I am slowly learning that Romanesque art is not for me. This page is undeniably
beautiful, but for my tastes the phrase “over the top” still isn’t in the
ballpark. I do appreciate the level of detail; this far into my education I
can’t think of a single work that is more intricate. Unfortunately, there is way
too much going on to be able to take it all in properly. The combination of
complementary color and dense outline does “raise” letterforms from their
surroundings. The repeated use of rolling, circular components withing circular
forms, combined with the overly-generous use of gold, causes the page to seem
to roil and glow. |
I’m going out on a limb and stating that this is one of the single-greatest works of objective abstraction created in western culture. Figurative, realistic forms can be found, but they are subtly blended into the complicated design. The letter forms, defined by black-outer and red-inner calligraphic strokes, separate themselves from the ocean of swirling gold that is the background, and become the subject. The design is so intricate that there is conflict between the peaceful intention of the page and the churning energy the design creates. My guess is the work was planned on an area-to-area basis.
Glowing, warm color doesn’t completely carry this work, but comes close. It is patterned, textured, and given breathing life by rounded, circular forms and an area-by-area sense of balance. The use of color (complementary red-green) is as controlled as the the use of gold is generous. To say the decorative embellishment of the Greek phonograms overpower their meaning is almost offensive.
Forms affect each other with tension and in moments seem to push against each other, causing them to rotate. All intuitively seem to be viewed from a perpendicular top-down perspective. The result is a shallow composition that implies depth more than expected when each compositional choice is considered individually.
This work seems “top-heavy”. That is, the distribution of circular forms, and the lopsided character intrinsic to the Greek letter Rho, places most pictorial “weight” in the upper half of the picture plane. A radial pattern of pictorial movement, starting in the counter of the dominant character, conflicts with the vertical orientation of the page and letterforms. This is not a distraction, but an interest-generating strength.
The combination of the perpendicularly-angled iota and the colossal and curvaceous Rho letterforms is the greatest compositional strength of this page. Another is in how the circular motifs are constructed. They are solid, yet organic in tone, more delicate and sensitive to their surroundings than rigid and harsh. They seem to number beyond count, and while each one is very specific to itself, the manner in which they blend together to create a flowing, ocean-like background is standard-setting.
A handful of unending calligraphics lines are relied on to create compositional fusion and contrasts with such grace that their importance is blended. They create the rounded and curved forms that dominate the picture plane, as does global harmony. The unbridled dominance of mid/light value is a weakness of this work. Negative space does not exist. Both can be tiring to the eyes.
Clearly the exhaustive effort required to build this work is to be respected, which can be said of most visual expression, but the formal design and embellishment here established has rightfully taken it's place in the timeline of western art. The masterful, complicated level of detail, of motifs-within-shapes-within-designs, is arguably standard setting even with the advantages of technology and workflow we have today.
I’m going out on a limb and stating that this is one of the single-greatest works of objective abstraction created in western culture. Figurative, realistic forms can be found, but they are subtly blended into the complicated design. The letter forms, defined by black-outer and red-inner calligraphic strokes, separate themselves from the ocean of swirling gold that is the background, and become the subject. The design is so intricate that there is conflict between the peaceful intention of the page and the churning energy the design creates. My guess is the work was planned on an area-to-area basis.
Glowing, warm color doesn’t completely carry this work, but comes close. It is patterned, textured, and given breathing life by rounded, circular forms and an area-by-area sense of balance. The use of color (complementary red-green) is as controlled as the the use of gold is generous. To say the decorative embellishment of the Greek phonograms overpower their meaning is almost offensive.
Forms affect each other with tension and in moments seem to push against each other, causing them to rotate. All intuitively seem to be viewed from a perpendicular top-down perspective. The result is a shallow composition that implies depth more than expected when each compositional choice is considered individually.
This work seems “top-heavy”. That is, the distribution of circular forms, and the lopsided character intrinsic to the Greek letter Rho, places most pictorial “weight” in the upper half of the picture plane. A radial pattern of pictorial movement, starting in the counter of the dominant character, conflicts with the vertical orientation of the page and letterforms. This is not a distraction, but an interest-generating strength.
The combination of the perpendicularly-angled iota and the colossal and curvaceous Rho letterforms is the greatest compositional strength of this page. Another is in how the circular motifs are constructed. They are solid, yet organic in tone, more delicate and sensitive to their surroundings than rigid and harsh. They seem to number beyond count, and while each one is very specific to itself, the manner in which they blend together to create a flowing, ocean-like background is standard-setting.
A handful of unending calligraphics lines are relied on to create compositional fusion and contrasts with such grace that their importance is blended. They create the rounded and curved forms that dominate the picture plane, as does global harmony. The unbridled dominance of mid/light value is a weakness of this work. Negative space does not exist. Both can be tiring to the eyes.
Clearly the exhaustive effort required to build this work is to be respected, which can be said of most visual expression, but the formal design and embellishment here established has rightfully taken it's place in the timeline of western art. The masterful, complicated level of detail, of motifs-within-shapes-within-designs, is arguably standard setting even with the advantages of technology and workflow we have today.
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