The sculpture of Kuoros - Dissertation Example

The sculpture of Kuoros Introduction The ability to decipher images and their relationship to culture and expression is one which is dependent on being within a specific time frame. While there is the ability to analyze the expressions according to the cultural implications and understanding, the symbols and meaning alter according to the spectator and relationship to the artwork. When looking at the piece of Kouros, sculpted in 600-575 BC in Athens, it can be seen that the meaning of the figure has changed. The relationship according to what many consider symbolic today is one which may have differed from the meaning and relationship from the culture of the past. Being able to define a complete understanding of the sculpture is one that then relies on personal experiences and the relationship to culture which one holds. History of the Image The sculpture of Kuoros was built sometime between 600-565 BC in Athens. It was excavated from the Black Sea and restored into proper shape, while excluding the arm area, which couldn’t be found in complete form. Many believe that the sculpture was linked to the grave sculptures that were used as tombstones for the dead and which were related to water side sanctuaries and graves used during the time of Attica. The remains that were found with the Kuoros were known to be linked to a waterside settlement that consisted of a specific culture and meaning while filling a countryside. It is also known that this settlement occurred during the time that transformation was occurring in Greece through politics, culture and the main way in which the region was being built. The sculpture then became a reflection of the transitions and the main expressions that were linked to the countryside during this time frame (Rafflaub, 7). Cultural Implications The first element which relates to the cultural implications of the sculpture is from the formalism that is used. The physical properties are representative of Athens during this time frame and what was believed to be the perfect human body. When examining the physical properties, it can be seen that proportion is consistent throughout the piece. The lines are the first element of this. For example, the abdominal area has a line that goes to the legs as well as the same shape that goes to the chest. This is done to make the body completely proportionate. This is followed by the shapes, which are proportionate as well. The shapes of the shoulders, chest and legs are proportionate and equal on every side to create a mathematical look to the perfect body. While there is one leg that is slightly set back, this only adds to the appearance of having the right proportions when in motion. The main physical look uses space to create this specific balance. The space is used between both legs and between the stomach and arm area. These two spaces are also proportionate and have the same amount of space used for contrast within the two regions. The light and dark that is added into this is then able to balance with the sculpture having the light and the spaces in between each area balancing this with the dark. Each of the regions of the body creates a sense of balance and proportion with the figure. The mass that is created is one that looks life size and realistic. The texture that is used is smooth; however, the texture of the hair alters slightly to create a more rigid look that is able to highlight the facial features of the sculpture. The second application that is used with the sculpture is iconography. The iconography, or symbolism, is one which is presented in this sculpture as something that is greater than or more significant. The promotion of the sculpture can be linked directly to what others would want to achieve within their life. This is close to the symbol of sublimination, which consists of cultural development that created symbols as idols and role models. Physical activities, scientific idols, artistic and ideological concepts all links to the creation of an illusion of what one can achieve within a lifetime. Instead of creating a sense of reality, there is the belief that this relates to satisfaction when looking at the sculpture (Emerling, 8). When looking at this sculpture, the iconography links directly to the sublimination. The first part to this is the physical presence. The different lines in the sculpture show a muscular and completely proportionate build that is more than life like and which draws the eye to the perfect physicality of the sculpture. This is followed by the idolization that can be seen in the facial features. The appearance of the hair and the proportions of the face can lead to an expected symbol of the perfect Greek, which not only held physical perfection but also had a sense of intellectual balance. The shape, proportions and the calm mannerism that is on the face leads to this specific expression. While this can be interpreted in today’s reference to the sculpture, there is also a question of whether the Greeks believed that this physicality reflected these different icons. The semiotics of the piece also relate directly to the beliefs of those in Athens when creating this sculpture. The semiotics becomes the signs and symbols of the sculpture as well as the interpretation of life that is closely associated with the language of the sculpture (Emerling, 31). The visual relationship to the sculpture is linked to signs that could relate to the culture of the Greeks. For instance, the sign of the sculpture taking one step forward could have significance in the transitory time in which the sculpture was built as well as what this implied to the Greeks. The hands that are in a fist like position could have also had some significance; however, this may have meant something different than today. The implication of fists is based on strength and the ability to fight. The semiotics which one may relate to today is based on the strength of the sculpture; however, in the Greek signs and symbols, there may have been an alternative interpretation. Marxism and feminism are the two last concepts that relate to this specific sculpture. In Marxist thought, the sculpture is one that becomes a representation and industrial copy of what was held in society and what was believed by those who were looking for social change. The sculpture is then one that becomes a representation of what the Greeks were idolizing and working toward (Emerling, 17). In this sculpture, the strength and the perfection of the man is one which could have been related to the copy of what many in Greek society idolized and believed each man should strive toward. Rather than creating a sense of reality, there is the belief that the industrial copy could help with the transition, cultural upheavals and political change at the time. The same concept can be seen with the feminist thought. There is a question of sexual aesthetics in the sculpture, specifically because of the absence of the feminine and the proportions and perfection of the male figure. The aesthetics that imply perfection become one that is not only based on the ideal of the perfect figure. Instead, it is linked specifically to the question of why the feminine is absent and what this meant for the changes during this time between masculine and feminine powers (Feagin, 38). If the masculine implies the all – powerful entity, then the absence of the feminine implies submissiveness or absence of power. Conclusion The concept of sculpture is one that is not only based on creating looks that are depicted by reality. Instead, there is the idol that is created from the artistic presence. When examining the Kuoros of Athens, it can be seen that the cultural implications were stronger in the physical and ideological presence, as opposed to viewing a sense of reality. While there are specific cultural references that are made, there is also a question of what a part of the historical reality was during this time and which pieces of the sculpture were created from a sense of symbol and ideology. Unless there is an understanding of what is implied through the cultural acceptance and ideals of the time, the signs and symbols become relevant only in interpretation and from the definitions of the spectator looking at the sculpture. Works Cited Emerling, Jae. Theory for Art History. Routledge: New York, 2005. Feagin, Susan (ed). Global Theories of the Arts and Aesthetics. John and Wiley: New York, 2008. Raaflaub, Kurt. “Attica: A View From the Sea.” A Companion to Archaic Greece, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2009. Read More