포스트모더니즘 이후 인체 조각에 나타나는 비정형 신체 이미지 연구

Abstract

This paper examines the formless body images presented in figurative sculptures since postmodernismbased on the concept of formlessness. The paper is primarily informed by a series of observationson formless bodies that have been transfigured to subjects of creativity representing prevailing socialdiscourses from oppressed bodies used to express ‘formulaic’ art amid Western Metaphysics. Themain purpose is to understand the concept of formlessness as defined by Georges Bataille thatprovides the basis for interpretation of art works and to explore the formless body imagesdemonstrated in figurative sculptures since the emergence of postmodernism, based on the fourelements of formlessness outlined in 「 Formless: A User’s Guide」 by Yve-Alain Bois and RosalindE. Krauss. Generally, ‘formlessness’ means having no definite form or shape due to intentionaldistortion or transformation. A study of art history suggests that ‘formlessness’ is a concept introducedby Georges Bataille in the early 20th century to define the surrealist art. Its aim is to reject formulaicvisual languages and deconstruct the form of an object so that they can destroy symbolic meaningsand the order of arts. ‘Formlessness’ was brought into spotlight again as modernism defined bysubjectivity and purity gave way to postmodernism characterized by ambiguity and opaqueness. Andit was the catalogue of an exhibition called 「 Formless: A User’s Guide」 held in the Centre Pompidouin Paris that the formlessness evolved into a new paradigm that analyzes a wide array of trendsand movements of modern arts based on key words such as Base Materialism, Horizontality, Pulse,and Entropy by Yve-Alain Bois and Rosalind E. Krauss. This has brought the attention of the authorof this paper to a link between the formlessness and the non-formalistic or non-representationalbody images presented in modern figurative sculptures through deconstruction and fragmentation. The study particularly focused on observations on the visceral representations of human bodies byKiki Smith that depict personal self-awareness and social identity based on Base Materialism andworks by Antony Gormley who created Visual Horizontality by forming a horizontal line with figurativesculptures representing verticality. The study also analyzes the integrated bodies created by Stelarcwho restored the elements of time and body by introducing bodily senses into visual areas basedon Pulse element and the transformed bodies created by the Chapman brothers who relied on Entropystrategy designed to destroy the framework of conventional meanings to make one rethink aboutdesire and taboo. Based on the observations described above, the study intends to explore formlessbody images presented in modern figurative sculptures that reflect changing social perspectives andevolve into artistic media used to reveal human self-consciousness, which can allow more roomfor possible interpretations of body images presented in modern figurative sculptures.