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Thesis/Dissertation Collections
4-26-1966
Flat Unmodeled Form in Painting
Peter Schwartzott
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Recommended Citation
PLAT
UNMODF.LED
FORM
IN
PAINTING
Candidate
for
the
Master
ofPine
Arts
in
the
College
ofPine
andApplied
Arts
of
the
Rochester
Institute
ofTechnology
By
Peter
Edward
Schwartzott
April
26,
1966
Advisor
TABLiB OP
CONTENTS
page
TABLE
OP
CONTENTS
i
INDEX OP
ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIAL
ii
PURPOSE
OP
THESIS
iii
INTRODUCTION
iv
THE SKETCH
3
PLASTIC
PAINTS
6
PLAT QUALITIES
OF
PAINT
9
BLACK
AND
WHITE
11
CANVAS
SIZE
...,13THE
SIMPLIFICATION
OF
THE FIGURE
15
SPACE,
TIME
AND
MOTION
17
THE
EROTIC
APPEAL OP
THE NUDE
19
FRAMES
AND
STOIPPINGS
21
CONCLUSIONS
22
INDEX
OP
ILLUSTRATIVEMATERIALS
page
GROUP
SHOT
OF
THREE
PAINTINGS
1
PRELIMINARY
SKETCH
2
PRELIMINARY
SKETCH
5
THE ARTIST PRE-MIXING
PLASTIC
PAINTS
7
PAINTING
#1
UNTITLED
62,,x73"EXAMPLE OP
FLAT
COLOR
AREAS
8
BLACK
AND
WHITE PHOTO
SHOWING
USE OF
SKETCHES.
. .10PAINTING
#2
THE PLYING
SUPERNUDE
73"x86"12
GROUP
SHOT OF
THREE
PAINTINGS
WITH
ARTIST
13
PAINTING #3
UNTITLED
60"x72f\
14
PAINTING
#4
UNTITLED
62,,x72"16
PAINTING #5
SUPERNUDE
dO'^S"17
PAINTING
#6
THE
PALLING
SUPERNUDE
54,,x64,,18
PAINTING #5
SUPERNUDE
eO'^S"20
PAINTING
#6
THE PALLING
SUPERNUDE
54"x64"21
PURPOSE
OP
THE
THESIS
The
purpose ofthis
thesis
is
to
investigatethe
qualities offlat,
unmodeledform,
simplifiedby
the
blotting
quality
ofthe
applied pigmentsand
to
create a series of paintingsutilizing
this
investigation.
INTRODUCTION
The
artist sees andhe
expresses.The
intent
to
expressis
universal althoughthe
reasons are not.Intent
is really
neverknown,
for
the
mind reinterpretswhat
it
sees andthe
subconsciousdoes
not show us whatit
knows.
The
artistthen
does
nothave
a claimto
aspecial
authority
overhis
work.Truth
only
comesthrough knowledge.
Knowledge
then
can comeonly
through
the
study
ofthe
content withinthe
work."A
dancer
oncesaid,
when asked whather
dancing
meant,
that
if
she couldsay
whatthey
meant she would1
not go
to
the
greattrouble
ofdancing
them."This
thesis
is
aninvestigation
into
the
qualitiesof
flat,
unmodeledform
in
painting.The
fruit
ofthe
investigation
is
seen withinmy
work.Any
otherinforma
tion
gainedfrom
this
paper willhave
to
comefrom
aforced
regurgitation ofthoughts
andinterpretations
concerning
the
six paintingsinvolved.
1.
Sidney
Gendin,
"The Artists
Intention,"The
Journal
Of
Aesthetics
andArt
Criticism.
23
:196(
Winter,
1964),
THE
SKETCH
Before
beginning
apainting
I
always produce aseries of sketches.
The
sketchusually
develops
from
a
very
quick,
spontaneous approachto
afinished
andpolished piece.
Each
sketchfrom
the
first
to
last
is
kept
and used asthe
painting
progfesses.Ideas
are used or eliminated as
they
are conceived.Paintings
are never made
directly
from
the
sketches.This
pointis
quiteinteresting
for
I
originally
wished
to
usefinished
sketches ofthe
same proportionas
the
canvas,
then
simply
use an opaque projectorand project
the
image
ontothe
canvas.
The
expedienceof
this
technique
is
obvious whenusing
ahard-edge
painting
technique
whereforms
mustbe
perfectly
shaped and positioned.
The
results,
though,
were quitestartling.
There
was no comparison ofimagery
between
the
small sketch andthe
image
whenit
was projectedonto
the
larger
canvas.
The
two
objects werecompletely
different
and could not workusing
the
sameform.
The
answer was
simply
working
washpainting
over washpainting
directly
ontothe
canvas
untilthe
imagery
was satisfactory.
Color
wasthen
workedinto
the
to
an areaonly
to
find
it
.not acceptable.A
covercoat of
Gesso
then
must r \pplied andthe
processmust start again.
Ultimately,
ambiguity
was eliminated andthe
PLASTIC
PAINTS
/
The
development
and use of plastic painttoday
is
an unparalleled example ofhow
scientificdevelop
ment of a new artists'
material can
have
such afan
tastic
effect uponthe
artist'simagery.
The
hard
edge approach seenin
painting
today,
in
both
"op"and
"pop",
have
been
adirect
result ofthe
technical
innovations
brought
aboutthrough
the
development
of plastic paints.Most
important
is
the
almost
instant
drying
qualitiesfound
in
these
paints.The
artist nolonger
has
to
waithours
ordays
to
change a color orshape,
but
can almostimmediately
paint overan undesired area.
The
imagery
seentoday
in
the
works ofmany
advanced artists could nothave
been
accomplished withoutthis
new paint.In
cases whereit
could,
the
time
element wouldhave
certainly
minimizedthe
quantity
PLAT QUALITIES
OF
PAINT
The
technique
ofproducing
aflat
color areawithout
brush
strokes or without a change of surfacequality
was one ofmy
maintechnical
difficulties.
Flat
areas couldeasily
be
achieved,
but
only
when
the
application ofthe
pigment wasvery
heavy,
leaving
brush
strokes withinthe
area.This
was notsatisfactory
and new meanshad
to
be
devised.
Thinning
the
paintto
amilky
consistency
did
give afine,
flat
quality
in
the
large
areas,
but
whenredefining
orreworking
the
contour ofthe
figure,
aglossy
effectwould occur.
The
more an area wasworked,
the
glossierit
wouldbecome.
Many
techniques
weretried,
thin
coats of paint applied over
thicker
ones,
matt mediumand
others,
but
none eliminatedthe
gloss createdby
the
reworking
ofthe
paint.Finally
the
desired
flatness
wasachieved.
First
the
hue
desired
was applied asflat
as possible(using
three
orfour
coats of athinned
mixture).Then
by
mixing
the
paintto
athick,
creamy
consistency
andflowing
it
onin
a manner which wouldlet
it
flatten
11
BLACK
AND
WHITE
The
uses ofblack
and white are not newto
painting
but
are given much moreimportance
now asa visual vocabulary.
This
newimportance
has
giventhe
go-aheadfor
vast changein
acceptableimagery.
"In
ourcentury
it
wasprobably Matisse
who with
his
great paintings of1918
re-openedour eyes not
only
to
the
possibilities ofblack,
but
alsoto
its
useby
great masters ofthe
past.Matisse
revealedblack
ascolor,
Picasso
demonstrated
its
expressive power andMondrian
usedit
as a carrier of symbolicabstract form."
1
Last
yearI
paintedprimarily
in black
and white.I
did
not useblack
as colorbut
as an object.Black,
I
think,
is
the
only
colorthat
canbe
usedthis way;
used as a
tool
to
createpattern,
spacial qualitiesand shapes without
any
or all ofthe
subjective qualities
found
within othercolors.
The
development
and use of color withinmy
workemerged as
the
form
ofmy
workopened.
Color
could notbe
used as an objectnow,
but
had
to
exist as adomain
in
which objectshave
to
live.
The
environments
which*I
created
for
the
nude consist of coloronly,
color whichis
of extremeimportance
in
serving
whatI
wishto
express.
1.
Henri
Matisse,
"Problems
in
Aesthetics.
"An
Introductory
Book
ofReadings.
Morris
Weitz,
ed.,
as quotedin
October
13
CANVAS
SIZE
A
canvas
of avery
large
size commands arespect not
found
in
a smallercanvas.
Por
this
reason alone
I
amdissatisfied
whenpainting
on asmall
canvas.
I
respect size whetherit
be
physical15
THE
SIMPLIFICATION
OF
THE FIGURE
I
cannot
adequately
expressthe
reasonswhy
I
simplify
the
figure
withinmy
paintings.I
supposeit
has
something
to
do
withpurifying
form
orheightened
awareness.
I
do, however,
know how
I
simplify
it
and
how it
developed.
Last
yearI
became
interested
in
the
processof
the
monoprint.I
wouldsimply
apply
pigmentto
aflat
glass surface and press aprinting
paperto
the
surface.
The
pigment wouldflow
underthe
pressureand would produce a
blotting
quality,
eliminating
all,
or most of
the
detail
withinthe
originaldrawing.
Using
this
technique
ofthe
monoprintI
began
a seriesof etchings
using
basically
the
same principal.But
rather
than
pull a printfrom
asurface,
I
would painta
lift
grounddirectly
ontothe
etching
plate,
andapply
pressureto
the
areasin
whichI
wantedthe
paintto
spread.The
quality
I
achieved seemedto
fit
andadvance
my
expression soI
continuedthis
quality
within
my
paintings.I
did,
however,
go onestep
further.
I
eliminatedthe
original steps andeventually
found
myself
synthetically
producing
the
effects ofmy
originalexperiments.
1
nolonger
blotted
pigmentfor
effectbut
paintedthe
blotting
qualitiesdirectly
onthe
canvas.
16
knowledge
gainedfrom
the
originalexperiments.
I
still
however,
willlet
the
paintflow
whenI
apply
17
SPACE,
TIME
AND
MOTION
I
enjoy
these
forms
wherethere
is
both
aknowledge
of space and
movement.
The
figure
seems attimes
to
be
at rest andin
motion.There
is
aquality
oftimelessness
here,
onefound
only
within space andthe
19
THE
EROTIC APPEAL
OP
THE NUDE
"There
is
an erotic appeal presentin
certainforms
ofartistic
expression
whichis
intregal
to
the
work and cannotbe
explained
withoutimpairing
if
notdestroying
its
aesthetic merit.This
is
especially
true
of artemploying
the
human
figure,
particularly
the
nude.Yet,
the
presence of powerful sensual appealis
hardly
surprising,
for
probably
no objectis
infused
with such emotionalmeaning
asthe
human
body.
And
this
is
transferred
with no effortto
representations
of andillusions
to
it.
Not
only
does
the
form
ofthe
body
have
aesthetically
sensousattraction;
the
function
ofits
membersdoes
as well.is
there
not abeauty
in
the
free
and graceful move mentin
the
body?
A
beauty
whichis
oerhapsbound
up
with its'
form?
"1
1.
Arnold
oerleant,
"The
Sensuous
andthe
Sensual
in
Aesthetics,"
The Journal Of
Aesthetics
andArt
21
FRAMES
AND
STRIPPINGS
The
use offrames
or strippings on most paintingsseem
to
act as afence
with a"keep
out"
or
"keep
in"sign attached.
The
artist seemsto
relishthe
environ
ment
he
has
created and wantsto
keep
it
apart
from
the
world.Most
advanced painterstoday
seemto
completely
eliminate
the
use ofthe
frame.
They
nolonger
wishto
eliminatethe
outside environmentfrom
their work.It
is
importantto
them
to
have
aninterplay
betweentheir work and
the
environment whereit
is
found.
With
the
elimination of aframe
a painting
can moreeasily
become
part ofthe
worldin
whichit
and22
CONCLUSIONS
This
paperhopefully
has
servedtwo
purposes;a
document
ofmy
workduring
the
last
ten
weeks,
andan
insight
into
the
feeling
andinvolvement
which23
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ber
leant,
Arnold.
"The
Sensuous
andthe
Sensual
in
Aesthetics."
The Journal
ofAesthetics
andArt
Criticism.
23:185
(Winter,
1964).
Gendin,
Sidney.
"The
Artists
Intention."The
Journal
Of
Aesthetics
andArt
Criticism.
23:196
(Winter,
1964).
Gragg,
Wilson
B.
Manual
ofManuscript
Style
ofState
University
College
ofEducation
atBuffalo.
Buffalo:
State
University
College
atbuffalo,
1959.
Matisse,
Henri.
"Problems
in
Aesthetics."An
Introductory
Book
Of
Readings.
Morris
Weitz,
ed. as quotedin
October
House.
Ben
Heller,
New
York,
1963.
Zupnick,
Irving.
"Parallels
to
Abstract
Art."The
Journal
ofAesthetics
andArt
Criticism.
23:1-4