Through social media, it is delighted to find out another talented artist who utilize the negative space — Bruno Catalano. The blogger Fools One introduces one of Catalano’s latest project in Marsiglia, the European City of Culture. The ten sculptures (Fig. 1) crafted under travel theme, bring out a feeling of freezing time and transcendent beauty. When visiting Catalano’s official website, I realize that his traveler sculptures (Fig. 1 to Fig. 3) all are carved in the human dimension and realistic form, except of middle part of the bodies are ‘erased’ off and blended in with the environment. However, we are able to fill the gaps by connecting the rest of bodies by applying the law of closure, law of similarity and law of proximity (Wertheimer, 1923, p. 301). Among all, the law of closure is particularly useful to explain the tendency to fill in the gaps. Jill Butler, Kritina Hoden and William Lidwell (2003, p.34) explain that “the tendency to perceive a single (and recognizable) pattern (rather than multiple, individual elements) is so strong that people will close gaps and filling in missing information to complete the pattern if necessary.” The luggage are not only served as traveling symbol, but also being the connecting points to support the suspended upper bodies physically. Overall, being a French sculpture, Catalano’s artworks articulate kind of romantic idea and harmonic emotion.
Fig. 1. Fools Journal, Le sculture “a pezzi” di Bruno Catalano, 2013. http://www.foolsjournals.wordpress.com
Fig. 2. Bruno Catalano, Travelers, 2012. http://www.brunocatalano.com
Fig. 3. Bruno Catalano, Travelers, 2012. http://www.brunocatalano.com
References:
Butler, Jill, Hoden, Kritina and Lidwell, William (2003) Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design. Gloucester: Rockport Publishers
Wertheimer, Max (1923) ‘Laws of Organization in Perceptual Forms’, Untersuchungen zur Lehre von der Gestalt 2 (4), 301-350, http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Wertheimer/Forms/forms.htm (visited 15/10/13)
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