DOI article:
Maurice Aisen, The Latest Evolution in Art and Picabia
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31330#0024
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because it varies from instinct through many phases of evolution, and
is not specifically crystallized as a universal concept. Yet it certainly must
be the outspring of a crystallized form of the evolutive instinct—crystallized
no doubt in a specific thing—the specific, psychic or sixth sense. Newton
could not have been disturbed and discovered the law of universal attraction,
had he not been forced by desire and curiosity of a universal concept. Out of
what and through what did he manifest this desire or curiosity?
No doubt through something. Nothing comes out of nothing, and
something comes out of something. What is that something? Vision? No,
we can see but a few miles. Hearing, neither—we hear only from short
distances. Still less the other senses, whose functions can project but a
very little distance compared to vision and hearing.
There must be something else, there must be something which senses
into the infinite, greatly aided by intelligence—a product of projection into
one of all senses, to produce one sense.
Newton discovered the universal attraction through the psychical sense.
There can be no doubt but that his concept of it and the emotions aroused
by it were of pure abstract origin, related to the infinite.
To materialize such a concept in form of scientific truth he used mathe-
matics, and demonstrated it through mathematics, creating with the aid of
mathematics the language necessary for communication. His art was mathe-
matics; his plasticity he brought out of mathematics. The truth of his
conception overbalanced the emotion. With an artist the emotion of truth
overbalances the truth alone and it addresses itself to the true comprehension
of others through the channel of emotion.
To create a plasticity for truth, with new means for understanding it, is
very logical. So, too, is it logical for these artists to create a new plasticity
since they wish to convey to us a new concept and make us understand it
emotionally.
No man on earth, presented with the law of universal attraction, will
understand anything of it unless he is educated through all phases, capable
of making him understand it. If he does not understand, he cannot reject,
except by committing a stupid act. No man who has not passed through
every evolution of art in painting more or less, will understand it thoroughly
even tomorrow. He may accept it, but to understand today he must have
understood yesterday.
During the periods when “vision” overwhelmed the “psychic sense,”
the consequence was shape, specific shape; and the specific shape corre-
sponded with the character of the matter. Today the “psychic sense” is
coming to the front. This is intellectual vision; not optical vision; therefore
concept of form and form alone, concept of color through itself, not related
to a dress or a reflection in water—the concept of optical vision. The new
school of painting “de Temotion de la pensee pure” which derives from
Cezanne finds its pioneer in Picasso. He has understood the truth of the idea
20
is not specifically crystallized as a universal concept. Yet it certainly must
be the outspring of a crystallized form of the evolutive instinct—crystallized
no doubt in a specific thing—the specific, psychic or sixth sense. Newton
could not have been disturbed and discovered the law of universal attraction,
had he not been forced by desire and curiosity of a universal concept. Out of
what and through what did he manifest this desire or curiosity?
No doubt through something. Nothing comes out of nothing, and
something comes out of something. What is that something? Vision? No,
we can see but a few miles. Hearing, neither—we hear only from short
distances. Still less the other senses, whose functions can project but a
very little distance compared to vision and hearing.
There must be something else, there must be something which senses
into the infinite, greatly aided by intelligence—a product of projection into
one of all senses, to produce one sense.
Newton discovered the universal attraction through the psychical sense.
There can be no doubt but that his concept of it and the emotions aroused
by it were of pure abstract origin, related to the infinite.
To materialize such a concept in form of scientific truth he used mathe-
matics, and demonstrated it through mathematics, creating with the aid of
mathematics the language necessary for communication. His art was mathe-
matics; his plasticity he brought out of mathematics. The truth of his
conception overbalanced the emotion. With an artist the emotion of truth
overbalances the truth alone and it addresses itself to the true comprehension
of others through the channel of emotion.
To create a plasticity for truth, with new means for understanding it, is
very logical. So, too, is it logical for these artists to create a new plasticity
since they wish to convey to us a new concept and make us understand it
emotionally.
No man on earth, presented with the law of universal attraction, will
understand anything of it unless he is educated through all phases, capable
of making him understand it. If he does not understand, he cannot reject,
except by committing a stupid act. No man who has not passed through
every evolution of art in painting more or less, will understand it thoroughly
even tomorrow. He may accept it, but to understand today he must have
understood yesterday.
During the periods when “vision” overwhelmed the “psychic sense,”
the consequence was shape, specific shape; and the specific shape corre-
sponded with the character of the matter. Today the “psychic sense” is
coming to the front. This is intellectual vision; not optical vision; therefore
concept of form and form alone, concept of color through itself, not related
to a dress or a reflection in water—the concept of optical vision. The new
school of painting “de Temotion de la pensee pure” which derives from
Cezanne finds its pioneer in Picasso. He has understood the truth of the idea
20
