Giacometti and Phenomenology

DATE

Apr 2021 - May 2021

TYPE

Class Final Paper (PHIL 186: Phenomenology and Existentialism)

PROJECT

I analyzed Giacometti's sculptures and sketches from Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological and existentialist viewpoint while shedding light on his trauma. I explored how his works illustrate the inseparability of subject and the world and how they help us better understand our freedom and 'situatedness' in this world.

Abstract

Giacometti’s sculptures and drawing have often been associated with phenomenology and existentialism. His works often aimed to investigate the relationship between subject and the world. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the connections between Giacometti’s artworks and Merleau-Ponty’s arguments in Phenomenology of Perception. I will start this paper by introducing his traumatic personal experience that motivated his artistic creations. After briefly exploring the influence of the trauma in works, I will illustrate how Giacometti’s style had shifted as he began performing a phenomenological epoché. Then, I will show how his works suggest the inseparability of subject and the world. Lastly, as I introduce Giacometti’s later works inspired by existentialism, I will analyze how these works help us better understand our freedom and situatedness in the world.

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