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Il Disegno Obliquo: Una Storia Dell'Antiprospettiva by Massimo Scolari.

Article  in  Leonardo · October 2006

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Leonardo, Volume 39, Number 5, October 2006, p. 484 (Review)

Published by The MIT Press

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 evolution and, as such, assumes nature notes how his reflection on axonometry exciting possibilities 20 years ago, par-
is here for us to exploit! began in that very essay that serves ticularly makes us wish he had indeed
This minor criticism aside, the book as an introduction to the book and written that book. The transition just
and the art presented on the accompa- “remains still today the title of a book outlined, that Scolari so ably lays out,
nying disc is wonderfully challenging I should have written” (“rimane ancora is downplayed in favor of its continu-
and pushes the viewer and reader to oggi il titolo di un libro che avrei dovuto ities with ancient practices with oblique
think deeply about the relationship scrivere”). The book should not disap- perspective. Did the ancients ever read
of the natural to the artificial. McCor- point, however, because it is useful to off dimensions in the same way? If
mack’s art “simultaneously criticises have all of Scolari’s thought brought not, how then did their drawings of
and embraces our dependence on together. Indeed, the fact that some of machines (another memorable chap-
digital art” (p. 90). Just to confound the material was originally published in ter) literally inspire building? What
the dualistic nature of McCormack’s English (like the “Axonometry” article) is the contribution of the drawing to
philosophy, I will close with his own or emerged from teaching seminars in blueprints, working drawings and work-
observation: “If technology has one the United States opens up the hope ing by “remote control”? Once military
consistent feature it is that it promises that this book might be translated into perspective was introduced, did it
long before it delivers (if indeed it ever English, given this jump-start from the inspire the epochal changes in the
does deliver)” (p. 74). McCormack’s preexisting English texts. Western mentality that are usually
work, despite its reliance on technol- Scolari makes the (increasingly less) ascribed to the rise of perspective?
ogy, does deliver some important and startling assertion that linear perspec- These are tasks for contemporary
hauntingly beautiful art. tive has not been of much interest or research. Now, with a knowledge of
use in world history, let alone in the Scolari’s great contribution, they can
Greco-Roman past. Beginning with be certain not to reinvent the wheel
IL DISEGNO OBLIQUO: the Egyptians and Near-Eastern civili- and maintain his broad vision as a
UNA STORIA zations, most cultures have preferred model.
DELL’ANTIPROSPETTIVA forms of oblique perspective utilizing
by Massimo Scolari. Marsilio, parallels. This is close to Rudolf Arn-
Venice, 2005. 347 pp., illus. Trade. heim’s discussion of the “Egyptian TCP/IP ESSENTIALS:
ISBN: 88-317-8617-2. Method” (Art and Visual Perception, A LAB-BASED APPROACH
1974) in world art except that Scolari by Shivendra S. Panwar, Shiwen Mao,
Reviewed by Ian Verstegen, University of goes further and notes that such a Jeong-dong Ryoo and Yihan Li.
Georgia Studies Abroad, 52044 Cortona method of graphic transcription is not University of Cambridge Press, New
(AR), Italy. E-mail: <[email protected]>. just a common means of expression but York, NY, U.S.A., 2004. 284 pp., illus.
also the backbone on which ancient Paper. ISBN: 052160124X.
In 1984 the Venetian architect and cultures related ideas about mathemat-
designer Massimo Scolari published the ics and engineering. One of Scolari’s Reviewed by Rob Harle (Australia).
now-classic “Elements for a History of chapters and its discussion of ancient E-mail: <[email protected]>.
Axonometry” in Casabella magazine. It Greek mathematical treatises on papyri
remains to this day one of the few non- is particularly fascinating. The mainte- Have you ever wondered why, when you
technical (but technically informed) nance of oblique strategies throughout send an e-mail or download a web site,
reviews of the birth of axonometric the Byzantine and Islamic dynasties, it does not result in terminal electronic
projection from Renaissance military or and their independent usage in Chinese gridlock? Have you ever wondered what
cavalier perspective. The article noted traditions, assured a currency when the TCP/IP or SMTP means when you are
an anticipation of the parallel perspec- Renaissance rolled around. Except setting up your home computer to
tive presumed by axonometry in geo- then, of course, the discovery of linear connect to the Internet? This book
metric proofs, noted the use of parallels perspective was not truly an epochal reveals all. It does so in a logical,
in the study of shadows, and ended on a discovery but rather the continuation straightforward, easy-to-read manner.
speculative note, comparing the rejec- and refinement of ancient conventions. The book is primarily intended for
tion of flaws observed in linear perspec- Scolari shows how mathematical electrical engineering, computer sci-
tive to a Platonic viewpoint of timeless proofs in oblique and parallel perspec- ence and computer engineering stu-
perfection. In a footnote, Scolari wrote tive were the first to transport the possi-
that “the publication of a text on the bility of reading depth not only along x
history of the axonometric is antici- and y dimensions (up and down along
pated.” Thus, when the book under the parallel frontal plane) but also
review was announced—Il Disegno along the z dimension (in depth).
Obliquo: Una Storia dell’Antiprospettiva This was then picked up by the military
(The Oblique Drawing: A History of engineers of the 16th century, who
Anti-Perspective)—I was excited. Alas, used a compass to read off dimensions
the book is “merely” a collection of all in all three dimensions to calculate
of Scolari’s previously published, yet costs, judge the success of a fortress
still exciting, essays on oblique, military design and plan an attack.
and parallel perspective, on architec- Scolari was a pioneer in noting the
tural models and geometrical proofs— virtues of non-perspectival methods
in short all the themes touched on in and their various links and connec-
the original essay—under one cover. tions. But here perhaps is where the
In the very brief preface, Scolari pioneer, who offered such fresh and

484 Leonardo Reviews

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