THE SELF-ISOLATION RESIDENCY 26th MAY 2021: DAY 423

The Fourth Wall: Rückenfigur, staffage, spectator or observer?
Where do I stand? Part 4.

Rückenfigur, staffage, spectator or observer?
The ‘accessories’ of an artistic composition (companion). Where do I stand? Part 4.

In answer to this question, we, have three choices as to what the image may be, although all three of these options may be meditated in a variety of ways.

Option 1 is that the image is in fact simply a mirror attached to the opposite wall of the room. The figure which is observed in the image is actually our own reflection, hence its familiarity. In this case the image which we are observing is a description of the events taking place in the space before the wall; therefore, we, the observer is a participant in these events.

Option 2 is that what appears to be an image is actually a ‘scene’ viewed through a window or doorway located within the opposite wall of the room. The person we see may be very familiar for a variety of reasons which are unimportant to the situation. In this case the image which we are observing is a description of the events taking place in the space behind the wall, we are looking through the fourth wall as we do when we watch a play at the theatre; therefore, we, the observer are a spectator to the events until we interact with the space beyond the window or door, breaking the fourth wall, at which time we once again become a participant in those events.

Option 3 is that the image is a painting, or other two-dimensional image, on, or attached parallel to, the plane of the wall, an image of a counterfeit or illusionistic space. Once again, the person we see may be very familiar for a variety of reasons which are unimportant to the situation. In this case the image which we are observing is a description of virtual events which take place only in the flat illusionistic space on the wall; therefore, we, the observer remains purely an observer of these events.

To be continued...