visual grammar

(I quote from the previous blog.   Tuesday, January 22, 2019) visual grammar (visible grammar): How modern was Cezanne syntactically? A picture usually started for drawing animal and human shapes. The shapes always become simplified. There are several steps in formalization of drawing. The artists' awareness of shape develops like these:   1) A string of line is made of a chain of curves each of which has different            curvature.   2) A curve with a single curvature is an arc.   3) The circles which are the extension of the arcs can be easily adjusted to have balance.   4) The number of circles should be small to be harmonious.   5) The crossing point of the circles is important for balancing.   6) The crossing  point on a line makes unified look.   7)  The unit of a circle and vertical-horizontal diameters makes easier to control the whole balance. It is almost unbelievable that Cez...

 Modern artists like Arp, Mondrian and Picasso used the same techniques to create harmony and balance. This time I trace back how they rediscovered the a priori grammar. According to Saussure, the words used in everyday life are variations (parole) used by each person and are based on an a priori grammar (langue). This can be applied to the visual grammar of paintings. Most of paintings are parole, and only the masterpieces can be said to reach Langue's level. The circle- cross model on the checkered pattern shown in the previous blog has indicated the highest level of design, which I call the perfect design model. Arp Mondrian Picasso  Matisse's Dance Paintings I and II allow us to compare freely drawn painting and designed painting. It is clear that all the nude figures in Dance II were redrawn in the same manner as the nude figure on the left in Dance I. You can see that the curve has a clear bend and is made up of a limited circular arc. This technique is clearly i...