe
ability
to
create sufficienttrueness
andbelievability
in
the performance,is
crucialin achieving
the
suspension ofdisbelief.
This
phenomenon,
thoughgrossly
simplifiedhere for my
purposes,
can extendto
other
forms
ofmedia as well.In
the
language
ofart,
I
proposethat
the suspension ofartisticor visual
disbelief
canbe
ametaphor,
if
not acorollary,
for
its
language/literary
equivalent.
In
The
Harmony
of
Chaos,
I feel
that
if I
calledthe
viewers'beliefs'
into
question
for
evena splitsecond,
thenI
have
madethem
aware oftheir
vulnerabilities.And
whenlulled
into
accepting
the'flatness'
of
this
work orin
believing
in its
three
17
The
manipulation ofpigmentsin
their
oil andacrylicforms
creates anotherimportant
metaphorical connection withlanguage. The
paints,
straightfrom
the
tubes,
create apresumed"truth"
for my
purposes.In
allthe
paintedworks,
I
usedthe
colors ofthe
spectrum:red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, indigo,
andviolet, withthe
additionofblack
and white.White
representsthe
presence oflight,
andblack
the
absence.Varying
mixtures of
these
colorsin
the
form
of reflectedlight
providesthe
human
eyethe
ability
to
accurately
perceive(to
the
best
of ourknowledge)
the 'true' color off allthe
substancesin
theworld.
This
choice ofcolor,
withthe
addedregularity
ofthe
paintindustry's
standards and
the
generally
accepted range ofworking consistency in
thetube,
also addto
the
acceptance ofthe
paint as a standard or atruth,
if
you will.I
wouldlike
to
discuss,
atthis point,
theconcept oftruthandhow it
relatesto the
language
metaphor.I
believe
the
concept oftruth to
be
apurely
subjective phenomena.If
we consider
truths to
stemfrom
two
primary
areas ofdiscourse,
the
first
philosophical andthe
second scientific orempirical,
we can examinethe
extent oftheirsubjectivity.Philosophical
truthcanencompassphilosophy, religion,
superstition and all areas ofdiscourse
unableto
be
supported or provenby
the
empirical method.These
truths
canbe
powerfuland
convincing
to many, to the
point ofbeing
indisputable,
andbecoming
aTruth. Scientific
truthcanbe
assayed.Tangible
results canbe
achievedthroughthe
empiricalmethod.
These
too
canbecome Truths for
many.The
problemI
see withtruth
is
that
it
needsto
be
conveyed withlanguage. The
existence ofTruths
would require anindisputable
sign/signifier/signifiedrelationship in
the
language
neededto
describe
them.
I
18
itself is just
ametaphor.Arguably,
religioustruth
is
'created'by
language (e.g.
the
Bible
and
the
Koran)
andScientific
truth
is
determined,
recorded anddiscussed using
language.
Ultimately
it is
the
'messenger,'the vehicle, the
conveyance oftruth
-language-that
forbids
usfrom
everachieving Truth.
Another
aspectoflanguage
whichthwarts
ourattemptsto
find
truth
is
the
fact
that
language
cannot,
withany
certainty,
convey
the
author/speakersintentions,
motivation and
true
meaning.We
can not separatethe
integral
rolethatmeaning,
in
the
form
of context andsubtext,
playsin
theostensibletexts
we useto
inform
ourselvesfor
making
the
decisions
which govern ourlives. It is
this
very
frailty
anduncertainty
whichI
attempt
to
metaphorically
convey in
the
form
of paint.To
draw
a comparisonbetween language
and artusing
this metaphor,
what anartist paints
is
notnecessarily
'true'
based simply
onthe physical,
visiblemanifestation ofhis
expressionin
the
form
ofthe
work.Those in
art criticism wholean
toward
a moreformalist interpretation
wouldprobably
tend to
disagree. The Modernist desire
to
seekfor
some
form
ofuniversaltruth, to, in
essencesimplify,
wouldlead him
to
a suspension ofartistic
disbelief negating
the
influence
oftheartistsmotivation.It is
this
tendency
toward
simplification, this
suspension ofdisbelief,
which,
reinforced and perpetuatedby
Modernist
artists and
critics,
has
addedto
thedestruction,
death,
and politicalturmoil
whichhas
plagued
the
worldin
the Twentieth
Century.
Returning
to
the paintings,
I
use several methodsto
underminethe
implied
truth
ofthe
paintitself. The first
is
achievedby
manipulating
the
proportionsofpigmentto
binder
19
ways which seemcontradictory.
For example,
in
The Bigger The
Lie,
the
vertical stripesare
interrupted
by
biomorphic
shapesofvarying design
themes
which seemto
have
been
torn
into
or poured ontothe
surface.The
paint usedto
createthe
vertical stripesis
comprisedof paintstraightout of
the tube
plusthe
addition ofmagnesiumcarbonate(marble
dust),
a common extender usedin
paint.This
mixture,
appliedthickly,
creates asurface which
is
opaqueandmaterially
substantive.In
contrast, the
irregular
areas weremostly
createdwithtube
colorssubstantially
thinned
withmedium andthinner.These
areas,
comprisedof variations ofmy
paradigmshapes, take
ontheappearanceofwetnessand
liquidity
withtheir
increased
translucency.
The
overall surface appearance ofthe
work seems
to
vary from
solid/opaqueto
liquid/translucent,
yet all was createdusing
variations of
the
same standard substances.It
is
the
visualparadox, the
seemingly
different
physical states ofthepaintformed
by
using
variations ofthe
sameingredients
that
mostperceptually
punctuatesmy
language
metaphor.The
'Truth,' promisedin
the
standardized manufacture ofthepaint as well as
the
chosen spectralcolors,
reinforced alsoby
the
use ofthecircle/stripe/squareparadigm,
is
usedto
create avisuallanguage
whichdemonstrates its ability
tomisrepresent.This seemingly
paradoxicalexistence of states of matterexists alsoin The
Harmony
of Chaos.
Seemingly
'solid'circles exist side
by
side withthose
appearing
asaqueous creations.
Using
the
fast
drying
qualities of acrylic paintandink,
watercolor-likeeffects are achievable.
The
use ofthe
pigmentsin
this
manner allow meto
express'liquidity'
in
what results as a solidfilm. But
even upondrying,
the
pigmentsand vehicleretain, permanently, the
visual'language'
20
poolsofpigment
visually
contradicttheir
resulting
solidity.Again,
asin The Bigger The
Lie,
the
addition and subtraction ofextendersandmediumsallow alsofor
the
manipulationof
translucency
andopacity
further confusing
the
nature ofthe
physicalstateof
the
paint.Again
the
perceptiveclues,
given usinnately
to
differentiate
solidfrom
liquid,
mislead us andmisrepresentthe 'reality' ofthe
paint surface.This
physical and opticalambiguity
ofthe
paint can alsobe illustrated using
Untitled [color
plate3].
The
juxtaposition
of areas of oil paint appliedthinly
withaviscous
quality
andthoseappliedusing
athickimpasto
and scoredwithawirebrush,
has
the
effect ofheightening
whilesimultaneously
undermining
the
unity
ofthe
paint surface.The
paintis,
overall,
applied with aresulting
brushy,
tactile
surface.Three
areas of stripesembody
three
different
'interpretations'of stripe and paint consistency.
The horizontal
stripes
flowing
acrossthebottom
oftheworkareinterrupted
by
adark,
encrustation ofroughened paint
forming
akind
of'land
bridge' across a'stripe
river.'Reinforcing
the
'solidity'
of
the
land
massis
a matrix of attachedcanvassquares,
andfurther
suggesting
its
dimensional
preeminence overthestriperiverarepainted,
colorsquares shadedtosuggesttheir
falling
offfrom
thecircled matrix above.The
paintedstriperiver
vacillatesin
widtharoundatwo
inch
mean.This in
addition
to the
use of aliberal
amount of medium allowsthe
paintto
retain allthe
visualand optical clues of
its
viscosity
andfluidity
wheninitially
applied.Drips
and slides ofpaint reinforce
the
paints originalapplicationas'liquid'
by
making
substantive referenceto
the
effects of gravity.This
combined withthe
glossiness addedby
the
oil medium21
apparent
density/opacity
ofthe
land bridge
contraststhe
seeming viscosity
ofthe
striperiver;
substantially adding
to their
suggestedstates.Paradoxically,
it is
the
sameproperty
ofthe
oil paintwhichallowsfor
this
visualdifference. Oil based
colors,
unliketheir counterparts,
do
not shrinksubstantially
whenthey
harden because
they
cure,
notdry.
Other
than the
evaporationof adegree
ofsolvent,
the
paint'ssurfaceand volume remainthe
same.Drips
arefrozen
in
timeand roughenedimpasto
surfaces retaintheir
sharpness.The
painted surfaceis
able,
with equalsincerity,
to
(mis-)
representtwo
differing
physical statesby
virtue ofthe
same property.This
visual paradoxis
continued withthe
rendering
ofthe
othertwo
areas ofstripes at
top,
both
verticalin
orientation.The
area onthe
left
is
comprised ofalternating
shades of
browns
and graysforming
aflat,
graphic stripe motif.The
stripes retain ameasure of
brushstrokes
andtexture
resulting from
their application,
andtears
in
the
paint's skein suggest
the
surfacehovering
somewherebetween solidity
and viscosity.The
small area of stripes
to
therightappearsto
be
made ofthe
same earth-like material asthe
land bridge crossing
thestriperiver. These
stripes arethickencrustations of paint whosetexture
andopacity effectively
asserttheirrepresentedsolidity.The
ambiguity
ofthe
paint's actual physical state
is
againcalledinto
question whenthe
flat,
graphic stripesto
the
left
seemto
emergefrom
underthe
roughened surface above andflow
or spill overthe
roughened surface
below [color
plate4]. The
three
stripeareas provide us with whatseems
to
be
three
differing
physicalstates;
liquid,
solidand an areaencompassing
andnegating both
states.To
refer, again, to the
language
metaphor, the
same 'text,'in
the
form
ofthe stripe,
is
interpreted
withthree
different
'meanings'22
and context.
I
offerthe
stripe as aregularizing
factor,
as atruth
to
be
hung
onto,
but
canonly
offerthis truth
in
alanguage fraught
withinherent
inconsistencies
and unteatheredmetaphors.
The final
area ofdiscourse
containedin
Untitled
[c.p.
3/4]
is
that
between
the
circular matrix ofrepresented squares and
the
diamond/checker board group
of squaresbelow
them.
This discussion between
the two
seemsto
offer consistenciesand similaritieswhich are meant
to
comfort andlull
us.They
share a commonlanguage
comprised of alexicon
ofsquaresin
an overall syntax of a grid or matrix.But
thatis
wherethe
ostensiblesimilaritiesend.
The
circle of squaresis
comprised ofgraphically
represented,
paintedsquares;
some of which seemto
be
detaching
andfalling
orfloating
away.In
comparison,
the
diamond
matrixbelow is
comprised of"actual"
squares of cut canvas attached
to the
painted surface.
These
squares give noindication
that
they
are not anintegral
part ofthe
painted surface.
Here
the
semioticrelationship between
the
signifier/square andthe
signified/square
is blurred
resulting in inconsistencies
and ambiguitiesin
the
sign/square.The deconstruction
ofthe 'sign' ordefinition
describing
the squareis further
accomplished
by
the
'falling' squares.In
some casesthey
remainsquare,
in
others,
diamond in
shape.Purely
by
means ofdirectional
orientationthe
exact same shapeis
permitted
two
semioticterms
describing differing
meanings with alltheir
attending
connotations.
Could
this
in
someway be
avisualmetaphorfor
ahomonym?
If
so,
weagainsee an example of
language's
ambiguitiesillustrated
by
the
language/art
metaphor.An item
not yet addressedbut playing
animportant
rolein
my language
metaphor23
I
makeanalogousthe
relationship between
intensity
ofhue
andvolumeorloudness
ofspeech.
Bright
coloris
oftenreferredto
as'loud'
in
thevernacular.Visually,
loud
colorsseem
to
attract our attention morethan
muted.I
seethis
as asimilarity to,
for
example,
the
marketing strategy
employedby
the television
advertising industry.
Commercials
tend
to
be
broadcast
at alouder
volumethan
regularTV
programming
in
orderto
draw
attention
to
theirmessages.The
logic behind
this
strategy
is,
well,
logical. A
person whois
yelling
language
at youis bound
to
gainyourattention morethan
one whois speaking
softly.Similarly,
the
useofbrighter,
moreintense hues is intended
to
raisethe
visual volume ofthe
paintings.The Bigger The Lie [c.p.
1],
for
example,
is
spoken at a muchhigher
visual volumethanUntitled [c.p.
3]. I
usethe
higher
visualvolumeto
mimic mass mediadelivery
of,
in
particular,
political rhetoric and propaganda.The
more muted colors usedin
Untitled,
as wellasin
otherworks,
can referto
moreliterary
forms
oftexts;
andin
some ways canbe
moreinsidious in
theirsubtlety.The
visualvolumeis
raised,
in
two works,by
enlarging
the
proportions ofthe shapes.Passages in The
Bigger
The Lie
andin Untitled [color
plate6]
are comprisedofparadigmshapes enlarged
beyond
the two
inch
standard.Here I
try
to
explorethe
relationship between
"content"
ofa
text
andits
physical size.These
enlargedpassagesattempt
to
overwhelmthe
othertext/shapesby
virtue oftheir size,
like
the
larger
print of anewspaper
headline
grabsthe
reader's attentionbefore
the
smallertext.
In advertising,
the
use ofthe
higher
volume,enlargedtext, along
withthe
blaring
proportions of atypical
billboard,
allowsthe
commercial propagandato
be
heard
overthe
din
ofthe
surrounding
24
used
to take
advantageofthe
implied validity
whichsize(increased
visualvolume)
seemsto
command.The
final
visualdevice
I
employ
to
deconstruct
the
overalltext
ofthese
canvassesis
the
'actual'deconstruction
ofthe
pictureplane andits
rectangularity.The
presumedintegrity,
ortruth,
ofthe
convention of canvas stretched over a rectangular constructionis
called
into
questionin
such works asUntitled
[color
plate5]
andUntitled [color
plate6].
Both
works seemto
have
been
torn
orripped
into,
exposing
other worksthat
proposeto
exist
beneath
them.
Untitled
[c.p.5]
seemsto
depict
an emergence ofthe
gridded canvasfrom
the
stripped portion
remaining
to the
left. The
tornand shredded edge ofthe
canvasto the
left
envelopes theright,
checkered sidein
widthaswell asthickness.The
interrelatedness
of
the two
halves
is
reinforcedby
the
completion ofthe
emerging
squarecanvas,
as avisual
whole,
withthe
fourth
equal side suggestedby
the
stripped area.The
squareness ofthe
emerging
canvasis
also restatedby
the
inculcations
ofthe
square paradigm.However,
this
completionis
underminedby
the
difference in
texture
between
thetwo
sides as well asthe
appearance of'pools'
of paradigm squares
in
the
areato the
left,
whichmay
lay
ontop
of
the
white surface ofthe
larger
half
ormay be
bubbling
up from
below.
These
ambiguities, again,
castincredulity
uponthe
premise ofthe
work as awhole,
yetthe
viewer
may
stillbe drawn
to the
'emergence'
scenarioand a possible
layering
oftexts
as aplausible solution.
Untitled [c.p.
6]
alsosuggests emergenceofa square paradigm'text,'but
in
this
25
portion
to the
right.This
sideis
the
widestandhas
the
mostdramatic
physical presence.Pealing
thickly
away
from
the
layer
below,
the
massivenessofit is
accentuatedby
its
even,
horizontal division
ofprimary
green overprimary
red.The
paintis
appliedthickly
androughly
whichalso addsto
its
visualweightiness.It
is
not clear whatthis,
the
'original'layer,
mighthave looked like
priorto
its disintegration.
The
overallsquareness ofthe
work combined with
the
reverberation of'squareness'by
juxtaposition
withtheinner
layer,
suggeststhat the
outer canvas was square.The
strippedhalf
to the
left,
less
tactile
and voluminousthan the
right
side,
seemsasthough
it
wouldhave
fit comfortably
withinthe
confines ofthe
'original' canvas.The
verticality
ofthis
sidedefies
thehorizontal insistence
ofthe right,
andthusassertsits
independence. But
we stillfind
ourselvesprojecting
andspeculating
astoits
originalshape under
the
outer skin.Again,
inculcated
by
the
gridded centersquares,
wetend to
'square'
the
overall striped passagein
our minds eye.This,
however,
is
animpossibility
due
to the
fact
that
alength,
equalto the
height
ofthe stripes,
wouldfall
outsidethe
apparent
boundary
asdetermined
by
the
right side.Finally,
the
matrixofsquares,
emerging from
the
parentship
ofthe
opposing
sideswhich engendered
it,
both
defies
and acceptsits
context.The
squares confirmthe
horizontality
assertedtextually
by
the
'outer'layer
whilenicely
accepting
the
subtextualstripes
into
its
lexicon.
Both
untitled pieces[c.p.
5
and6]
postulatemy
language
metaphorby
attempting
to manifest,
withtheirphysicalconstruction, acorollary
among
their
text,
subtext,
and26
meaning
in
the
guise ofthe color, shape,
tactility,
opacity/translucency,
andapplicationofthe
painted surfaces.These
paintedsurfaces,
representing
the semiology, syntax,
andsemanticsof
language,
both
connectwith andreject theassociation withtheirtext,
subtext,
andcontext representations.The
various visualelementssimultaneously
affirmandabnegateeachothers
validity
and attempted achievementoftruth.
What
is
illustrated
in
the paintings,
as awhole,
is
the
inherent multiplicity
ofmeanings,
contradictionsandparadoxesin
language.
Complexity
compoundsambiguity
as
the
addition oflayer
uponlayer
of sign/metaphor creates adiaphanous
cocoon,
thenawoolly
envelope,
andfinally
animpenetrable
shell which surrounds and obfuscatesthe
objectthat
language
wasto
express.The
irony
oflanguage
is
in
the
realizationthatthe
degree
ofcomplexity
andsophistication achieved
in
its
usageis
notdirectly
proportionalto
its
expressive value orhonesty.
Using
paint as a substantive metaphorfor language:
its
multiplicity,
its
ambiguity,
its
paradoxicalrelationships,
I
attemptedto
achieve alevel
ofcomplexity
which
is
inversely
proportionaltoits
artistic value.In
essence,
I intended
to
produceornate, colorful,
texturaland complex meaninglessnessto
illustrate my
belief
that
"Beautiful
words are not[necessarily]
truthful,
truthful words are not[always]
beautiful."10
THE
PRINTS
I
have
discovered printmaking
to
be
akey
mediumin
the
expression ofthe
metaphorswhich
illustrate my
thesis.The
visualparadigm andthe
compositionalelementsare quite similar
to the
paintings:stripes,
squares and circlesas well as 'texture' comprise10
27
the
visuallexicon.
However,
'meaning,'achieved
by
use,
in
large
part,
of colorin
the
paintings, is limited
to
monochromatic representation.While eliminating
colorfrom
the
vocabulary may
seemto
be
arestricting
factor,
which
in
someaspectsit certainly
is,
it
alsobecomes
aliberating
factor
as well.Restriction
to
black
and white sharpensthefocus
onmark-making
itself,
apartfrom
the'contexts'
and 'subtexts' which are
inevitably
evoked with color.Granted,
color canplay
an active role
in
printmaking
andis
often used.I
have focused
my
printmaking
experience;
however,
onexploring
the'colors' one can achieveusing black
on white.The
wide
variety
oftechniques
by
whichthe
black ink
is
madeto
adhereto
thelithographic
plate allowed metoexplore a
full
range ofmeaning
and metaphor withouttheevocativenature of color.
Certain
uniqueaspects ofprintmaking
providedme withthe
opportunity
to
engender
further
metaphors oflanguage
to
relate moredirectly
to
broader
concerns suchaspropaganda,mass
media,
andpoliticaland social rhetoric.By
doing
so,
I
hope
to
draw
a parallel
to
printed media andthe
use of printedlanguage
to
lead
or mislead.The
closestparallelcould
be
drawn between my
prints andthe
newspaper asa medium ofdisseminating
information
to the
mass public.The lithographs
producedfor my
thesis
resemble,roughly,
a newspaper page.Making
this
connectiondoes
not seemto
stretchthe
limits
ofimagination.
The
works alsohave
astrong
horizontal/vertical
gridcomposition, asis
commonin
newspapers and otherpublications.
This
horizontal/vertical
compositional'theme'
28
among
printedlanguages,
encouraging,
again,
a visualmetaphorfor language
andcommunication.
The
use ofblack ink
on white paperseemsto
assumetruth
andbelievability.
This
is
evidencedby
suchcolloquialismsas"its right
there
in
black
andwhite;" and
issues
which are clear arecharacterizedas
having
"black
andwhite"
simplicity.
Another
device
employed
by
the
popular and print mediato
instill
a sense oftruth
is
the
inclusion
ofphotographic
material;
after all"a
picturedoesn't
lie,"and
is
"worth
athousand
words."I
attemptto
create a metaphorfor
photography
by
using
the
Xerox Transfer
technique
which allows me
to
createtextures
with'photographic' qualities.11
In
additionto size,
composition andink
color parallelstonewspapers,
printmaking
has
afinal, key,
similarity
to
print media whichI
wouldlike
to
highlight. A
key
factor in
anewspaper's power
to
persuadeis its
ability
to
recreateitself
.Newspapers,
by
westernstandards,
seemto
achievea certainlevel
ofvalidity
by
means of theircirculation,
orhow
many
subscribersthey
have. A
newspaper's'power,'
being
associatedwithits
readership
or
circulation,
lends
morewidely
read newspapers greatertolerance
by
the
publicin
matters oftruthand
accuracy.12
In
someaspect,
then,
'truth' seemsto
be linked
withinculcation
and repetition.Fine
Art
lithography
is
ableto
reproduce exact copies of animage just
asindustrial lithography.
I,
therefore,
claimthis
same privilege and assertthat
the
repetitionof a print addsto
its
tacit
acceptanceas'truth.'
11