Jan 31, 2013 10:26
11 yrs ago
French term

Du Piranèse abstrait dans un film de SF des années 70

French to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting Description of artist's work
I'm really struggling with the flowery language in this text, which is describing the work of an artist. Any help gratefully received!

"Aussi grands que soient les dessins, on saisit peu à peu que l'on a affaire à des fragments, à des découpages d’un espace virtuel potentiellement infini. Le relief, le bossage représentés par le dessin se déplient et se tordent, engendrant une forte sensation de déplacement latéral, de travelling, de point de fuite et de vitesse, et finalement de trouble, je ne saurais dire s'il s'agit de claustrophobie ou au contraire d'agoraphobie, ou peut-être n'est-ce finalement pas si contradictoire. Un astronaute dérive dans les espaces intersidéraux, dans sa chute il longe les innombrables fenêtres du vaisseau étoile, et se perd très doucement dans l'immensité du cosmos. On dirait qu'il ne bouge pas. **Du Piranèse abstrait dans un film de SF des années 70.** C'est sobre mais bizarrement psychédélique, c'est fixe mais ça fourmille."

Proposed translations

+3
30 mins
Selected

It's as if Piranese has landed in a 1970's Sci Fi film

I think the writer assumes that you know of Piranese's work - they're describing the visual style of the piece as a blend between the 'classical romantic landscapes' and '1970's colourful and (slightly nutty) sci fi. The following sentence expands on the meaning of this metaphor.
Peer comment(s):

agree Victoria Britten : I think this expresses it really well
1 hr
agree John Holland : I like this one, too, although I'm not so sure I'd think of "classical romantic landscapes" for Piranese (please see the reference comments).
2 hrs
agree Marie LE MEN (X)
23 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Brilliant, thank you!"
12 mins

where Logan's run meets Piranesi's Imaginary Prisons

I just couldn't help it ( - ; it's such a cliché
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

the abstract surrealism of Piranesi in a Seventies Sci-Fi movie

Piranesi's imaginary buildings are surreal in an abstract way.
Peer comment(s):

agree Jennifer Forbes
2 hrs
Thank you.
neutral kashew : why add surrealism?// Ok, that's your take on it - but the writer only says abstract.
8 hrs
Because Piranesi's imaginary buildings are known for their abstract surreal mood and I think that's what the source material is aiming at.
Something went wrong...
10 hrs

70's sci-fi movie piranesian abstraction

*

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 heures (2013-01-31 21:05:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Maybe capital P for Piranesian.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 heures (2013-01-31 21:08:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Abstraction in the visionary sense I think.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 heures (2013-01-31 21:16:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://hellaheaven-ana.blogspot.fr/2009/11/giovanni-battista...
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

7 mins
Reference:

Piranesi

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Battista_Piranesi

This article also mentions that he produced some special work on prisons, and that his work inspired some modern cartoon strip artists, hence presumably the reference here, to a style rather than his actual œuvre as such.
Peer comments on this reference comment:

agree Catherine De Crignis : C'est ça !
5 mins
Merci, Catherine !
Something went wrong...
17 mins
Reference:

Piranesi and film design

From http://www.artchive.com/artchive/P/piranesi.html :

"Piranesi's influence as an architect may have been negligible, but his romanticized views and imaginary interiors had a profound effect on stage designers, painters of capricci such as Hubert Robert, and even writers: William Beckford, the author of the Gothic novel, Vathek (1786) wrote, 'I drew chasms, and subterranean hollows, the domain of fear and torture, with chains, racks, wheels and dreadful engines in the style of Piranesi.' In the 20th century his imaginary interiors have been admired by the Surrealists and provided source material for horror film set designers."
Peer comments on this reference comment:

agree Tony M : Nice one!
55 mins
Thanks, Tony!
Something went wrong...
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search