The study herein aims to explain the origin and meaning of 'damaged and distorted body image' which is frequently appeared in modern paintings based on Georges Bataille's Informe theory and transfiguration of media theory.
'Informe', one of the key ...
The study herein aims to explain the origin and meaning of 'damaged and distorted body image' which is frequently appeared in modern paintings based on Georges Bataille's Informe theory and transfiguration of media theory.
'Informe', one of the key words in this paper is quoted from Bataille's terminology. This concept indicates dismantling situation which the boundary between form and background and myself and others is collapsed. Informe noticed by Bataille indicates distortion of the form and disproportionate status, which is applicable to the concept which dismantle all categories. He discovered the possibility of human freedom from this dismantlement. Bataille's thought related to Informe was continued to not only anti-structuralism theorists such as Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, etc, but also critics who were influenced by their philosophy such as Hal Foster, Rosalind Krauss, etc, which became one of theoretical backgrounds of modern art.
Bataille's Informe theory refuses a body image as a perfect category and closed boundary. It, then, requires damaged and distorted body image. Jean Dubuffet's debris body image who insisted to restore to barbarian state is a representative example which Informe theory is visually demonstrated. However, visualization of Informe type from Bataille should challenge perfect deterioration from original object with full denial for partial preservation of body. Jean Dubuffet's work which is still staying at actual material world shows a partial limit to visually demonstrate ?FInforme'. The paper is to discover the possibility to overcome the limit from digital world which new media is advent and fully developed.
New digital media replaced closed and completed logic of image to mobile and variable image logic. Transfiguration is the word which represent this mobile and variable logic. Transfiguration concept above is especially suitable to indicate a group of works to find present Informe possibility from new digital medias. From this new painting work, conventional completed body image can be broken anytime, and it is also replaced to a different object anytime. In other words, Image which does not have original copy, duplication of shape and the problem of transformation are coming into the limestone of modernization. The meanings and its representative artists were categorized and their art works were analyzed in this paper in terms of which advent of image which its originality can not be identified is varied to transformation or transfiguration. The art works of German neo-expressionists artists, Sigmar Polke, David Salle and media artist, Jeffrey Shaw who have been being focused by transformation of image by media work in early period were selected for the target of research analysis.
The analysis for research art works in the aspect of Informe theory and transfiguration in accordance with the result of discussion based on the understanding about dismantlement which became theoretical background of post-modernism painting. Especially, on the result of dismantlement theory organized with Jacques Derrida, the art works analysis were carried out in the order from formative semiology of Jean Marie Floch and meaning analysis network of Bernard Cocula and Claude Peyroutet.
Simply, Informe paintings and transfiguration paintings as an extension of Informe paintings are the art form and principle which impugned the whole fixed and manipulated frames. Under the logic of common idea for Informe paintings and transfiguration paintings, the paper herein is trying to examine the origin, its logic and meanings of "overturned, damaged and distorted body image” frequently appearing at modern paintings, which is suggested through the purpose of research.
When Informe and transfiguration is actively connected with the possibility of new medias, it is clearly true that it will reach to artistic foundation which has never been reached. The writer of this paper has carried out to expand the range of expression in accordance with active participation to dramatically changing media circumstance. Visualization of the possibility of Informe in new medias and visual circumstance was available through this. By analyzing the result through objective analysis frame, it could be finally confirmed the works herein is one of new tasks which modern painting is confronting.