This chapter “Forms in space” from “Vita delle forme” (Focillon, 1990) explores the multifaceted relationship between form and space across various artistic mediums. It examines how artists manipulate space—creating, defining, and even destroying it—in ornament, architecture, sculpture, and painting. The author analyzes how different spatial treatments, from the rigid geometry of perspective to the fluid, unpredictable space of ornamentation, impact the perception and experience of artistic form. The role of materials and their influence on the realization of form within a given space are also emphasized, rejecting a purely abstract or geometric understanding of art. The text ultimately argues that the dynamic interplay between form, space, and material constitutes the essence of artistic creation.

Please note that the podcast covers key points from the source with synthetic voices, which may have glitches. It’s a reflective, not comprehensive, interpretation.

Focillon, H., & Castelnuovo, E. (1990). Vita delle forme seguito da Elogio della mano. Einaudi. ISBN 978-88-06-16332-7. (pp. 28-50)

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