For

Senior Years Students

Curriculum

VCE Studio Arts

Aim

To investigate commentaries on art.

Preparation

To do this activity you will need to:

• Read the information for Theme Three – Postwar Figuration in Europe and the Americas.
• View the work either online or in the exhibition.
• Research through the library or Internet.

Individual Task

To reflect on your personal response to the work and the following commentary.

In 1947 Giacometti commented:

"Life size figures irritate me, afterall because a person passing on the street has no weight; in any case he’s much lighter than the person when he’s dead or fainted. He keeps his balance with his legs. You don’t  feel your weight. I wanted – without having thought about it – to reproduce this lightness… making the body so thin."

Do you think this statement is helpful in understanding the work of Giacometti? Explain.

Research Questions

Find a commentary which gives an alternative view of life size figures.

Group Discussion

How has Giacometti explored this concept or interest in lightness?