Page 20 - Studio International - February 1967
P. 20

To give life to the cosmic abstraction in the mural,   1964-5                    David Medalla
      change of colour with time and controlled motion of   So far the Physichromies had included two types of
      light within the composition were essential. Since   colour only: additive and reflected colour. But now   I  am at present involved in working out
      the mural would be in a quiet reception hall of a   the artist changes over from parallel lines of opaque   technical details and problems about
      publisher of scientific books and journals, the mural   colour to transparent colours and adds 'subtractive  future projects for kinetic art. These pro-
      should, I felt, be conducive to the relaxation of the   colour'/Boxes designed for manipulation with fixed  jects were first envisaged by me in 1964
      people waiting there. This meant that motion and   and moving patterns. Interferences. Additive colour   and in 1965. They are toc many to enumerate
      colour change should be continuous and subdued-  and free modification of the structure and colour./
      the eyes should not be bombarded with intense light   Superimposition of patterns on two fixed planes.   them all here. Seven projects especially
      moving erratically at high speeds. Furthermore, there   Modification by movement/Publication of the album   intrigue me—'obsess' is possibly a more
      should be no well-defined overall cycle of events that   entitled 'Transchromies'.   accurate word. One of them is a project
      would tend to fatigue through repetition.                                         for a spatio-temporal-tactile environment
       The composition of the mural is not abstract in the   1966                        comprising a swimming pool with sub-
      so-called 'non-objective' sense; not that, in my   By changing the height and distance between the
      opinion, it is intelligible to speak in such terms, for to   parallel lines, and by adding more coloured areas   merged illumination, a room with no gravity,
      me all painting is derivative from reality. The com-  against the background, the development of the   and a room where the naked body will
      position, abstracted from celestial shapes, begins   chromatic spectacle is accelerated./Through the  encounter, at random intervals, fragrant
      from the base of the mural where the curvature of the   intensity of the background colours and the reflection  showers of a resinous gummy substance,
      Earth is drawn with an indication of the colour band   of these colours on the perpendicular plane, a
                                                                                         and storms of silver and gold dust accom-
      seen by astronauts when orbiting the Earth. Above   three-dimensional optical effect is obtained: colour
      this I have placed nine circular shapes with rota-  moves forward in its own plane (ambiguity of de-  panied by flares of light in different colours,
      tional motion to symbolize the planets of our solar   velopment).                  and musical sounds. The gold and silver
      system. ( I first used this theme in my kinetic painting                           dust will be imprinted in abstract patterns
      Ladders to the Stars 11,1965.)           Physichromies-Programme:                  on the resin-soaked human skin. For this
       I chose the Sun as the focal point of the composition.   1. Reveal through a single surface the infinite range   project, I am designing a series of plastic
      Within the orb of the Sun eddies turn about two 'eyes'.   of plastic forms, considering the variations in colour
      Between the Sun and the planets one can see three   tints caused by sunlight in nature, and the possi-  masks in abstract patterns, to protect the
      horizontal disc-shaped nebulae within which there   bilities offered by the ductility of artificial light.   spectator when he enters the 'dust cham-
      are to-and-fro motions of filaments of light (taken from   2. Find a different 'colour matter', a different 'colour   ber', and, for the prudent, I am designing all
      a theme in my Nebula 11,1961). Finally, above the Sun,   condition' to replace the eternal surfaces painted   kinds of swimming gear, and also floating
      In a black background, there are slowly oscillating   with emulsion pigments and the colours of stained   sculptures in cork, rubber and inflatable
      stellar clusters (taken from a theme in my Voyage 1,   glass. The Physichromies are changing structures   plastic, for use in the swimming pool. I
      1956).                                   which project colour into space. They create an
                                               atmosphere of coloured light which changes with the   hope eventually to have the masks and
                                               intensity and position of the light source, as well as   swimming equipment, including the float-
      Cruz-Diez                                with the position and distance of the viewer, and  ing sculptures, mass-produced.
                                               includes three different types of colour: additive,   Three other projects for which I am making designs
      1954
                                               reflected and subtractive.                are: a project for missile sculptures-to cross inter-
      Coloured cylinders of varying diameter and height
                                                Additive colour: the background is covered by a   stellar space, carrying with them the germs of a new
      arranged perpendicular to the background; the   multitude of parallel lines of different colour which   life; a project for monumental bread-machines, to be
      cylinders give rise to shadows and coloured reflec-
                                               mingle in the eye of the viewer creating a different   erected in city squares all over the world, for people
      tions./Plans for a mural in which the spectator would
                                               impression of colour as he draws away from or   to make bread with, in different shapes and sizes, at
      participate by manipulating and moving various   approaches the work of art.       all hours of the day; and a project for a mohole-flower,
      sections of the work.
                                                Reflected colour: when light strikes up against the   a living, growing sculpture to be buried and sealed in
      1955-7                                   parallel lines in the background, it bounces back and   the centre of the earth. These are difficult pro-
      Works with superimposed networks inspired by   is projected onto the perpendicular strips, giving rise   jects; the factors involved in their realization are
      plants./Raised network patterns. Integration of   to coloured waves which in turn emit chromatic waves   many and complex. Whether I will accomplish these
      shadows in fixed structures/Sculpted objects for   towards the closest strip. This phenomenon modifies   projects or not, remains to be seen. However, initial
      manipulation.                            the effect of additive colour.            difficulties had not daunted me in the past. When, for
                                                Subtractive colour: light crosses the strips of trans-  example, I announced to my friends in 1963 that I was
      1957-9
                                               parent colour axially and modifies the pigmentation   about to create a work of art that will continually make
      Effects of colour vibration./Animation of the surface
                                               of the background parallels; the true intensity of   and destroy and remake itself, none of them believed
      by fatigue of the retina./Persistence of the image in   colour is 'subtracted' from the latter. The effect   me. Many of them have still not gotten over the sur-
      the retina/Negative-positive effects/Deformation of   varies when the viewer moves diagonally in relation   prise they felt when they saw, the following year, my
      perception/Colour effects by radiation.   to the work.                             first bubble-machine.
                                                My work has always been guided by the principles   Three other projects, all of which I hope to make in
      1959
      Physichromy No. 1. Structure of parallel strips   of experimentation. Almost all my compositions are   1967, are in the nature of homages: they are A Poem
                                               based on physical experience which is important to   for Van Gogh, A Poem for Mondrian, and A Poem for
      arranged perpendicular to the background to produce
                                               me as long as it helps to create a visual happening,   Malevich.  Van Gogh, Mondrian, and Malevich are
      a climate of additive colour using red and green as
                                               an object of plastic interest.           three painters I deeply admire. The Poem for Van Gogh
      the basic colours and white and black to modulate
                                                I am not interested in expression  in the traditional   is actually a development of my first sand-machine
      the incident light/Physichromy No. 2. Additive colour
                                               sense of the word, because for the viewer the plastic   (London 1964). It will be a spherical structure with
      plus 'reflection colour'. Variations in the strips to
      assist the modulation of light/Interferences: two-  event which I create is more important than my   palpitating parts composed of mud and pulverized
      dimensional surface of additive colour by super-  personal human problems. Contemporary work, our   materials (dried seeds, rice, powdered coal, salt,
                                               work, must evolve; it must change just as life itself   etc.) in swirling motion. It will also incorporate electric
      imposition of a network of parallel red, green and
      white lines against a black background.   changes with a pattern of events and a reality in   lights and wind-sounds. No actual reference to any
                                               which man is actively involved. Direct, perceived art   of Van Gogh's paintings is intended. I only want to
      1962                                     with no intellectual ambiguities. In my physichromies   express the feelings I experience whenever I en-
      Strips of regular height used instead of the structure   I claim only to 'express' a few conditions of colour.   counter a work by that great and tragic genius.
      of strips of varying height/Elimination of red-green as   A 'climate' is created by the changing patterns of   The  Poem for Mondrian  was inspired, curiously
      the sole sources of colour and use of the entire   colour. Colour is a physiological phenomenon, some-  enough, by something I read about the structure and
      chromatic range. Shapes set against a background   times voluptuous and even erotic. It appeals to the   functions of the wings of dragonflies. It will be a
      which emphasizes the shades of colour/Juxtaposi-  primary senses, as art must do when the bonds of   colourless object, very simple in shape, articulated,
      tion of vacant spaces and animated spaces.   'intellectualization' are broken.    with dynamic oppositions of straight horizontal and
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