Résumé and extract of the second part of the
book " rectoversion, the exit "
Part II
APOLOGY FOR SINGLE-SIDED PAINTING
The apology for single-sided painting is a report reserved particularly
for the visual arts. The canvas tended on stretcher expresses best
the rectilinear culture and the invention of the perspective confirms
the belief in a single direction (chap.4). The painters literally
overloaded the front (recto) of their paintings and the questionement
about the back (verso) did not worry them (chap.5). The shade
of the ready-made of Marcel Duchamp continues to mark in an indelible
way the contemporary creation (chap.6).
SATURATION OF THE FRONT (RECTO)
The majority of painters have always painted on only one side of
their paintings. Out of the immense amount of artistic production,
double-sided paintings represent only a negligible portion. The
front was thus the object of a pictorial overload. The back (verso)
remained free of any artistic investigation. During the development
of 'rectoversion', the back was the concealed a gate through which
a virgin world became apparent. To date, questioning off the two
sides may never have been extented so far as in 'Rectoversion'...
(...)...
All the painters who have spoken out in the past and until today,
have focussed on modifying or renewing the image painted on the
front (recto) of their paintings, without being concerned
with the back (verso), abandoned to its role of a structure
that is not seen and not worthy of being shown. The physical obviousness
that means that a painting has two sides does not seem to have challenged
them. The exclusive exaltation of the right-side/recto was expressed
endlessly...(...)...
Nevertheless, in the history of art, some painters painted rare
double-sided paintings. It goes without saying, even if these exceptions
confirm the general rule of the painting only the front (recto),
their scarcity makes 'rectoversion' of obvious interest... (Such
works are examined in detail more in "Rectoversion, analogies
and differences", ADAP, 2000).
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