The serial perspective in art is an approach to creating artwork where the process is the primary driver, guided by a systematic, predetermined set of rules or a system.
This perspective is fundamentally defined by three basic assumptions regarding the making of the art, as outlined in its definition:
Key Assumptions of the Serial Perspective in Art
- Systematically Predetermined Process: The creation of the artwork follows a plan or system conceived entirely before the actual making or execution begins. The artist defines the steps, rules, or parameters beforehand.
- Order Takes Precedence Over Execution: The order (the underlying rules or system used to generate the artwork) is considered more significant and important than the manual skill or technical execution of the work itself. The conceptual framework and structure are paramount.
- Completed Work is Self-Exhausting: The finished artwork fully realizes and exhausts the possibilities inherent in the predetermined system or rules from which it was generated. The piece represents the complete exploration of that specific set of parameters.
Understanding the Serial Approach
- Planned Creation: At its core, serial art removes spontaneity from the creative act during execution. The artist's role shifts from intuitive maker to system designer. The final form is a logical outcome of the initial rules.
- Focus on Structure: The beauty or interest lies not just in the visual result, but in understanding the system that produced it. The process and the rules become integral parts of the artwork's identity.
- Finite Systems: Each serial work is a complete exploration of a specific system. Once the system runs its course according to the rules, the piece is finished and, in a sense, has nothing more to offer within those specific boundaries.
This perspective emphasizes the idea, the system, and the process over the artist's direct gestural or emotional input during execution, positioning the concept as the primary creative act.
