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").A330 : Representative works Work with quiet figures figures are formally and materially presented in a quiet way (Edward Hopper, Balthus, Edouard Pignon, P. Klossowski, Sam Szafran, A. Garcia Lopez, ...). A310 : Other figurative works Where the marginally figural meets the unconscious, visionary or surrealist imagination, all other unclassifiable representative works.
B axis : MATERIALITY How does the materiality of what is shown come across? (on a scale from more "immaterial" to more "real").B130 : Materiality in painting, but also with all other materials with the following possibilities: unstructured slight materiality colours and material are more or less understated, diluted, evanescent, playing with their transparence (Zao Wou Ki, Olivier Debré, …). B230 : Materiality in painting, but also with all other materials with the following possibilities: Structured structured combinations any combinations of lines, colours, matter or volumes of a more structured type (Michail Heizer, Anish Kapoor, Miguel Barceló, ...).
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", ...).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, ...), ... C140 : towards the intellectual side/ the essence of things inward looking work chiefly oriented towards: fantasmagoric fantasies of all types, be they sexual, social, religious or any other type, so long as there is formal mastery (from Georgia O'Keeffe to Annette Messager, through Clovis Trouille, ...).
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").D130 : via what is meaningful based on the idea that work on what symbolizes forms an intentional message in itself (for example: Daniel Dezeuze's "Stretchers", etc., etc., ...). by variations in execution seriality, multiplication (Claude Viallat, Niele Toroni, "figurines" by Antony Gormley, ...), accumulation or compression (J. Chamberlain, Arman, César, ...), subtleties and variability of the material (Rober Ryman's "Whites"; dissolutions of "matter / life" by Roman Opalka or by On Kawara; Gilberto Zorio, ...). AMIGUET Jean www.jeanamiguet.com |