Some thoughts on artists' models

Abstract

Prompted by Joel Black's (1984) question "what is before the artwork?", this article considers key issues in the prefigurative dimension of art, among others, the critical neglect of the artist's model, the former prominence and the demise of technical making models in imitational art, a new interest in mimesis and the representational value of art associated with the heuristics of ideological modellings of the aesthetic potential of the world.Met Joel Black (1984) se vraag "wat kom voor die kunswerk?" as vertrekpunt, beredeneer hierdie artikel verskeie vraagstukke wat die prefiguratiewe dimensie van kuns betref, onder meer die kritiese verwaarlosing van die kunstenaarsmodel, die eens prominente tegniese maakmodelle van die nabootsende kunste, 'n herlewing van belangstelling in mimesis en die representatiewe waarde van kuns wat in verband gebring kan word met die heuristiek van ideologiese modellerings van die estetiese potensiaal van die wereld.