Man and Art Figure

An interesting conception of the human body as a construction in a space with a diversity of possibilities for creative outputs, as confirmed by Schlemmer, explaining his figures, "These are the possibilities of Man as a Dancer, transformed through costume and moving in space" (28).  In "Man and Art Figure", the physical possibility of the body as a creative engine and as a living sensor in space and time is put into scientific and philosophical abstraction, giving creativity itself, an environment surrounded by rules.  Later in the work, the writer explores the possibility of the body in relation to technological advancements and how these communions give progress to art form in the post-modern age, yet, how they also corner the artist by three abstractions, "He may seek realization within the confines of the given situation...Or he may seek realization under conditions of the greatest possible freedom...Or he may isolate himself altogether from the existing theater".  It seems that these abstractions continue to shadow the artists of today, only, the platforms of these abstractions have become crossed, a designer also works as and artist, working with or without rules at the same time give the creative individual the "greatest possible freedom". 

This is the tragedy that continues to haunt the modern artist.  For instance, the failure of a metaphysical body, to be the object, or to be free of these rules themselves remain the challenge of both science and art. 

However, the second abstraction exploring the "greatest possible freedom" is the most successful out of the three. The geometrics of body and space presented by Schlemmer begin to confirm that man begins with his body and ends with it, he is the measure.  The first base of geometry realizes the point, which is imaginary. Going on to build lines and planes and volume, the world rests on a base of dematerialization, leaving a possibility for another conception of the body wide open.