_Emotion and Intellect giacometti vs rodcheckow _
By: Johnathan Stone
There is a great difference in art between emotion and intellect. They are two
completely separate elements. Art that is emotional tends to be stirring and
raw- it provokes an immediate reaction in the viewer. Art that is intellectual
is deeper, it requires thought and time to chew on- to comprehend. To be
successful a piece of art must contain both elements. Both Alberto
Giacomettis Woman with Her Throat Cut and Alexadr Rodchenkos Oval Hanging
Construction No. 12 are successful pieces of art- but they contain the
elements of emotion and intellect in vastly different proportions.
Giacomettis work is instantly stirring. It is abstract, yet the implications
of the forms, especially when combined with the knowledge of the title are
immediate. Its emotion speaks loudly and clearly. Rodchenkos work is
intellect all the way. The work is cleverly constructed- it is geometric
analytical and very calculated. It explores and provokes the viewer in a very
different way from that of Giacomettis work. The constructivists as a group
were vastly different than the surrealists. The Constructivists analyzed,
prodded, tested and assessed- while the surrealists seemed play and mess
around- making art into a random act trying to hash out the unconscious.
Rodchenkos section in the constructivist organization was called the
objective analysis group. The bases of the analysis were the structural
elements and laws of composition used in the creation of a work. The effects
of this return to the roots are clearly evident in Rodchenkos spatial
constructionsThe surrealists were doing their own investigation into the
creative process. At surrealist meetings led chiefly by Breton, pseudo
psychoanalytical questions were asked of the members- seemingly to help them
to emphasize the role of the unconscious in their creative methods.
Giacomettis work is not utilitarian- nor does it attempt to be attainable by
the common people as Rodchenkos work does. Woman With Her Throat Cut is a
study in conflicting emotions. Giacometti himself states that the piece was
based upon a need to find a solution between things that were full and calm,
and clear and violent Giacometti goes on to state that part of the solution
was to depict objects moving in opposite directions. It lies on the floor,
darkly disturbing in its implications. The woman lies bare- triangular forms
suggesting a spine are open to the air. She is twisted and used. The curved
forms combined with sharp tooth like points create a very mixed message.
Sometimes described as insectoid and predatorial because of these sharp
angles- the work nevertheless is equally flowing. These sharp angles and
insectoid features are connected by smooth liquid sweeps of curvilinear
shapes. This is an especially interesting contrast around the womans belly.
The smooth arch of the abdomen arches over the jagged edges of Giacomettis
triangular peaks- divided by empty space. Often interpreted by critics as a
fantasy of Giacomettis, the work suggests sexuality (namely rape) and
violence . Picasso and Lipchitz influenced the original version. Giacomettis
work all seems to have a similar flavor. Most of his pieces in this time
period seem to be about some fantasy or another. Rodchenko is not necessarily
trying to deceive his viewers, but by painting the surface of his plywood he
is definitely trying to change how his work is viewed as a material piece. The
silver paint imitates metal. But the work itself is made of plywood. This use
of materials is quite characteristic of the constructivist movement started by
Tatlin. The Constructivists strove to combine industry art and production.
Their ideas went hand in hand with the young version of communism newly
emerged in power. Most of the early constructivist pieces were produced with
communist goals in mind. What the constructivists were trying to do was to
essentially redefine the role of art in the world. They wanted art to be
useful to everyone- not just visible in a museum. Their ideas were radical,
but the actual change to the nature of the art world and the role of art in
society was slow. Oval hanging construction is part of a series of spatial
structures all based on concentric geometry. This series was first exhibited
at the third OMBKhU exhibition (Society of Young Artists) Rodchenko was
exploring space with these works- more specifically, the bridge between two
and three dimensions. All the works hung from the ceiling- and all had the
dynamic ability to collapse flat. This feature was at the same time incredibly
practical. It was exactly the kind of idea that constructivists strove for.
Dynamism is one of the most important features in Rodchenkos work. The
potential for movement in all of these pieces creates an interesting
similarity with Giacomettis woman. Giacomettis woman moves, the lines
and angles created by the legs seem to twist and writhe. It can be seen as a
struggle- the last twitching of a person near death. The way the geometric
elements are connected suggests movement as well through the sweeping curves
combined with the sharp angles of the joints Rodchenko and Giacometti are
vastly different artists, and come from vastly different movements. One is
intensely based on dreams and feelings- Giacomettis work is strongly based on
the unconscious fantasy of rape and violence. Rodchenkos piece is practical.
It is thought out, calculated to economize art by creating a cheap and
practical art object that is appealing to every eye. The piece even folds up
to a convenient size for storage and setup, while maintaining very valid
reasons for being looked at. Rodchenko is decidedly part of a group-
Giacometti seems like more of a free agent. He works for himself and his
subject matter is very personal, whereas Rodchenko works to create
universality in his art, and in art in general. Both pieces contain movement
in different ways. In Rodchenkos work it is the potential for kinetic motion
that adds to the piece. The construction hangs from the ceiling- using space
completely differently from Giacomettis floor dwelling sprawled figure.
Giacomettis piece moves by its linear sweeps and combinations of elongated
shapes. Both pieces are strongly influenced by the movements of their
contemporaries. Giacomettis fantasy of violence and rape fits perfectly with
other works of surrealist sculptors and painters. Rodchenko is practically a
flagship for the constructivists. Everything he produces during this stage in
his development is strongly influenced and influences strongly his group. Both
sculptures use different materials. Rodchenkos piece is somewhat unique in
the fact that wood- especially plywood was not commonly used for sculptures.
_Bibliography _
1. Chipp, Herchel, ed. Theories In Modern Art, Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1978 2. Art Into Life: Russian Constructivism 1914-1932, New
York: Rozzoli, 1990 3. Exhibition of Paintings, Sculptures, Drawings, Pierre
Matisse Gallery, New York 4. Fletcher, Valerie Alberto Giacometti 1901-1966,
Washington D.C.: The Hirshorn Museum, 1988 5. Hohl, Reinhold Alberto
Giacometti, London: Thames and Hudson, 1972 6. Khan-Magomedov, Selim
Rodchenko: The complete Work, Cambridge: MIT, 1987 7. Lodder, Christina
Russian Constructivism, New Haven: Yale, 1983 8. Lord, James A Giacometti
Portrait, McGraw Hill, 1965
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