I want people to see finally what lies behind my paintings.
Kandinski t Will Grohmann, Nov21,1925
Non-being, Using the spaces between the objects as Object in visual communication
Abstract
In this paper I look at spaces between the forms in graphic design. It is not only the objects, but also the spaces between the objects, play an important role to convey the meaning. This “Non-being” can judge as the main part of a medium. in architecture, daily goods, even literature and poem. Our life is spaces between the events. Not only for cultural reasons but also by take advantages of non-being in visual art, I try to share experiences of viewer and extend the communication borders. A simple sense modifies a simples relation of word to a poem… shall I design a visual poem?
I. Introduction
Not the walls, but the spaces between the walls, we live in. The emptiness inside the cup makes it useable. The silence between the notes makes the music and not the notes. I Ponder the Non-being in different Cultures. Analogy the formal aspects of nothingness in history and the hypertext in poem would lead us to a visual principle. By observing on meaning the understanding in Empathy theory besides, individual interpretation of forms through Semiotic science, we may improve the communication. Taking advantages of empty spaces in visual products such as logo, brochure or poster, not only extends the borders of communication further than borders of paper but also expands the effects of massage longer. For me the design process dos not starts by putting some forms on paper, rather I try to shape hidden area around the objects on background. Further than Idea, characteristics of massage and individuality of audiences lead the idea towards a form.
II. Cultural background
“Clay is molded to form a cup, But it is non-being that the utility of the cup depends on. Doors and windows are cut out to make a room, But it is non-being that the utility of the room depends on. Therefore turn being into advantage, and turn non-being into utility.“ Lao-tzu
The non-being idea is a common point in different cultures. Emptiness is a key concept in Buddhism philosophy. The phrase "form is emptiness; emptiness is form" is perhaps the most celebrated paradox associated with Buddhism philosophy. In emptiness there is no form, nor feeling, nor perception, nor consciousness; No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; No forms, sounds, smells, tastes, until we come to: No mind-consciousness element; There is no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance, and so forth, until we come to: there is no decay and death, no extinction of decay and death. There is no suffering, no beginning, no stopping, and no path. There is no cognition, no attainment and non-attainment. Avalokita, The Holy Lord and Bodhisattva, was moving in the deep course of the Wisdom, which has gone beyond. He looked down from on high, He beheld but five heaps, and he saw that in their own-being they were empty. The concept of Emptiness questions our belief that we have a separate self and helps us see ourselves in terms of relationships that connect us with the rest of the Universe. When we look at a flower and think a little we can perceive that the flower could not have had its existence without the Earth, the Sun, the rain, and the gardener who tends the plant, the fertilizer and the clouds. In a way of speaking the entire Universe has come together to bring forth the flower. The flower could not exist without each and every element of the Universe that has helped bring it into existence. It is in this sense that we say that the flower is empty of a separate self. It is in no way separate from the clouds, the sunshine, the rain and all the other elements in the Universe that have caused it to have its being. As I said earlier this is the concept of Emptiness and it is basic to Buddhism.
Alternatively, Same way of thinking and believes is in basis of “Sufism”. The Sufi movement has spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, at first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish, and a dozen other languages. One of the basic ideas of Sufism is to minimize the self or individual identity. It is said, “a Sufi is one who is not.” Abusa'id Abolkhayr , was a famous Persian Sufi who contributed extensively to the evolution of Sufi tradition. The main focus of his teachings is liberation from “I”, which he considered the one and only cause of separation from God and to which he attributed all personal and social misfortunes. His biography mentions that he would never call himself "I" or "we" but “they” instead. Anywhere the illusion of “I” exists is hell, anywhere “I” is absent is heaven. There is a tail about him that one of his contemporary spiritual guide told that in Sufism I am elephant and Abusa'id is mosquito. ”Even that mosquito is himself and I am nothing” Abusa'id answered.
III. Literary-formal proportions
Mallarme, French modern poet, approached the space and non-being in literature. He used the blank spaces by placement of the words on the paper (figure i). By considering the book Un Coup de Dés (A Throw Of The Dice) we will find out the whiteness of page is charged with meaning .He believes that meaning always is the consequence of a play between the words. In this method I wonder about the link between non-being in literature and visual communication. Mallarme conveyed parts of his meaning on spaces between the words. Reader experience is part of the sense. Criticizers believe his work influenced the conception of hypertext idea. Both Mallarmé and Derrida emphasize the role of space, of whiteness, in the determination of meaning. In Dissemination, Derrida addresses this issue in different words: 'Languages, as we now know, are diacritical realities; each element within them is in itself less important than the gap that distinguishes it from other elements' (Dissemination, p.250).
The space between words, the gap, the white, becomes the precondition for a text to appear as text. From the diacritical, Derrida will later draw another consequence, namely, 'a certain inexhaustibility [of meaning] that cannot be classed in the categories of richness, intentionality, or a horizon 'Un coup de dés 'reveals' this dissemination in the abundant white, the spaces between the words. The text joins the white and complies with the blank in the same way the prescribed musical sounds join the already existing silence. Silence must be re-thought. Through whiteness. Personally believe that the poem shapes in this whiteness and not by the words. This space leads us to find differences of poem and prose. “Abo Ali Sina” defines the poem as: “poem is a rhythmic saying by witch reader can dream”. Not only relation between the words but makes available a situation for dream is the main characteristic of poem. Not only the poet but also the reader participates in an experience to release the meaning, feeling and emotions. The poem in different context would have different impression; witch depends on the reader conditions deeply. Different readers feel and understand it differently.
IV. Formal aspects
‘Architecture’ is a combination of form and space. However, not the forms but the space between the forms is architecture. Not only the body, but also how a person feels the space is the architecture. Architecture is interaction of space and human. Action and reaction of feeler in space makes architecture. Without human in architecture, there is just figure and not architecture. In a same sense, a typeface is not black lines but the spaces between the lines. Without silence we cannot speak. It is not the notes, but it is the space between the notes makes the music. “Scott McCLOUD” recognize it as an eastern practice:” In Music, While the western classical tradition was emphasizing the Continuous, connected words of melody and harmony, eastern classical music was equally concerned with the role of SILENCE! ‘The book: Understanding Comics’. Historically, in a roundabout way, the main part of Persian traditional patterns is nothingness in middle of the form (figure ii). In Miniature, the significant Persian painting, especially those from the first half of the thirteenth century, there are large blank areas often with only the papers as background or considerable areas of the background are left blank. Moreover, there is a gold ground that gives an entirely feeling of space than a real void (figure iii). Black and white plays an important role in Persian traditional calligraphy besides some examples of using the calligraphy in designing the Bowls in 9th century (figure iv). In western art, considering on Edward Hopper paintings, viewer will find out that the main part of the works is not on the canvas but in the viewer mind. In “Night Hawks” the painting is not the bar or personages sitting in, but the emptiness around the bar; in the cold, dark and lifeless spot of city (figure v). Additionally, in nude woman series, the painting is not a nude figure but, ‘what she is looking at out side the window’, ‘what she is thinking about and looking for’ (figure vi). The minimal artists are interested in using the spaces excessively. How the object occupies the space? Witch position the addressee takes to feel the minimal objects? How the artwork applies in gallery corner? “I am interested in the fact that space is functioning as much as material, so that the void becomes as much the subject as what the surrounding the void and that happens in very very few spaces or places, it happens in some architecture rarely it happens in sort of landscapes ...” Richard Serra.
V. Process of understanding
“Understanding is a rediscovery of the I in the Thou” Wilhelm Dilthey explains. An artwork is consequence of inner journey of artist witch is presented as his/her manifest. To have a better and more precise communication to understanding an artwork or a design product like poster, I should explain the meaning of “understanding”. The empathy theory helps us to find it out. The phenomena in the nature can be considered as two parts. ‘Naturwissenschaften’ (natural sciences), and ‘Geisteswissenschaften’ (human sciences). We have to explain the natural sciences to ‘understand’, but when comes to human sciences we ought to ‘experience’. Taste of a café, smell of a Rose, love, hate, and anger cannot be explained. Imagine see your friend and tell him that I had a bad toothache last night. He remembers and recovers his experience of toothache and says I understand you! If he doesn’t have this experience or if doesn’t recover it, will not understand you. Although he just feels your ache according to his experience and not yours. Dilthey debates that Art is experience of artist so far experience of life of artist. An original art piece depicts some aspects of life that used to be hidden for others. This new aspect extends the life. He believes looking is creative in advance. So art, as “Paul Klee” says, ‘appears’ the phenomena and not ‘shows’ them. Nelson Goodman believes that looking is producing as well. To understand the phenomena, we should make it familiar with ourselves. My familiar word is measure to understand the exotic phenomena. Making familiar is base point of the empathy theory. Recognition is repeat and recovery of me. We need ourselves world to understand the others. As said by Dilthey, Paul Klee or Pol Sezan, art is not imitation but extents the horizons of life for mankind. Extends the happiness and opportunity of men. Art is expanding the opportunities of understanding. As artist explains his life in the work, we recover his experience of life. Besides, art causes understand ourselves. On the other hand, Wittgenstein says in the “Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus”, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”. Understanding other’s actions and emotions is believed to facilitate efficient human communication. Frederique de Vignemontand and Singer proposed empathy as a crucial factor in human communication arguing its epistemological role; “Empathy might enable us to make faster and more accurate predictions of other people’s needs and actions and discover salient aspects of our environment.” Mental mirroring of actions and emotions may enable humans to understand other’s actions and their related environment quickly, and thus help humans communicate efficiently. Every visual image differs from others referring to the same object according to the standpoint and conditions of perception. The various forms of the cognition of objects link these images into a system of inner relations. The total conception, which arises from the series of images according to the basic factual conditions, is something added by thought. In contrast, a person's experiences are related in time, each of them has a place in a sequence the parts of which are linked by memory.
Semiotic is the study of sign processes, or signification and communication deals with the formal properties of signs and symbols and images. More precisely, syntactic deals with the "rules that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences. It is the science of reading and understanding the images. The study of how meaning is constructed and understood. By witch we will find out In process of reading the image, the visor changes the work by looking from different points of view. Observer belief effect on understanding and developing the composition. It is the window that adjusts how much light can come in. The ears set up amount of message for listener! So, according to audience capacities, potentialities, actualities and limitations the Idea transfers through designer to reader.
VI. Design process
For me the design process does not start by putting some shapes on a plane paper. Every design process is after an order. When comes to poster, the message and the target group outline the main idea. I strongly believe that the Idea is major point of design but figure. I do not start to design a beautiful form. Even I do not believe in good-looking or ugly shapes. ”We do not have any ugly form but ugly marketing” Philip Starck says. The main idea of message leads me to shape the visual form. Dimension, title, colors, Pictures, selecting the typefaces and paper quality and weight, witch depends on publishing means on the one hand and being narrative or non-narrative (Swiss style or Polish style) witch depends on the message and target group on the other hand shape in this stage. Although the narrative posters are more understandable by audiences, but non-narrative style extends the aspects of idea further than images, as long as transfers the message directly to viewers mind without intermediary of words. There is no background for me to put the objects on it, rather I design the hidden areas by make it visible. One visual design product not only transfers the massage to viewer but also grant a milieu to dream. Shaping a visual poem by sharing the viewer background and use him/her way of thinking to complete the composition of the forms, can be an commendable idea in graphic design.
In the poster “Quest for global peace” based on an order of ‘Nobel Peace Center in Norway’, decreasing the culture of war and invite the people to peace was the main aim. I used a White flag. The white flag is an internationally recognized protective sign of truce or ceasefire, and request for negotiation. A white flag signifies to all that an approaching negotiator is unarmed, with intent to surrender or a desire to communicate. Persons carrying or waving a white flag are not to be fired upon, nor are they allowed to open fire. The use of the flag to surrender is included in the Geneva Conventions. The first mention of the usage of white flags to surrender is made during the Eastern Han dynasty (A.D 25–220). In the Roman Empire, the historian Cornelius Tacitus mentions a white flag of surrender in A.D. 109. The usage of the white flag has since spread worldwide. As a public poster and according to print standards the dimensions of poster set to 100x70 cm. Picture of a person caring a white flag in combination with title: “Quest for global peace”, was the first step. The whiteness of paper could be used as white flag itself! So I deleted the unnecessary forms. This manner happens in my design process generally. Alexander Gelman discusses about it under title “Subtraction” in the book “Subtraction: Aspects of Essential Design”. Next step was choosing the typeface. I needed a Sun-serif typeface to have a modern vision with proper leading. In this poster “Calibry” selected. After omitting the image, the title became main point of the poster. I faced to a topography poster as long as the main idea was using the whiteness of paper. Title should not work as an object in this poster. I decreased the size of title until became a tiny line beside the signature.(figure vii)
Another example:” goodbye blue sky… goodbye” poster. An order by “Bank Melli Iran”. Topic: Bank and Environment. Air pollution is a cereous problem in Tehran today. Lack of green area and unwitting phenomena to trees was my Idea. Trees play an important role for cleaning the air. By inviting people to think about trees and encouraging them to planet, I tried to walk around the issue. This image reminded me a verse of poem from “The wall Album” by Pink Floyd: Goodbye Blue sky… Goodbye. Trees, pollution and blue sky thanks to trees. Emphasizing on pollution, ended up to this poster (figure viii).
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| (figure iii) | (figure iii) | (figure iv) |
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| (figure iv) | (figure v) | (figure vi) |
(figure vii)
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(figure viii)
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VII. Footnotes and References
Wilhelm Dilthey (1833 – 1911): was a German historian, psychologist, sociologist, student of hermeneutics, and philosopher. He could be considered an empiricist, in contrast to the idealism prevalent in Germany at the time, but his account of what constitutes the empirical and experiential differs from British empiricism and positivism in its central epistemological and ontological assumptions, which are drawn from German literary and philosophical traditions.
Edvard hopper (1882 -1967): was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker.
Pink Floyd: an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art, and elaborate live shows.
Abusa'id Abolkhayr (967 - 1049): was a famous Persian Sufi who contributed extensively to the evolution of Sufi tradition.
Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-03-18 – 1898-09-09), born Étienne Mallarmé, was a poet and critic.
Abū Alī Sīnā (980 - 1037) was a Persian polymath and the foremost physician and philosopher of his time.
Henry Nelson Goodman (1906 -1998): was an American philosopher, known for his work on counterfactuals, metrology, the problem of induction, realism and aesthetics.
Paul Klee (1879-1940) was a Swiss painter of German nationality.
Dilthey, Wilhelm ,Selected writing, 1833-1911, W. Dilthey ; ed., transl. and introd. by H.P. Rickman,Rickman, H.P. ( redaktør), Cambridge univ. press , 1976 . - 270 s. ISBN 0-521-20966-8 .
Hodges, Herbert , Wilhelm Dilthey : an introduction, Engelsk 1905,London : Kegan Paul , 1944 . - X, 174 s.,International libr. of sociology and social recontruction
Gelman,Alexander,Gorkin,Aruch(Editor),2000,Subtraction: Aspects of Essential Design (Design Process),Rotovisio,Singapore,ISBN:2-88046-391-2
Hall, Sean. This means this, this means that : a user's guide to semiotics, London : Laurence King, 2007,ISBN:978-1-85669-521-3
Bristol : Artline Editions,Treasures of Islam, cop. 1985, Omfang: 400 s. - kol. ill. ; 31 cm,ISBN/ISSN: 1-871487-30-7
Eric Broug ; Islamic geometric patterns[translated from the Dutch ... by George Hall], Forfatter: Broug, EricUtgitt: London : Thames & Hudson, 2008, Omfang: 119 s. - ill., fig. ; 25 cm ,ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-500-28721-7
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