Dynamic Abstraction
Ever since the advent of abstract art, there has always been a recurring desire in the minds of many artists, the recreation of dynamism on the static canvas. This desire has proven to be nothing but an insurmountable obstacle for many. However, history shows us cases of artists that successfully accomplished this feat.
Firstly, we can make reference to Wassily Kandinsky. His paintings were inarguably some of the first to explore the connection and relationship between form, sound, and color in an attempt to recreate dynamism. For example, the painting Three Sounds clearly emphasizes the use of musical analogy. Now, given that music can only exist within a time frame, we can argue that no musical representation would be possible without time. In this case, the artist generates a sense of dynamism, which assumes the passage of time, by means of his use of form and color.
Secondly, we can explore other examples of dynamism in the works of Piet Mondrian. It is important to note that contrary to Kandinsky's analogies of music, Mondrian's desire concern the emulation of his ideal of architecture. He achieves this deed "solely through form and color, in mutually balanced relations." However, when making use of these elements it is of the utmost importance to comply with the fundamental laws that shape the art. He makes reference to a dynamic equilibrium "which is opposed to the static equilibrium necessitated by the particular form. The important task then of all art is to destroy the static equilibrium by establishing a dynamic one. Non-figurative art demands an attempt of what is a consequence of this task, the destruction of particular form and the construction of a rhythm of mutual relations, of mutual forms or free lines. We must bear in mind, however, a distinction between these two forms of equilibrium in order to avoid confusion; for when we speak of equilibrium pure and simple we may be for, and at the same time against, a balance in the work of art." (Piet Mondrian, "Plastic Art & Pure Plastic Art", British Journal Circle 1937)
Thirdly, we can highlight the work of Marcel Duchamp. Duchamp's early work aligns with Post-Impressionist styles. However he experimented with classical techniques and subjects, as well as with Cubism and Fauvism. It is of particular interest to us the period during which he became involved with a group that came to be known as the Puteaux Group. It is during this period that Duchamp would experiment with the Cubist style, but after becoming uninterested with it, he would start to explore alternative concepts, like motion, which he would recreate by using repetitive imagery. He would become fascinated with the ideas of transition, change, movement, and distance, which would in turn lead him to devise his "mechanistic" work. This style would show elements of both the fragmentation and synthesis of the Cubists, and the movement and dynamism of the Futurists.
All of the examples mentioned above serve the purpose of not only conveying the difficulty present in the task of recreating dynamism on the static canvas, but also highlighting the diversity of solutions provided to the problem in question. On this note, it is pertinent to address now the work of Mr Osvaldo Mariscotti.
First of all, as is the case with Kandinsky and Mondrian, Mariscotti creates analogies with the elements in his pieces. In this case, instead of music or architecture, the artist portrays an entity surrounded by an environment. In his paintings we are able to notice a center piece, the individual, the leading role, that changes and gets shaped by the setting and circumstances that surround it. In Mariscotti's work, therefore, the sense of dynamism is created by the original form or body that changes, and as a result becomes something different, a different form.
Several elements can be said to characterize Mariscotti's work. First and foremost is the center piece, which is always portrayed in either black or white. This is the element that changes as a consequence of the medium it is in, the actor whose journey we follow along the canvas. Second, but no less important, is the environment itself, represented by the colors. These environments are closed, thus not enabling the actor to escape them. Third, and this is key, are the rings and shades that surround the center pieces. These rings symbolize the friction that occurs when a change takes place. This friction comes about as a result of the conflict that exists every time a change takes place, causing the actor to resist and fight back. The rings and shades therefore generate a vibration, an underlying tension that occurs when changes are imposed on these individuals, and thus materialize an innate dynamic, and constant change. The fourth and final element in Mariscotti's work is the use of different planes. This particular construction succeeds in conferring a sense of spatial orientation, which is executed with simple pencil lines scattered across the canvas providing mobility to the elements.
Given these elements, then, how does dynamic abstraction evolve in Mariscotti's works? It does by means of the extensive and complex interaction between these elements. The black (or white) elements, the actors, which represent the entity, start out as indefinite shapes, as a newborn child, able to be molded by the environment. However, by interacting with various landscapes, the colored panels, the once-shapeless entity takes form, changes, adapts, and grows. While each panel represents a sort of microsphere or terrarium, not unlike the immediate environment of any interactive being, other neighboring panels can also exert an influence. This type of force-at-a-distance, which, like gravity, helps bring a certain order about, sets a collection of unseen laws that permeate and structure the entire work.
Mariscotti therefore brings about a new type of dynamic abstraction. With a fantastic combination of color and shape, Mariscotti creates a universe within a universe, where individuals can be born, grow, and because of the constant struggle, change and adapt. This struggle is inherent to the corresponding surrounding which can only be withdrawn after overcoming the necessary obstacles. Mariscotti's work is therefore an analogy for life, which exemplifies the constant struggle that every individual faces. It is a struggle which is brought about by the environment and that is therefore impossible to avoid, but by its inevitability, forces the individual to change constantly. Thus, in Mariscotti's work, change is not a means to an end, but the inevitable reality.
