In Hans Belting’s The
Invisible Masterpiece, the
German art historian reports the findings of a recent physical examination (symptomatic
of our modern-day scientistic bent) of Kazimir Malevich's Black Square (1915)
revealing the existence of a composition under the iconic figure. It might seem
paradoxical for Belting to base his arguments on studio practice, seeing as the
Russian Suprematist's approach was characterized by a certain "denial" of pictorial matter. According precedence to the
artist's intention over the physical reality of the painting in fact merely brings us back
to the traditional hierarchy of the stages of artistic
creation that long prevailed among artists and art historians, between the
artist’s idea or invention and its concrete execution. This debate, which crystallized
in 16th-century Italy around the concept of disegno – drawing
–, should benefit from a reformulation and a more modern perspective, extending
its theoretical and epistemological scope with a question that is central to
certain 20th- and 21st-century artistic practices: that
of joint or separate work, of project and process.
Editors: Anaël Lejeune and
Raphaël Pirenne
Essays by Anaël Lejeune and
Raphaël Pirenne, Mathilde Bert, Ralph Dekoninck, Maud Hagelstein, Claire
Barbillon, Friedrich Teja Bach, Anaël Lejeune and Tristan Trémeau
Art intervention by
Jacqueline Mesmaeker
Published in 2009
In French and English
21 x 27 cm
96 pages
ISBN: 978-2-9600632-4-0
EAN: 9782960063240
