Filed under: the progression of my research | Tags: art, Bird in Space, Constantin Brancusi, essence, sculpture
I decided to do a sculpture this week instead of a painting in order to observe whether or not I can see the things I have been learning this semester also within a sculpture and not just a painting. Constantin Brancusi, a sculptor of the 2oth century, aimed at capturing the essence of things rather than the things themselves in his art. While other sculptors around him were creating real life sculptures of humans, he was creating sculptures of the essence of flight, namely that of a bird. Here is an image of his sculpture titled, Bird in Space, which he felt captured the essence of the bird when in flight. He created this piece in 1928.
Brancusi is considered to be the creator of abstract sculpture (transmission), a form of sculpture that was not originally considered art (noise). The sender, Brancusi, has a message he is sending in this abstract sculpture. I feel, as the receiver, that he is suggesting that the essence of form can be identified in what the form does. A bird flies. At the essence of a bird is flight. Therefore, the essence of the bird is revealed when it flies. Likewise, I write. At the essence of my being is writing. Therefore, the essence of my being is revealed when I write. The essence of the hockey player is revealed in his or her playing hockey, and the essence of the teacher is revealed in his or her teaching. Others might perceive Brancusi’s sculpture to signify something else, maybe for instance that the complete lack of action within the action itself brings about the form’s essence, essence in this sense being something without form or doing. They might feel he had a different intention, one that is less body-centered and more spirit-centered. Whatever the case, this piece is a wonderful work of art I truly enjoy observing.
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