Richard
The Aesthetics of Bodily Expression
Within art, without the aid of words, we can see the artist represent the expression of the body and the posture of the body as a method of communication. This is never more true than when the artist is attempting to communicate a narrative piece. I would like here to examine the role of expression posture through a short study of four paintings relating scenes from the New Testament. I hope this will inspire people to look at the communication between art and posture, and perhaps what they can learn from it, within other artwork. In each, the artist attempts to communicate both the drama and the communication through the posture and expression of the bodies. I offer appropriate bible references for those who wish to look up the narrative as it is written.
"Noli me Tangere" Titian (Illustrating John 20:11-18) Mary Magdalene comes to visit the tomb of Jesus, only to discover that she is standing before him. She yearns to touch him, perhaps shades of the doubt which led Thomas to say "I will not believe until I have placed my fingers in his wounds", or perhaps the needs of a physical connection through which she can feel love flowing between them. However, we can see her eagerness as she leans forward... eagerness to touch and know, to touch and feel. Jesus, however, pulls away; this is the source of "Noli me tangere", meaning "touch me not". Yet we see that while he pulls away from this basic form of physical contact, he still leans over her, sheltering her and protecting her, comforting her with a gentle embrace which is not based on physical contact, but which Titian clearly communicates as being based upon a spiritual and emotional contact, beyond death, beyond physical things.
"Christ driving the traders from the temple" El Greco (Illustrating Matthew 21:12-17) Christ here shows anger, he is poised ready to strike, his hand is swung back aggressively, while the trader in front of him covers his eyes and face, unsure of what he is seeing, afraid of the expression of anger. Yet the arms swung ready to strike the trader on the left hand of the painting appear to surround and comfort the disciples on the right hand of the painting. While the trader covers his eyes so as not to see Jesus, his followers look up to him. How can there be so much ambiguity in the human expression? How can both a violent anger and nurturing love coexist within the expression of a human? How can the hand that strikes be the same hand which comforts and caresses? How can a body be poised aggressively and yet defensively?
"The Tribute Money" Giovanni Serodine "The Tribute Money" Titian (Both illustrating Matthew 22:17-22) These two pieces both have clear messages in their own way; Serodine's is a dynamic piece: Christ is backed against a wall, being challenged by somebody demanding to know whether he should pay taxes; it is clear through his posture that he is being persecuted, he is leaning backwards as the persecutor leans forward. Jesus points both to the coin and to the sky, illustrating his message "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what it God's", but it is interesting to compare this with Titian's approach. Again, the gestures give a pictorial image of the message, but there, Jesus stands upright, tall; he is cool and collected in the face of attack by those who seek to undermine him. The expression on his face shows that he is cool and resolute; the truth he believes he is expressing will not be silenced. The Pharisee in the background wears glasses- a metaphor for his blindness; but there is no blindness in Jesus' eyes, as Titian represents them. They are cool and clear, looking straight into his challenger. Although the message Jesus portrays is clear within both Serodine and Titian's works, for Titian Jesus' stature sends the message clearly that he is resolved, calm. For Serodine, he is leaning backwards, bending under the force and pressure- but not buckling. In one, the focus is the pressure Jesus faces, in the other, it is his cool reaction to this pressure.
I hope these thoughts on paintings I have come to love may offer something to think about, as one examines bodily expression as communication, both within reality, and reality as it is illustrated through the medium of art.
Richard Irvine