The Dissolution of the Object and Art: Study Notes

Conceptual Foundations: The Dissolution of the Object and Art

The central theme of this study concerns "La disolución del objeto, y del arte" (The dissolution of the object and of art). This conceptual shift is predicated on the philosophical and aesthetic pursuit of "Hablar con el silencio, construir con el vacío" (Talking with silence, building with void). This movement signals a transition away from traditional, tangible materiality toward an exploration of space, absence, and the immaterial as valid artistic mediums.

Lucio Fontana and the Spatialist Movement

Lucio Fontana ($1899-1968$) stands as a pivotal figure in the transition toward the dissolution of the object. He was the founder of Spazialismo (Spatialism) in $1947$ in Milan, alongside artists such as Crippa, Donati, Dova, and Peverelli. The theoretical foundation for this movement was laid earlier in the "Manifiesto Blanco," published in Buenos Aires in $1946$. Fontana's work sought to transcend the two-dimensional surface of the canvas to integrate the work of art into the actual space surrounding it.

An early example of Fontana's departure from traditional forms is seen in his work Black Figures (Figure nere), produced in $1931$. This piece is a painted terracotta sculpture measuring $41 \times 30 \times 12.5\,\text{cm}$. While it retains a physical form, it anticipates the artist's later obsession with how objects occupy and define the void. His legacy is celebrated in locations such as the Sala de Lucio Fontana at the Museo del Novecento in Milan.

Literary and Cinematic Parallels: Alice in Wonderland

The concept of the "Looking Glass" serves as a metaphor for the transformation of space and the dissolution of reality. This is exemplified by the works of Charles L. Dodgson ($1832-1898$), better known as Lewis Carroll, specifically his books Alice in Wonderland (published by BLTC Press) and Alice through the Looking Glass. These narratives, famously illustrated by John Tenniel, explore the subversion of physical laws and the journey into alternative spatial dimensions. Modern interpretations, such as Tim Burton's $2010$ film Alice in Wonderland, continue to visualize these themes of distorted reality and the threshold between worlds.

Spatial Environments and Light Installations

The evolution of Spatialism led to the creation of immersion-based works known as "Ambiente Spaziale." A significant example is Lucio Fontana's Ambiente Spaziale Num. 51-A1, originally created for the IX Trienal de Milan in $1951$ and later recreated at the Hangar Bicocca in $2017$. These environments use light and architecture to manipulate the viewer's perception of space.

Subsequent artists have furthered this exploration of light as a material. Dan Flavin's piece untitled (to Virginia Dwan) 1, created in $1971$, utilizes fluorescent light to define space. Bruce Nauman's Green Light Corridor ($1970$) creates a physical and optical experience through a narrow passage bathed in green light, forcing a psychological reaction to confined space. Similarly, James Turrell's Aftershock ($2021$) utilizes light to create a sense of infinite, indeterminate depth, effectively dissolving the physical boundaries of the room.

The Architecture of the Void: Sheela Gowda and Anish Kapoor

Contemporary artists continue to investigate the relationship between material and the void. Sheela Gowda's work A Blanket and the Sky ($2004$) utilizes humble materials to frame a relationship with the vastness of the sky, emphasizing the contrast between the terrestrial and the ephemeral.

Anish Kapoor explores the concept of the void through works like Building for Void ($1992$) and Descent into Limbo ($1992$). These works often feature deep, black apertures that appear to be bottomless holes, challenging the viewer's perception of surface and depth. By using high-pigment blacks that absorb light, Kapoor creates a visual experience of absolute absence, where the object literally disappears into a void.

Historical Progression Towards Minimalism and Conceptualism

The trajectory toward the dissolution of the object includes several key historical milestones. Marcel Duchamp ($1887-1968$) presented 50 cc de aire de Paris in $1919$. This work, a glass ampoule measuring $13.3\,\text{cm}$, challenged the very definition of art by claiming a volume of invisible gas as a masterpiece. In $1958$, Yves Klein presented Le vide (The Void) at the Galería Iris Clert in Paris, an exhibition consisting of an entirely empty, white-walled gallery space.

In the realm of painting, the move toward pure abstraction and the monochrome served to dissolve the subject matter. Hilma af Klint's The Parsifal Series ($1916$) explored spiritual and geometric abstraction. Kasmir Malevitch pushed this to the extreme with Cuadrado negro sobre fondo blanco in $1913$ and later Cuadrado blanco sobre fondo blanco in $1918$, seeking the "zero point" of painting. Ad Reinhardt continued this pursuit with his Pintura Abstracta ($1960$), an oil on canvas that sought to create a "pure" painting, free from any external reference or representation.