Rock Forms and Art
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10276377 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Othmar T Tobisch (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1971 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 141 |
| Publication date | 1971-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Leonardo (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0024-094X • E-ISSN: 1530-9282 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/1572188 |
| OpenAlex | W2334592586 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 2 |
The external forms of rock have long inspired artists to create what is called ‘abstract’ art. In this article, the author points out that many forms found in rock are not accidental. Examples are given that show how many forms are an expression of the internal fabric of rocks, and range in size from millimeters to tens of kilometers. Thin-sections of rocks viewed under the polarizing microscope reveal a great variety of forms, colors and textures that have aesthetic appeal. He discusses his technique of projecting color slides of aesthetically satisfying ‘compositions’ from thin-sections of rock onto a canvas, interpreting them and executing them in paint. He speculates that both artist and scientist are aware of similar forms, which in art are called ‘abstract’ forms, and that perhaps their perception transmits a non-verbal kind of communication from the individual’s unconscious to his conscious mind. Alternatively, the forms might be interpreted as symbols from the collective unconscious of the human psyche to the conscious mind of the viewer. La forme exterieure des roches a depuis longtemps inspire les artistes dans la creation de ce qu’on appelle l’art ‘abstrait’. Dans cet article, l’auteur remarque que bien des formes de roches ne sont pas accidentelles. Il donne des exemples qui montrent que ces formes sont l’expression de la structure interne des roches et que leur taille s’echelonne de quelques millimetres a des dizaines de kilometres. L’examen au microscope polarisant de minces lamelles de roche revele une grande variete de formes, de couleurs et de textures qui presentent un interet esthetique. Il explique la technique selon laquelle il projette sur une toile des diapositives en couleur representant des ‘compositions’ esthetiquement satisfaisantes provenant de minces lamelles de roche, puis les interprete et les reproduit a la peinture. Il estime que les artistes comme les savants connaissent de telles formes, qui du point de vue artistique s’appellent des formes ‘abstraites’, et que peut-etre leur perception transmet une sorte de communication non verbale, de l’inconscient de l’individu a son esprit conscient. D’autre part, ces formes pourraient etre interpretees comme des symboles allant de l’inconscient collectif de la psyche humaine a l’esprit conscient de l’observateur
Archaeology · Art · Geography · Rock art · Visual arts · Aesthetic Perception and Analysis · Geology · Historical and Literary Studies · Jungian Analytical Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.06 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1973 - 1983 (11) |
| Highly cited | No |