Seeking For Vision-A Study On Space In Giacometti’s Paintings

Mainly focusing on the issue of space in drawing, this paper illustrates various feathers of space in paintings from the perspective of visual representation, ranging from ancient Egypt to modern times. And on this basis, the author makes a comparative summary of Giacometti’s unique way of expressing space in paintings.In fact, what hide behind the works’ spatial characterization is the painter’s vision understanding towards the world. Giacometti, a solitary man who withdrawn from the world of modernism, seek thoroughly to explore the visual connotation, bring painting back to viewing itself, restoring the close relationship between man and nature. In this point, Giacometti follows the same way as Cezanne does. The aims Giacometti has been pursuing, which Michel Foucault also deems as the scholars’ mission, are actually not inaccessible though hard to achieve. The culture of modern image leads to a lower status of vision and human itself in the real world. Thus it is necessary to study Giacometti again, and to return to vision problems hidden behind the painting.This article falls into four sections.Section A: Giacometti in the context of modernism.Modernism as a backdrop, this part mainly introduces the painting course of Giacometti and his connection with surrealism. The connection between him and existentialism is also demonstrated for a better understanding of the basic reasons why he is known as "the great existentialist”.Section B: Analysis on space in Giacometti’s paintings.Taking the development of space in paintings as a clue, this part analyzes various understandings and expressions of space in paintings, ranging from ancientEgypt to modern times. Furthermore, this part expounds the four essential features of space in Giacometti’s works by a comparison with the arts in other times.Section C: Giacometti’s vision quest.In this part, the author puts forward the view of the visual positions hidden behind the representation of paintings, which are causes of Giacometti’s concepts of painting space. His Tracing and inheriting of Egypt art and Cezanne’s works has also been analyzed in this section, for better learning the development of his visual concept of drawing. Meanwhile, under the guidance of the Merleau?Ponty’s philosophy, the author tries to analyze the possibility of Giacometti’s seeking for truth.Section D: The practical significance of studying Giacometti.This part, mainly focusing on the idea that image causes the crisis of painting,deals with the degradation of human and painting in the context of image age and the vitality of Giacometti’s works in china. Then following the calling for a return to viewing stage by ways of drawing, the author emphasizes the significance for drawing to return to visual stage in the age of technology.