Sylvia Bokor
Conquering the Third Dimension
Conquering the Third Dimension tells the story of the discovery and invention of those technical ideas that made possible painting itself. It discusses six fundamental painting principles—the technology of the art—how they are crucial to the evolution of painting, and why. It concludes by identifying the implicit philosophy that guides the representational painter no matter what the content of his work, his views or his style.
Conquering the Third Dimension is unique to the history of painting. Historians have dealt with the content of paintings or the socioeconomic and cultural events of the period in which artists lived. They've discussed the personal life of artists or they've analyzed various paintings as expressions of philosophy. A few have discussed some of the techniques of application, such as varnishes, frescoes and the like. Many have waxed emotional in their ejaculations of what moved them about an artwork. And some have strutted through reams of words to proclaim their superior understanding of painting.
But no one has told the story of man's unremitting struggle to re-present three-dimensional reality and what motivated him. No one has considered the ferocious effort of painters to learn how to penetrate the width and length of a flat surface in order to create the illusion of depth—a magical, convincing illusion that is realer than real, but only when certain methods are understood and applied. And no one has discussed the painting ideas discovered after the Italian Renaissance. No one has done any of these things. Until now.
History is the science that deals with the past events of man's life identifying which ideas gave rise to which actions. Conquering the Third Dimension is, therefore, the first actual history of painting. It focuses on the methodological ideas that every artist must use if he wants to re-create coherent three-dimensional representational art.
Conquering the Third Dimension discusses such questions as what is the single idea crucial to the re-creation of volume of form? When was it discovered? And what are the consequences of the most erudite of historians remaining ignorant of it? Why was painting nearly destroyed, sprawling crippled for over a thousand years? Who rescued it? Why is illumination the mighty integrator? How does the painter show air? And why did it take over 2000 years to solve the problem of depth of field?
Conquering the Third Dimension answers such questions and considerably more. From the magnificent drawings of prehistoric painters to the colossal achievements of the Italian Renaissance, the reader is swept into a journey that is sometimes hurried, but always riveting. He is shown how painters over millennium slowly untangled puzzles that led to a dazzling grand leap that has not yet been completed.
An easy-to-read text, excellent for estheticians and art historians, art connoisseurs, art lovers and buyers, professional painters and amateurs, students and the interested "man on the street." M/S: 32,544 words; 158 full color reproductions; 30 schematics (created by the artist/author to illustrate various painting principles); Appendix (amplifies some technical matters); Time Line; Index. Work begins soon to search for a literary agent and/or publisher.
