Here is a link to the sculpture story behind A SOLDIER'S JOURNEY;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZIKvv0iGKk&feature=youtu.be
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Sunday, February 25, 2018
GEOMETRY OF THE STORY
I
sat down this afternoon and made some measurements with my calipers to show the
underlying structure of the story. I wished to share how carefully knit the structure of this composition is.
1. The geometry
of the structure is laid out in this way with meticulous purpose. It tells
the story. If you rearrange the structure, you will destroy the story.
The
mathematical spacing of the parts is the story and that spacing is critical for
the understanding and clarity of the visual narrative.
2. Pacing
is critical in the art of storytelling. Spacing is how you show pacing in a visual narrative. The rate of
speed that the figures progress in the composition is specific to telling the
story. The rate of speed is the force or kinetic energy of the figures. You
cannot ram a battle scene into a quiet scene; nor can you move from a quiet
scene into anq energetic scene without the proper transition and spacing. Parts
need to build into each other and flow with the correct rate of energy and
speed to maintain harmony of the whole.
The
relief was carefully constructed to make specific groupings with specific
lengths or visual weight again to explain the narrative. Specific transitions
were built in to the relief for clarity of story.
Reducing
any of the sections will destroy the figure groupings. The groupings will blend
together without purpose or sense and the kinetic energy of the specific
sections will be lost.
I
have made a musical analogy at the top of the diagram which refers to the pace
of the action.
3. The
composition was knit with a precision towards symmetry. This is a key
element to make something sacred that is also remembered. People remember
symmetry.
Symmetry
creates a sense of balance and unity that is essential to maintain a hierarchy
of importance in the relationship of the parts to the whole.
The wall has these 5 specific narrative scenes;
1.
Homefront
2.
Departure
3.
Battle
4.
Cost of war
5.
Return
Each section is carefully designed to fit precisely and exactly within the hierarchy of the whole.