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r ' M!

A PROCESS RECORD
FROM A FRANGIBLE SURFACE
Claude Marzotto and Maia Sambonet (obelo)

42

LET ' S 0 PEN A 1920 S Encyclopedie Larousse CLA UDE MARZOTTo ,designer,and M AlA SAMBO NET,
at the entry "Diagram": "Figure graphique, pro- visual artist, live and work as a designer duo in Milan.Their
pre Ii representer un phenomene determine. (Syn. de sntdio 0 BELO is the space where they conduct an open
GRAPH IQ.!:!E.)" [Graphic image specifically represent- inquiry into the processes of image production.Since 20l2 , they
ing a particular phenomenon. (Syn. ofGRA PH Ie.)) collaborate on editorial,visual identity, arid graphic design
(see fig. I) . Let's place this definition side by side with projects. Ongoing experimentation with tools and languages
the Diagram of Forces by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy in a provides them with material to share through academic teaching
1939 photog ram, (re)presenting the impression of and workshops for adults and children. obelo is graphics,
a creased piece of paper - an example of the "space- workshop, and research.
time diagrams" that the author of Vision in Motion
(1947) came to recognize in every line ofa drawing,
every vein of a leaf, or every crack of peeling paint This is the grou nd we moved on when we were asked
- (eventually in any visible configuration) (see fig. to release the telluric image of cracked soil to embed
2). Let us then expand our visual reservoir to in- this publication's cover.
clude the series Phenomena (Les Phenomenes) , the ex- Now let us take from our desk a European stan-
traordinary "atlas" oflithographs produced by Jean dard A4 sheet of paper, lay it on a wooden board,
Dubuffet between 1958 and 1962, a collection ofim- and build a frame around it by nailing some cross-
pressionssurlevifincludingsoil, rocks, wall textures, bars along its sides. It's nowtime to move the sheet
and incrustations (see fig. 3) . across the board and keep multiplying the frames
As the safety distance of drawing collapses, the until we achieve a grid that covers the entire work-
graphic surface may turn into a receptacle of intend- ing area. We can then prepare some cement paste
ed or accidental collisions and rubbing of matter. and pour it to fIll the internal spaces of this foun-
This gives way to another kind of diagram, made dation . Looking for a sundry outcome, we vary the
of imprints that report some hidden characteris- mixture for every casting by blending each time
tics of a physical interaction on its planar surface. different quantities of sand and other aggregates:
As, for example, in Max Ernst's frottages , where the dust, filaments , soil, dirt, debris . The A4areas start
printed outcome, although it may be faithful to its to take shape.
origin, may also disclose the wonder of an unex- A few days later we remove from the open timber
pected landscape . frames a series of A4 sheets, solidified into irregular
A PROCESS RECORD FROM A FRANGIBLE SURFACE

diagonal, e, aux adj . (du gr. dill . it travrt's.

aun carre.d'un recta71- '


gle 80nl egal "~' ,'
2}-
----------.
et g<lnia. angle). Se dit d'une droite qui joint de ux
sommets non consecutifs d'nn polygone. N . f . Cetl c
droite : l es diayonalcs
:
" u
diagonale- A / "
ment [man j adv. En : :
tliagonaie. - - - - - - - - - -- - J
Diagoras f rass 1 A, B, diagOlwle.
de lIelo8, philosophe
grec, sllrnomm e l'Athee ( \.• s. avo ,I.-C . l.
diagramme [!Ira-me] n.Ul.(gr. dia!Jml/lma~. Fi ­
gUl'e graphique. propre il representer lin pMno·
mene detennine. (Syn. de GRAPHlQl1 K. ) Bot . Dw-
gramme d'une fleur. soMe de plan oil sont 'repre-
sentes Ie nombre et la disposition r elative des pieces
de ses lVerticilJes. , 43
di~amme [gra-me ] n. m, Gem'e de. pois ·
sons ~thopteres. famille des pristipomatid es, r,'n -
fermani d e nomhreuses especes, d e taill e onoyennc.
i\ livree argenl e~ , habitant toutes les me l's chautl es .
diagraphe n. m. (du gr. dia, il travers, et. yr a-
phein, dessinco·j. Instrument, qui pe rmet tie repro-
duire. sans connaito-e Ie dessin et d'apr" s Ie principe
de la chambre claire, les objeh qu on a devant les
yeux.

1 "Diagram" definition . Larousse universe/. Paris: Librairie 2 Lasz lo Moholy-Nagy. Diagram of Forces. 193B-43.
Larouss e, 19 22 . Gelatin silver print, photogram. Museum of Fine Art s,
Houston, Te xas, USA / Museum purchase fund ed by
th e 5. 1. Morris Photography End owment/ Bridge man
Images.

and frangible double-faced objects. The next step is the roller moves on the cliche, it alters irrevocably
to put some black printing ink on a smooth tile using its anatomy by breaking it into different lumps and
a rubber print roller. The roller collects a thin layer eventually destroying it.
of ink from the tile and then is rolled over the con- Rather than a mechanical reproduction from
crete plate. Its pressure breaks the surface along the one original to many copies, the combination of
lines of weakness, which have been determined by the material's fragility with the roller's mechanics
the casual distribution of the aggregates within the set a peculiar transmission scheme, performed una
cast. While releasing a layer of color on the eleva- tantum and from one to one only. "It seems that the
tions that it rubs on its way, the roller retains some prints can only be referred to in the plural. precise-
of the dust and particles delivered from the con- ly since it seems only to exist in particular: particu-
crete's breaches. Like in offset printing, the cliche lars, such as every place in which the print is oper-
does not come into direct contact with the paper: ative (according to the material, texture, plasticity
it is the rubber roller that retains the impression of of the substrate); particulars, such as every dynam-
the original surface and transfers this information ic,gesture, operation in which the imprinthappens"
to the new terrain. (Didi-Huberman II; Trans. obelo).
The roller's capacity and memory is confined to The roller touches without seeing anything. The
the cylinder's surface area, which is slightly small- image it returns after each time it travels over the
erthan A4 . At the second turn of the rolleroverthe surface is a faithful graphic restitution of the con-
paper, a fainter image is repeated after the first in tact points resulting from a tactile relief. Like a sat-
a fading sequence. On the other hand, every time ellite, telescope, or microscope view, the visual data
r 'M !

produced by this manual tool are elicited atan unfa-


miliardistance and thus elude an univocal interpre-
tation. while offering in exchange its own principles
of order and measure . In the blind spot of vision . at
the highest contact point. images are free to evade
the control of the mapping eye (see fIgs. 4- 15).

.. ...---- Works Cited


44

Didi-Huberman . Geo rges. La ressemblal1ce par contact:


Arc/leologie. allac/lrorlislne et modernite de l'e mpreil1te.
Paris: Edirions de Mi n uir. 2008. Print.
Larol.lsse universe!. Ed . Claude Auge. 2 vols . Paris:
Librairie Laro usse. 1922. Print.
Moholy-Na gy. Laszl 6. Diag ralll of Forces. 1938- 43.
Phorogra m .
Moholy-Nagy. Laszl 6. Visi ol1 ill Motion . Chicago: Pa ul
Theobald . 1947. Prinr.
Dubufett. Jean . Les Phellom enes ( Ph ell0111el1a). 1958-
62. Prinrs.

3 Jea n Dubu ffe t.lithographies: serie


des Phenomenes. Book cover. Paris :
Berggruen. 1960.
A PROCESS RECORD FROM A FRANGIBLE SURFACE

4S

4-9 A4 concrete plates .


A PROCESS RECORD FROM A FRANGIBLE SURFACE

47
r' M!

48

10 - 15 abelo, Concrete diagrams. 2015.


Monoprint series, offset
print ing ink on coat ed paper.
A4s ize.
A PROC ESS RECORD FROM A FRANGIBLE SURFACE

49

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