Representing the sublime: interactions between spatial representation in new media and idyllic and mystic traditions in painting

Raubenheimer, Landi

Representing the sublime: interactions between spatial representation in new media and idyllic and mystic traditions in painting

dc.contributor.advisor	Van den Berg, D. J.
dc.contributor.advisor	Allen-Spies, Janine
dc.contributor.advisor	Human, E. S.
dc.contributor.author	Raubenheimer, Landi
dc.date.accessioned	2018-01-15T10:32:56Z
dc.date.available	2018-01-15T10:32:56Z
dc.date.issued	2005-11
dc.description.abstract	English: The major image investigated in this study, is a cibachrome print entitled Pureland by Japanese artist Mariko Mori. The print is a still image from one of her 3D installations titled Nirvana. Throughout the text I refer to Pureland not as a pure image but as one appearing in different media, since the varied visual manifestations and reproductions of the image contribute to diverse aspects of the argument. The image is found in calendars and books, is exhibited as a large print and certain of Mori’s prints are even exhibited on lightboxes. This renders the prints a glowing computer or television screen quality, and suggests the notion of an advertising billboard. The “screen” qualities of the image are investigated throughout. The appearance of the image is pleasant, pink, even pretty, and this “eye-candy” could allude to the affirmative character of mass media images describing beautiful natural scenery. Sentimental images appear in Japanese manga and anime, but also in Western popular media such as Hollywood films. Furthermore Pureland seems reminiscent of landscape traditions that relate to idyllic yearning or nostalgia. This leads to the following question: is the pastoral tradition in its established conventions pertinent to the idyllic tendencies in mass media? What seems problematic in my view is that it appears as if something is omitted from the image on account of its pleasing character. This may indicate that what is not depicted (something extremely un-pleasant?) may also be relevant. This “un-pleasant” is investigated as a possible allusion to the digital sublime lurking beneath the smooth appearance of the image, only to manifest in brief moments of “suddenness”. The sublime is discussed in the context of the mystic landscape tradition and especially the work of artists such as Caspar David Friedrich in the mystic tradition, and, as it develops into the Abstract Expressionist movement in the work of Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and even the avant-garde art of Yves Klein. The mystic tradition is based on a negative stance grounded in the notion of kenosis, which is an emptying out resulting in transcendence. This tradition is fundamentally opposed to affirmative (idyllic) tendencies in both art and popular culture. The co-existence of the conflicting idyllic and mystic strands in the image is investigated throughout as an uneasy relationship which may result in a rupturing of the smooth pleasant appearance of the image, revealing the digital sublime. The “digital sublime” is derived from Jean-Francois Lyotard’s understanding of the sublime. It may manifest in cyberspace, virtual reality and other digital media that evoke virtual space, through seeming vastness and threatening character. Understanding the operations of viewing and representation implied by the computer and television screen is thus important in grasping the dynamic of the digital sublime. Do representations of space on the screen differ from perspectival representations of space and landscape in the fixed images of Western painting traditions? On the screen overlay and geometric principles are combined, urging the observer to penetrate and explore the layers, virtually or imaginatively entering the layered virtual environment. The notion of virtual depth as non-illusory depth may be comparable to Japanese viewing traditions and the diverse concepts of śūnyatā and “superflat”. The application of overlay and śūnyatā to contemporary painting is investigated in chapter three. I suspect that Pureland is a hybrid image, not only digitally composited from existing visual material, but also comprised of traces of disparate visual traditions and conventions. This is dicussed in conclusion.	en_ZA
dc.description.abstract	Afrikaans: Die voorstel van die sublieme: wisselwerking tussen ruimtelike voorstelling in nuwe media en idilliese en mistiese tradisies in die skilderkuns. Die belangrikste visuele beeld wat in hierdie studie ondersoek word, is ‘n druk met die titel Pureland, deur die Japanese kunstenaar Mariko Mori. Die print is ‘n stil-beeld uit een van haar drie-dimensionele video-installasies getitled Nirvana. Deurgaans verwys ek na Pureland as die teendeel van ‘n suiwer visuele beeld, omdat dit in verskillende media gereproduseer word. Hierdie kwaliteit van die beeld dra by tot diverse aspekte van my argument. Die afbeelding verskyn in kalenders, boeke, word uitgestal as ‘n groot afdruk en sommige van Mori se drukke word selfs op ligkaste uitgestal. Dit verleen ‘n gloeiende rekenaar- of televisieskerm kwaliteit aan die afdrukke, en herrinner ook aan advertensieborde. Die “skermkwaliteite” van Pureland word deurgaans ondersoek. Die voorkoms van die beeld is aanloklik, en selfs mooi, en hierdie “eye-candy” kwaliteit kan verwys na die affirmatiewe aard van massa media beelde wat pragtige natuurtonele beskryf. Sentimentele beelde kom voor in Japanese manga en anime, maar ook in Westerse populêre media soos Hollywood films. Pureland herrinner aan landskap tradisies wat idilliese verlange of nostalgie voortbring. Dit lei na die volgende vraag: het die landskap konvensies van die pastorale tradisies betrekking op idilliese tendense in die massa media? Wat volgens my problematies is, is dat die aanloklikeid van die beeld die vraag laat ontstaan of iets doelbewus weggelaat is uit die beeld. Dit mag aandui dat wat nie afgebeeld is nie (iets baie afstootlik) ook relevant is tot die beeld. Hierdie “afstootlike” word ondersoek as moontlike verwysing na die digitale sublieme, wat versteek is onder die gladde voorkoms van die beeld, maar wat oombliklik kan verskyn. Die sublieme word bespreek in die konteks van die mistiese landskaptradisie en veral in die werke van kunstenaars soos Caspar David Friedrich en van Abstrakte Ekspressioniste soos Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman en selfs in die avant-garde kuns van Yves Klein. Die mistiese tradisie is gegrond op ‘n negatiewe uitkyk en die konsep kenosis, wat verwys na ‘n ontlediging of leegmaking wat uitloop op transendering. Hierdie tradisie is fundamenteel gekant teen die affirmatiewe neigings in populêre kultuur en in kuns. Die gelyktydige bestaan van die onversoenbare idilliese en mistiese betekenisse in die beeld word ondersoek as ‘n ongemaklike verhouding wat kan uitloop op ‘n skeuring van die gladde voorkoms van die beeld, om sodoende die digitale sublieme te openbaar. Die “digital-sublieme” word geïnterpreteer na aanleiding van Jean-Francois Lyotard se teorie van die sublieme. Dit mag voorkom of verskyn in die kuberruim, virtuele realiteit en ander digitale media wat virtuele ruimte skep, deur middel van die idee van oneindige ruimte of ‘n dreigende karakter. Die meganismes van kyk en voorstelling wat deur die rekenaar- en televisieskerm geskep en onderhou word, dra dus by tot ‘n sinvolle begrip van die werking van die digital-sublieme. Die vraag word gevra: Verskil die ruimtevoorstelling op die skerm van die perspektiewiese voorstelling van ruimte en die landskap in die Westerse landskapskilder tradisies? Op die skerm word die gebruik van lae oormekaar (“overlay”) en geometriese beginsels gekombineer, wat die toeskouer aanmoedig om die lae te penetreer en te verken deur virtueel en in die verbeelding die ruimte binne te tree. Die idee van virtuele diepte as nie-illusionêre diepte mag vergelykbaar wees met Japanese voorstellings- en betragtingstradisies en die diverse konsepte van śūnyatā en “superflat”. Die toepassing van “overlay” en śūnyatā op kontemporêre skilderkuns word ondersoek. Ek is van mening dat Pureland ‘n hibriede beeld is, wat digitaal saamgestel (“composited”) is, maar wat ook trekke weerspieël van uiteenlopende visuele tradisies en konvensies. Hierdie aspek word ter slotte ondersoek.	af
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/11660/7607
dc.language.iso	en	en_ZA
dc.publisher	University of the Free State	en_ZA
dc.rights.holder	University of the Free State	en_ZA
dc.subject	Sublime	en_ZA
dc.subject	Idyllic	en_ZA
dc.subject	Mystic	en_ZA
dc.subject	Anime/manga	en_ZA
dc.subject	Screen	en_ZA
dc.subject	Presence	en_ZA
dc.subject	Hybridity	en_ZA
dc.subject	Digital sublime	en_ZA
dc.subject	Unpresentable	en_ZA
dc.subject	Paintings -- South Africa	en_ZA
dc.subject	Sublime, The, in art.	en_ZA
dc.subject	Mass media and art	en_ZA
dc.subject	Landscape painting	en_ZA
dc.subject	Mysticism in art	en_ZA
dc.subject	Pastoral art	en_ZA
dc.subject	Dissertation (M.A. (Fine Arts))--University of the Free State, 2005	en_ZA
dc.title	Representing the sublime: interactions between spatial representation in new media and idyllic and mystic traditions in painting	en_ZA
dc.type	Dissertation	en_ZA