M2: Flatness vs. Projection

FODR Semester One 2017 M2: Flatness vs. Projection 837010, Anneke Prins (studio 10)

Week three readings: Leger, Le Corbusier, and purism

Question 1: What is Pictorial Space according to Le Corbusier?

Question 2: The Flatness of Le Corbusier’s painting’s are attributable to two properties. What are they? And what are these pitted against?

Pictorial space is an illusionary space created by the receding of a two-dimensional piece of artwork into its picture plane. As it is space that cannot be entered into, nor experienced from all angles, Le Corbusier defines pictorial space as a concept that can only be viewed from a distance and all objects are resigned to frontality. This idea can be broken down into three elements by Le Corbusier. Firstly, the objects themselves are flat, with no implied depth. Secondly, the illusion of depth is created by the interaction and proximity of objects to one another.

Finally, colour and texture, can imply distance and space without the need for representing it through objects.

Le Corbusier’s flatness is attributed to the combination of rigid frontality and the experience of viewing the objects within a painting from a distance. These two elements combined, provide the viewer with an inferred sense of space and depth. These ideas are pitted against the concept that an understanding of space can only be truly understood when an individual is able to circulate through it, viewing objects from all angles not just the front. As a result, there is a tussle between frontality and rotation and the perceived and the experienced.

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Mario’s world

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Mario world development: first draft

The following drawing was produced using graphite pencil and is composed of several layers.

Each section of the world was projected onto a single layer of trace paper, to ensure neatness and accuracy.

Construction lines for each half of the drawing were kept separate due to the complexity of the drawing.

From here the two Mario world halves could be overlaid to best understand how to link them together.

The clouds were drawn separately to allow for visibility of construction details during later development.

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Mario world development: final design

Further development and refinement of the first draft was required to fix inaccuracies and add additional details.

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Combined Mario world

Completed with technical pens, the final combined Mario world drawing was produced by overlaying trace paper on the developed pencil concept and outlining the desired design.

A thicker line weight of 0.5mm was used to denote where the world had been cut, while a 0.25mm pen outlines the remaining details.

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Week four readings: axonometric projection

Question 1: Explain the difference between Pictorial (in this case perspectival) space and Projection?

Question 2: Where did Axonometric projection first arise, and why?

Projection enables the entire object to become visible, though only through distortion of its form when drawn, rigid frontality of objects is no longer required. In projection, depth and space are achieved by projecting lines backwards from an object.

Unlike pictorial space, lines are projected back using vanishing points, converging projectors and picture planes. Depending on the way these lines are drawn the resulting work can either be distorted (perspective) or ‘correct’ (measurable way of drawing three-dimensional space, oblique). Both pictorial space and projection identify the viewer but in the case of projection it is now in a decentred and oblique position.

The origins of axonometric projection can be traced back to ancient visual practices, though the first systematic description of it is referred to in a military context. Axonometric projection drawings are measurable and precise drawings that can construct what does not exist, unlike that of perspective drawings. It is for these reasons that axonometric projections were used in a military context to chart the trajectories of artillery projectiles in three-dimensions. By doing so the exact range of large military weapons could be mapped out.

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Illustrated Mario world: final design

The developed Mario world was traced and coloured using Adobe Illustrator. Thicker lines again were used to denote cut lines. All colours were matched with those in the original images.

The gradation of colour creates a greater sense of depth within the Mario world, with the clouds given a transparent finish enabling visibility to the world below.

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Appendix

Figure 1: Drawing set up for first draft of half of the Mario world

Figure 2: Initial concept, combining both halves of the Mario world.

Figure 3: Early stages of Illustrator drawing.

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