The classification provides four or more codes placed on four axis (A - formalism, B - matériality, C - involvement body/mind, D - communication). These codes are positionning the artist in the art history. A axis : FORMALISM When looking at the work, what type of formalisation first strikes the eye? Is it more abstract or more figurative, etc ? (on a scale from more "immaterial" to more "realist").A210 : Abstracts with signs The work as a whole remains abstract but includes (or consists entirely of): signs forming writing: writing without meaning the sign as an abstract shape placed in the composition of the pictorial space (R.Motherwell, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Christian Dotremont, Cy Twombly, ...). A220 : Abstracts with signs The work as a whole remains abstract but includes (or consists entirely of): signs forming writing: writing with meaning the "Letterists" (Isidore Isou, Maurice Lemaitre, …) to the "Conceptuals" (Joseph Kossuth, Roman Opalka, …); writing ranging from the most formalist to pure communication (Ben, On Kawara, Barbara Kruger, ...).
B axis : MATERIALITY How does the materiality of what is shown come across? (on a scale from more "immaterial" to more "real").B180 : Materiality in painting, but also with all other materials with the following possibilities: mixed materiality: structured / unstructured when a work is "structured" in its "lack of structure", and vice versa (repetition of forms, signs, matter ... Viallat, Toroni, Degottex, Hantaï,...). B190 : Materiality in painting, but also with all other materials with the following possibilities: Structured lines / flat areas / Drawing Strong lines bounding coloured areas, or the drawings contained within (R.Indiana, P. Stampfli, V. Adami, H. Télémaque, M. Sanejouand, Aki Kuroda,...). Or importance of "line" in the drawing (Hans Bellmer, Pierre Klossowski, J.L.Guitard,...). B200 : Materiality in painting, but also with all other materials with the following possibilities: Structured with colours predominant with their intrinsic or symbolic strength, (Monory's "blues", G.Fromanger's "reds") historical or social meaning etc., and their structuring, the colours here are the most important (Jules Olitsky, Peter Halley, ...).
C axis : INVOLVEMENT BODY/ MIND With what body:mind ratio does the artist enter into his work? Classify from the most "intellectual" (e.g."Concept Art"...) to the most "physical" (e.g. "Body Art", ...).C110 : towards the intellectual side/ the essence of things conceptual levels specific questionings from Bruce Naumann to Daniel Buren; the "Art System" questions its own foundations or its history (C.M Mariani, Wim Delvoye, Komar et Melamid, ...). C190 : tending towards the corporeal / the senses the work as the result of an action gestural the work as the result of a bodily movement, chiefly a hand movement: from Jackson Pollock's "Dripping" to Georges Mathieu's "Lyrical Abstraction", L. Fontana's "perforations" to the flayed figures of V. Vélickovic.
D axis : COMMUNICATION Does the artist have the deliberate intention to convey a message of any sort through his work? (classified from the most "mystical" to the most "worldly").D110 : via what is meant with various spiritual or less marked religious influences (from Barnett Newman to Mark Rothko, from Roman Opalka to Arnulf Rainer, ...). D115 : via what is meant in various narrations or symbolisms whatever they may be allegorical, metaphorical (J. Beuys' "materials", ...), analytical (Mario Merz's "Fibonacci series", or those of Robert Filliou, ...), critical (from Henri Cueco to Hans Haacke or Guillaume Bijl, ...). CHAPAGRE www.eurolibe.eu |