Brancusi vs Rodin
— Experience Perspective of Audience
I must confess that I really love the art pieces named “The Kiss” by it’s own artist. It has its own spiritual context that touches my heart.
Both Brancusi and Rodin has their own “The Kiss” sculpture. They are same by the name but different by the meaning.
Brancusi’s Sculpture is a very early example of proto-cubist of non-literal representation. What he does is simplifying geometric forms and emphasizes simple geometrical lines that balance forms inherent in his materials with the symbolic allusions of representational art. As you may see, the shape of the original block of material is maintained. The sculpture do not deny its material.
This does not mean he is making abstract sculptures. There is a famous quote of Brancusi about this:
“They are imbeciles who call my work abstract. That which they call abstract is the most realistic, because what is real is not the exterior but the idea, the essence of things.” Constantin Brancusi
On the contrary, Rodin has a different approach. We see two people kissing each other. A man and a woman. But we cannot understand the story behind it. The Kiss depicts a moment from Dante’s Divine Comedy in which two lovers, Paolo and Francesca, sharing their first kisses. The sculpture denies its material. Marble does not have the feeling of a marble but more of a human skin. The sculpture is aesthetically pleasing from all angles.
Rodin noted that he chose to keep the figures nude so that nothing could interfere with the raw emotion that he wanted the viewer to feel immediately. As we can see, the material deny itself. The sculpture looks so real that we can feel the touch of their skin and the romance.
Brancusi sculpture is understood well enough in the first sight but unfortunately Rodin’s is not well understood. You have to know the story behind the sculpture.
User experience discussions are always on the same spot. This really makes me remind of a very old discussion in UX. Flat design or Realistic Design? I had a speech ones to a crowded audience giving the example of Brancusi vs Rodin when explaining flat and realistic design.
You do not necessarily choose realistic or flat from the very first time. It is something to be considered after “disruptive insights” and “future vision” steps (The first two step of strategic design process of designit. Disruptive insights, Future Vision, Experience Roadmap, Experience Design and Implementation). Which means, you have to consider your user, your business goals and strategies also problems and solutions to find the one that fits great for that specific project.
Rodin really wanted to make audience feel the romance and give a story to the sculpture so he chose a different way from Brancusi. “The Kiss” is “The Kiss” but the experience is totally different. A sculpture is not a sculpture and a product is not a product. Experience is everything for audience(users).
