Arp's shape is very formal

As scientific art theory is a hypothesis, only the analysis of each work can confirm itself.
So far I have shown that Sharaku( Hokusai) and modern artist like Matisse, Picasso, Klee,and Modigliani used the same compositional technique called circle-cross method.

Arp was a Dadaist and Sur-realist who also made organic abstract art.
His method of automatic drawing is well known but some works seem to be very formal.
Any work tends to become refined with clear shape when the same pattern is drawn   repeatedly.
Arp in later years made a portfolio [Toward the infinite White].
As it seems that each work has no title I made provisional titles for them.

(ancient Venus)

                                    Arp [Toward the infinite White]
Though the image is like a statue,
the shape on the format  is very balanced.
The effect must come from the hidden structure.
It can be confirmed by the circle-cross model.

                               Arp [Toward the infinite White] circle-cross model A

The largest orange red units make the curves of the thighs.
The unit which covers most of the area is the basic.
 On the horizontal diameter of this unit,
1) the purple unit is placed attaching the large circle inward.
2) the three units (green, purple and sky blue) touch one another vertically.

On the vertical diameter of the same unit,
1) the green unit is placed,
2) passing the center of the green unit, a blue purple unit is placed on the left
    and the orange unit is attached on the left.
    The three units are lined horizontally.

 (Two human figures)

                             Arp [Toward the infinite White]

On sign level we see two human figures overlapping.
We can see some geometrical characteristics without the aid of models.
1) The top human figure has five concave and the bottom human figure has four         concave.
2) There is one straight segment in the top shape and three in the bottom shape.
3) Both of the contours are made of a few curves in different curvatures.
4) Some of the curvatures look the same.
5)  Two top convexes in top shape are smaller .

The balance of the two shapes is so good that I guess the two were designed at the same time.
The circle-cross model can confirm it.

                       Arp [Toward the infinite White] circle-cross model B

The largest unit has two different hues for explanation sake.
1) These lines written below intersect at one point;
    the extension of straight line segment in the top figure
    the orange red circle for the right side arm of of the top figure
    the orange red circle for the left side of the head of the bottom figure
    the red circle for the right arm of the top figure

2) The purple unit is on the vertical diameter.
    Another purple unit is attached at the right side and on this horizontal line the red circle for  the right side of the head of the top figure is attached.

(face without eyes)

                            Arp [Toward the infinite White]
This is typically organic abstraction.

                            Arp [Toward the infinite White] circle-cross model]
I made the second largest unit in two colors.
The two intersecting darker pink units are lined vertically.
They are passing the center of each.
The two intersecting brighter units are lined horizontally on the horizontal diameter of one of the largest brown units.
The horizontal diameters the pink units are on the horizontal diameter of of another brown unit.
The bottom loop inside the large loop is made of horizontally lined units (  blue, yellow green and yellow).

[Three larvaes ]

                          Arp [Toward the infinite White]
Though the surface line looks rough, the basic structure is very geometrical.

                          Arp [Toward the infinite White] circle-cross model]
The largest unit (yellow ocher) is basic.
1) Yellow green circle and pink circle are passing the center of the unit.
2) Another yellow green unit is on the horizontal diameter.

The two pink units making the tail part of the bottom shape are overlapping horizontally.
The lower part of the same shape is made of the same sized unit (pink).
On the vertical diameter of this unit, two pink units are placed.
One is attached to the bottom pink unit and green blue unit is intersected with the top pink unit.

Alfred Bar's diagram shows that modern art converges to two: non-geometrical abstract art, geometrical abstract art.
As the non-geometrical abstract art was originated from Dada and Sur-realism in the diagram,  Arp's organic abstract art is classified as non-abstract art.

The notion that every living thing are made of cells made unified biology.
Likewise the fact that every artistic shape are made of arcs can unify artworks.
Artists became aware that the drawing usually becomes a chain of a few curves when they drew a simplified shape.
There is no such difference between organic shape and abstract shape.

The reason why such difference became important is that Euclid geometry has been required subject at school for long period.
Archimedes's method of measuring area of irregular shape: slicing the shape into thin rectangles and the top and bottom pieces as triangles.
This type of geometry is more general.
The most basic thinking is neither verbal nor literal but visual.
I searched images online for difference between organic and geometric shape.
and I found so many illustrations, among which I chose one.

                                    Visual Arts: Organic and geometric shapes

                                    visualartspdsf.blogspot.com
These two organic shapes in the illustration can easily drawn with a chain of arcs as they are drawn simplified.
Cezanne's apples are more consciously made of a few arcs as he sought for balance.
The difference between organic shape and geometrical shape is the number of curves we identify on the contour of shape.

[Who is Sharaku ?]Ⅸ syntactic device for harmonization in art

                                [ Daidozan Dohyoiri]                            

                                          top  MOA museum collection

                                          bottom  Takamizawa's Taisho Reprint

MOA museum in Japan has one of the last works by Sharaku.

I have seen the reproduction of this horizontally oblong picture several times without paying so much attention.

Acording to the commentary the sumo-wrestlers are watching the child sumo-wrestler in the ring.

As an illustrstion there are several mistakes: both sides of the ring are missing; the  poles are too narrow to hide the back of the sword-carriers.

 Recently I found  this Takamizawa's Taisho Reprint of [Daidozan Dohyoiri] online

and realized this is a masterpiece when it is seen as three pieces side by side.

Obviously the three pictures are not to be connected but to be put side by side like the reprint.

Three pannels look very harmonious in spite of separated pictures because they are made of the same circle-arcs, which the model can confirm us.

                            Shraku  [Daidozan]  left  circle-arc model

                            Sharaku  [Daidozan]  left  arc model

                            Sharaku  Daidozan]  center  circle-arc model

                            Sharaku  [Daidozan]  center  arc model

                            Sharaku  [Daidozan  right  circle-arc model

                            Sharaku  [Daidozan  right  arc model

Puting the three circle models together, we can check the relation on the basic structure level.

I have shown that Sharaku always used the largest circle and the second largest circle to make basic structure.

As we see no conection of the two circles(red brown and yellow)between the three panels it is obvious that each work was structured separately.

The use of unit arcs creates sense of harmony.

Great artists start using the grammar unconsciously.

Some of them eventually reach the level of syntax.

Modern art era was the age of syntax.

This century is the time of analyzing the digital images of the all masterpieces in art history.

Then, I hope, we can restart making unique artworks.

AI chess player beat the human champion.

The chess champion became less heroic.

But  the maker of the AI is the new champion.

[Who is Sharaku?] Ⅷ syntactic device can Identify who painted

Nine block copies of ”Sumo-e" by　Sharaku have been neglected.

They exist only as photographs because they are lost by the Great kanto Earthquake.

Besides some people think they are fakes.

As the digital images are available I try to identify them by the syntactic structure.

                               Sharaku  [Jinmaku]  sumou-e

In the circle-arc model the most slow curve( brown ) can be seen on the lower part.

                          Sharaku  [Jinmaku]  sumou-e  circle-arc model

To  see the pivots easier I made green circle-arc model.

                             Sharaku  [Jinmaku]  green circle-arc model

Then I made the three circles deeper green and thicker to see  four pivot points easier.

Next model is orange red circle-arc model

                  Sharaku  [Jinmaku]  orange red circle-arc model

On this model I noticed that the five different sized circles (purple, green , orange , red and red ocher) intersect at a point on the left.

Let me make models of another sumo-e[Raiden] to find the same device.

       Sharaku  [Raiden]                            

This is more ornamental.

                                    Sharaku  [Raiden] circle-arc model

The same circle is used to make the stripe pattern of the left person's kimono and the outline of the right person's kimono .

                           Sharaku  [Raiden]  blue circle-arc model

                          Sharaku  [Raiden]  a pivot with four circles

The four different circles (purple,green,orange and red brown) intersect at a point ( large black cross).

And the green circle has three pivots.

Here is  a whole body portrait by Sharaku which has a typical syntactic devices.

                    Sharaku  [Yamasita Kinsaku] detail  circle-arc model

There are three devices which can be found in the sumo-e.

a) The largest brown circle intersects at the point(blue cross)bwith the three smaller circles(pink,green and orange red).

b)The largest brown circles and pink circles make many pivots (Yellow crosses and light blue crosses).

c)The pink circle which I made brighter has six pivots.

The pivot device is  also used for [Osiokuri-hato-tusen-no-zu (Namiura first version)] by Sori(Hokusai), about which I wrote previous time.

    Sori( Hokusai)  [Namiura first version]

The four circles (yellow, green, red and light blue) intersect at the point(pivot) on the upper left.
This is the same technique seen in the two sumo-e.

This sumo-e series turned out to be very important experimental works to establish Sori's mature style.

 I assert that Hokusai under the name of Sharaku executed one hundred sixty works more or less.

Picasso's geometrical spirit in 1932 invented syntactical device

                         Picasso  Reclining Nude series in 1932
Picasso is said to have written the date of execution in the bottom side of the picture for the convenience of future researchers.
The catalog numbers which are based on the date can be used as the titles of the picture.
I arranged the digital images online by the title of [Reclining Nude] .
The digital image is a new medium of art in this century.
To study Picasso the titling is important because each work  is different experiment.
Each has unique design.
[Reclining Nude 32-042] which has solid balance like archaic sculpture seems to be made of simple scale.
I start with this picture as it looks obvious that Picasso used a sort of device like circle- rulers.

Picasso  [Reclining Nude 32-042] / circle-arc model /scale

The model shows that  three compositional techniques are used:
1) The design is made of limited circles. (scale)
2) There are points on which more than three circles intersect. (pivot)
3) More than three  pivots are lined. (pivot lining)
I have already explained about these three techniques.

                                   Picasso [Reclining Nude 32-042] circle-arc model
As I recognize another technique in this simple model,
 I made the largest circle(red) thicker.

                                      Picasso [Reclining Nude 32-042] largr circle-cross model
A circle with the horizontal and vertical diameters can make a unit which I call circle-cross unit.
The extended circle of the left foot can be moved down vertically to match the extended circle of the right foot .
The circle of the left arm can be moved to match the neck.

                                      Picasso  [Reclining Nde 32-042]  pink circle- cross model
Pink circle-cross units also are used  the same way.
The circle of the right thigh can be moved to match the left leg.
And sliding it to the left, it can be matched to the circle of the left arm.
The circle of the left upper arm can be moved to match the back side of the head.




In the next picture  the limbs are exaggerated.

                             Picasso [Reclining Nude 32-053]

                     Picasso  [Reclining Nude 32-053]  circle-cross model
Four different-sized circles (blue. orange, green, purple) make the basic  structure.
The largest light blue circles are the most important for the basic structure.
I made one sky blue circle deep colored to make it easier to see.
All the blue arcs are within the triangle which is made by connecting the three points (the top right corner, lower right corner and lower left corner).
Two intersecting points of the blue circles (pivots) are outside of the frame and one is on the right side.
One of the third largest green unit and two forth largest purple units are lined on the horizontal diameter of the deep blue unit.

                      Picasso [Reclining Nude 32-058]

                      Piasso [Reclining Nude 32-058] circle-cross model

                     Picasso  [Reclining Nude 32-058] /circle-cross model/lined 7 units


The basic one of the largest red circles is shown in thicker line.
Seven units of different size are lined along the horizontal diameter of  this largest circle-cross unit.
Picasso could have been great architect.
Renaissance artist could produce not only painting but also ornament, sculpture and architecture.
Understanding all the types of art is essential to become real artist.

[Reclining Nude 32-079] reminds me of gemstone: every part is packed like a bud.

    Picasso  [Reclining Nude 32-079]/ circle-cross model
The large red units make the basic structure.
All the red arcs are within the triangle that linked top right corner, bottom right corner and bottom left corner.
I colored the same red circle-cross unit in two hues (brownish red, vermilion)for explanation sake.
The two brownish red circles touch at a point: the horizontal diameters are connected (shown within the parallel purple lines).
On this horizontal line a blue unit and two yellow units are placed.
There is another pair of red circles which intersect( within the pallarel black lines).
.


The upper body starts opening like a flowering bud.

                       Picasso [Reclining Nude 32-080]

                       Picasso [Reclining nude 32-080]  circle-cross model

                      Picasso [Reclining Nude 32-080] seven different units lining


The four circle-cross units (sky blue, red, orange, purple)make the basic structure.
I made one of the five light blue circles thicker, which is basic.
The vertical diameter of the basic circle is placed on the center of the picture frame.
Three smaller units (a pink unit and two purple units) are on the horizontal  diameter of the basic circle.
The second largest red circle's tangent line is the same as the vertical tangent line of the basic circle.
One orange unit is on the vertical diameter of the red unit and another orange unit is on the horizontal diameter .

                 Sharaku(Hokusai) [Otanikoji]


Here in Japan they say that Picasso's works are like children's painting.
The majority of Japanese does not have any doubt that Sharaku was an amateur painter; a No-actor.
It seems for me that most Japanese in these days cannot see a painting formally.
We do't say that we see Manga but that we read Manga: painting is an illustration.
The lyric is more important than the sound in popular song for most of Japanese.
After finishing Japanese version of this blog, I happened to find You Tube Video [Picasso 1932: Love, Fame,Tragedy at Tate].
As the title suggests ,
any online articles about this show are  about Picasso's life and the paintig is by product of the great artist's life.
None of them are referring to formal aspect of Picasso.


Modern Art was one aspect of Modernism but unfortunately there were no serious art critics who could  equal structuralistic scholars like Jacobson or Chomsky.
I have previously classified four levels of seeing; 
1) Seeing with referential knowledge,
2) Seeing symbolically,
3) Iconic seeing,
4) Formal seeing.
Formal seeing  is innate act without referring any knowledge, which can be the base for the other three ways of seeing..
On this level the imaginative power works in the same way for Picasso and Einstein.
Art is significant because it is created on normative level.