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").A240 : Allusive inclusion of figures (or real objects ) in the abstract More or less realistic figurative elements, more or less important but not going beyond details in a predominantly abstract work (Fernand Léger, Jan Voss, Antoni Tàpies, W. De Kooning, the "Combine Paintings" of R.Rauschenberg, ...).
B axis : MATERIALITY How does the materiality of what is shown come across? (on a scale from more "immaterial" to more "real").B220 : Materiality in painting, but also with all other materials with the following possibilities: Structured predominance of volumes particularly in sculpture and assemblages. Specially for "Minimal Art" and its derivatives (Sol Le Witt, Tony Smith, …). 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,...). B210 : Materiality in painting, but also with all other materials with the following possibilities: Structured with materials predominant their thickness, composition or the way they are worked as structures (the way they are "built up") are here the most important aspect (Eugène Leroy, Bertrand Lavier, ...).
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", ...).C130 : towards the intellectual side/ the essence of things inward looking work chiefly oriented towards: l'introspective inner landscapes, emotions, feelings (Arpad Szenes, ...), serenity (Yves Klein's "Monochromes", ...), equilibrium ("mandalas" of Augustin Lesage or Adolf Wölfli, ...), memory (Boltenski "boxes", ...). 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, ...). C160 : tending towards the corporeal / the senses via expression with "humanity" (the passage from Life to Death) - in a literal manner (John de Andrea, Duane Hanson, Itsvan Sandorfi, ...) - or a symbolic manner (James Ensor, G. Rouault, F. Gruber, Zoran Music, Rebeca Stevenson, Jan Vercruysse, ...), ...
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, ...). JIHEL www.jihel-sculpture.com |