Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Figure'

Thesis: M. Arch., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, 2018.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (page 89).
This thesis examines role of the mega-scale urban figure, specifically its appropriateness within contemporary cities. Since Rem Koolhaas's 1993 essay, "Bigness or the Problem of Large," the concept of mega-scale urban intervention has been a prominent issue both in architectural theory and practice. The newly created urban figures, physically dominant in the city, not only became catalytic but also became immortalized within an urban fabric. And while such urban figures remain intact, our contemporary cities are experiencing unprecedented speeds of change and complexity. This trend raises a question: "Is the mega-form still a relevant urban figures to respond to the needs of the cities.- If not , what are the causes and effects of urban figures, and how can the concept be revised to be more responsive to the aspiration of contemporary cities? This thesis investigates, a mega-form in Seoul, South Korea constructed in 1968. The mega urban form occupies the Jongno area of Seoul; as a significant and dominant urban figure registers at the larger scale of the city and yet divides the multiple industrial. It is likely that in the near future that this area will be subject to major redevelopment together with many of the surrounding smaller working communities. The main body of this thesis, then, will be a design study into the appropriate urban figure that can operate as infrastructure that provides enhanced connectivity, generates new ideas about urban space and the public realm, and performs as an ecological system that fuels sustainable community revitalization. In rethinking the existing mega project, this thesis will consider how to integrate the layers of the past into a new relationship with reality of contemporary Seoul through the medium of the architecture and urban transformation.
by Bumsuk Cho.
M. Arch.

2006/2007
Nella riflessione che accompagna l’osservazione del territorio contemporaneo, contrapposizione, giustapposizione e frammentazione sono termini utilizzati per descrivere una condizione dove sempre più rilevante risulta il rapporto tra pieni e vuoti. Leggere la città contemporanea in negativo, come un giustapporsi di spazi aperti e spazi costruiti dove acquista rilievo anche ciò che rimane tra le emergenze, diventa lo stimolo progettuale per pensare ad una nuova immagine di città, che si confronti con le esigenze di vita della società. Liberato dalla sua accezione eminentemente negativa e visto nelle sue possibili e progettualmente fertili declinazioni, il tema del vuoto acquista un nuovo ruolo nella definizione di spazialità inedite: esso può divenire l’approccio al progetto per, sulla e della città contemporanea. Se, da un lato, le violente trasformazioni a cui abbiamo assistito in città come Berlino e, più di recente, New York, hanno messo in primo piano la necessità e la difficoltà di confrontarsi con il tema del vuoto, (drammaticamente evidente in queste lacerazioni del tessuto urbano), dall’altra il tema del vuoto ha da sempre attraversato lo studio della città. Nel suo essere vuoto, il parco ha rappresentato uno degli elementi basilari per la formulazione di ipotesi per la città moderna, in cui si rifletteva l’idea stessa di città. Alla ricerca di nuovi orizzonti di senso, il tema del vuoto riporta l’attenzione a forme culturali contrapposte: quella orientale ci educa al senso positivo di una dimensione complementare a quella materica e tangibile, e per questo carica di valore nel suo dare compiutezza a ciò che è in essere. Nella cultura occidentale, invece, è l’arte ad aver ampliamente indagato il vuoto: artisti come Klein, Fontana e Manzoni, ad esempio, con le loro sperimentazioni delineano i termini della questione offrendo punti di riferimento per poter giungere a intravedere il vuoto attraverso tre concetti fondanti: l’immateriale, l’invisibile e l’infinito. Analoghe declinazioni possono essere riconosciute anche nella ricerca architettonica: se Colin Rowe, nel suo “Collage City” offre una lettura che propone implicitamente una descrizione del vuoto come negativo (senso già presente nella pianta di Roma del Nolli), dall’altra i progetti visionari di Boullée riportano l’attenzione alla percezione dell’utente e all’essere del “vuoto” nel senso che viene da questi ad esso attribuito. Ma il vuoto può diventare anche componente essenziale di progetto, materiale che si presta a infinite possibilità di sviluppi variabili: una forma d’interpretazione, quest’ultima, che maggiormente può adattarsi al sentire della contemporaneità. 01. assenza di oggetti vs assenza di senso Il vuoto è un concetto che può definirsi come negazione, come assenza del pieno, ma anche come valore nel rapporto con un oggetto isolato. La lettura in negativo fa emergere nuove visioni e rende spesso evidenti valori più importanti di quelli delle strutture delimitano lo spazio. Il territorio contemporaneo in questo senso viene riletto come un giustapporsi di oggetti isolati e radi e di sequenze di vuoti. La lettura in negativo da un lato, ponendo attenzione ai vuoti urbani, si propone di riconfigurare la natura spaziale dell’interno del contesto in cui sono inseriti, dall'altro propone nuovi modi di intervento nel riconsiderare il valore potenziale degli spazi aperti che si giustappongono all'interno della città diffusa (ad esempio, la strategia elaborata da OMA basata sulla creazione di zone d’assenza, spazi aperti disponibili all’inatteso). I progetti delle capitali moderne si sono tutti confrontati con il vuoto inteso come valore di rappresentanza del “potere”, come elemento di valore paesaggistico, ma anche come luogo potenziale di sviluppo. Ma l'architettura si rapporta comunque con la tridimensionalità, in questo senso diviene necessario leggere l'opera rispetto al rapporto tra il suo volume interno e l’esterno. Lo spazio aperto e il volume interno sono elementi fondamentali del progetto, l'architettura viene concepita al contempo come massa e spazio, pieno e vuoto. I vuoti spesso si contrappongono alla plasticità dei volumi ricreando degli spazi instabili o grandiosi, ma sono, allo stesso tempo, generatori dello spazio che, assumendo caratteri di monumentalità, trasmette sensazioni contemporaneamente inquietanti e di grandiosità. Lo spazio vuoto può però essere inteso anche in rapporto alla memoria, nel suo simboleggiare una "mancanza", assumendo i caratteri di uno spazio di raccoglimento (una sorta di vuoto “riflessivo”) oppure, al contrario, di un luogo dove è il rapporto con chi lo utilizza che diventa parte integrante dell'opera, reciproco riferimento visivo che acuisce il senso di drammaticità espresso dall’assenza del suo essere “vuoto”. 02. volume emerso vs scavo Nelle sue possibili declinazioni, il vuoto può essere anche letto come esito di un’operazione di sottrazione volumetrica, di scavo. In questo senso il suo valore è duplice: come vuoto ma, allo stesso tempo, come volume, nel suo essere parte integrante di ciò che lo definisce e lo contiene. La ricerca architettonica ha guardato, e tutt’oggi allude a questa declinazione del vuoto come materiale della composizione, metrica di controllo dello spazio e delle singole spazialità che determina. L’architettura diventa in questo modo contorno del vuoto, configurandosi concretamente nei termini di “sistema di spazi” che si susseguono diventando il vero progetto; essa trae valore dal vuoto che le è complementare. Pensare al vuoto come a un qualcosa di determinato (e non residuo), come esito di un processo di sottrazione porta a riflettere sul valore della stessa sottrazione come possibilità per intervenire nella città contemporanea. Gli interventi in negativo nella città possono fornire stimoli per la proposizione di nuove logiche urbane: il vuoto diventa lo strumento per riconquistare lo spazio territoriale che oggi domina la città. Entro tale visione del vuoto, la demolizione (da sempre fondamentale mezzo di intervento nella città assieme alla conservazione) acquista una nuova valenza, soprattutto se vista in rapporto alla condizione urbana contemporanea, dove ai ben noti fenomeni di espansione metropolitana si affiancano contrapposti processi di contrazione demografica. La demolizione può essere vista come tramite per la costruzione di un nuovo ordine, laddove essa non mette in discussione il valore di ciò che elimina, ma né conferma il senso, alle volte rafforzandolo o rendendolo maggiormente esplicito. La demolizione può diventare così strumento fondamentale per l’attuazione di un nuovo disegno urbano, mettendo in gioco strategie di carattere generale, che interessino la struttura urbana nel suo complesso. 03. indeterminazione formale vs processi probabilistici Ulteriore declinazione del vuoto è quella che lo vede come spazio “delle possibilità”. Il vuoto deve in questo caso offrire opportunità per il verificarsi di situazioni ed eventi diversi. Il tema diventa la definizione (progettazione) del vuoto, dello spazio vuoto che possa configurarsi come supporto al manifestarsi di azioni e attività che non sempre possono essere previste e/o prevedibili. Una ricerca, questa, che ha caratterizzato diverse correnti architettoniche e le conseguenti proposte per idee di città, nate anche dalla critica ad una concezione dello spazio urbano formulata esclusivamente in termini funzionali, e poco incline dunque ad accogliere i rapidi cambiamenti di una società sempre più mobile e mutevole. Il vuoto diventa così l’origine dell’architettura, il supporto che rende possibile l’azione che le attribuisce significato. L’eredità di queste ricerche – sviluppatesi sin dagli anni cinquanta – è oggi accolta dagli architetti che ripensano all’intervento nella città contemporanea non più partendo dall’architettura, bensì dalle condizioni (uso, evento, attribuzione di valore) attraverso cui essa viene posta in grado di concretizzarsi ed esplicitarsi. L’indeterminazione, l’impossibilità di prevedere tutte le funzioni e i ruoli possibili che lo spazio sarà chiamato ad assolvere, induce ad assumere un atteggiamento di progetto che punta l’attenzione sul programma, sulla valutazione di tutte le possibili combinazioni di usi/funzioni che lo spazio sarà chiamato ad assolvere. Il vuoto diventa lo strumento che consente e assicura tale indeterminazione, offrendo l’opportunità di riappropriarsi di uno spazio, con la massima possibilità di produrre l’inaspettato. Il supporto diviene l’elemento che meglio si presta a tradurre questa idea di indeterminatezza, offrendo all’oggi l’ipotesi di un’urbanistica “debole” dove il ruolo del progetto è quello di gestire la complessità dell’ambiente urbano attraverso una diffusa interazione di attori.
XIX Ciclo
1976

A la recherche d'une icône nouvelle, les chemins de la création m'ont entraîné vers les multiples facettes de la Genèse en marche dans l'image loin des prototypes de l'orthodoxie. Dans ces chemins nomades, l'empreinte qui configure l'icône semble enregistrer au-delà de la Véronique, les formes premières dans le sceau de la Genèse. En questionnant ce sceau dans le Vivant et son image, de la Préhistoire à Duchamp en passant par Malevitch, Rothko, Garouste, Buraglio, j'ai cru percevoir une idée d'icône plus vaste que les seules définitions usitées. C'est dans la marge des signes plastiques comme dans la poïétique des icônes qui révèle le règne minéral, végétal, animal qu j'ai cherché dans cette cosmogonie comme dans l'or en feuille, la figure de l'espace et l'infinité. Dans cette dialectique ma recherche a pris la teneur de l'homme et l'universalité de son icône. Evolution créatrice, entre tradition et modernité, sacré et profane, tout reste encore à explorer.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2008.
Title from electronic title page (viewed Feb. 17, 2009). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Computer Science." Discipline: Computer Science; Department/School: Computer Science.

Inspectrice générale des écoles maternelles nommée en 1881 par Jules FERRY, Pauline RECLUS épouse KERGOMARD a pendant près de quarante ans (1879-1917) été au service de l'école maternelle française. Mais l'histoire de l'éducation par les figures ne l'a pas retenue. Aujourd'hui on trouve même des enseignants des écoles maternelles qui ne la connaissent pas. Pauline KERGOMARD est exclue du " monde de l'opinion ", ce " monde " dans lequel la célébrité est la grandeur. De ce constat de départ qui a motivé notre intérêt pour Pauline KERGOMARD nous avons fait une réalité de l'Histoire de l'éducation par les figures au fil de nos interrogations et des réponses que nous avons apportées dans la première partie de ce travail. Il nous a ensuite fallu comprendre pourquoi une grande figure qui a fait quelque chose de remarquable, puisqu'elle n'est pas moins que " la fondatrice de l'école maternelle française ", n'a pas été retenue par l'histoire de l'éducation par les figures. Pour ce faire nous avons repensé la place des grandes figures de l'éducation, à l'aune des grandeurs, un concept que nous avons emprunté, à la suite de Daniel HAMELINE, à Luc BOLTANSKI et Laurent THEVENOT. Reprenant alors nos interrogations à la lumière des grandeurs et des " mondes ", nous sommes allée chercher pourquoi l'histoire de l'éducation par les figures n'a pas retenu Pauline KERGOMARD, la fondatrice de l'école maternelle française. De ces voyages dans ces " mondes ", à la recherche de notre explication, nous avons acquis la certitude que Pauline KERGOMARD est l'exemple type d'un mode de construction de l'histoire, qu'il a été passionnant de mettre à jour
In 1881 Pauline RECLUS married KERGOMARD was appointed Général Inspector for nursery schools by Jules FERRY and served French nursery school eduction for nearly forty years. But the history of influential figures in education make no mention of her. Today there are even nursery school teachers who have never heard of her. Pauline KERGOMARD was excluded from the “ world opinion”, a “world” in which fame means greatness. This realization was the starting point which motivated our interest in Pauline KERGOMARD, and the first part of this document we have studied the history of education as seen through influential figures by means of questions and answers. Then we have tried to understand why an influential person who did something remarkable, since she was actually the founder of the French nursery school, has been overlooked by the history of influential figures in education. To do this we have studied influential figures as far as their greatness is concerned, a concept we borrowed following Daniel HAMELINE, in Luc BOLTANSKI et Laurent THEVENOT. Returning to our questions in the light of greatness and “worlds” we have gone on to find out why the history of influential figures in education overlooked Pauline KERGOMARD, the founder of French nursery school. From our exploration of these “Worlds” while searching for an explanation, we have come to the the conclusion that Pauline KERGOMARD is a typical example of a way of constructing history which was extremely interesting for us to discover

The nature of figure-ground relationships and their potential for use as a tool for architectural composition was investigated through the design of a winery. Included in the winery were facilities accomodating both the production and consumption of wine. These programmatic elements were used as guides for the development of multiple figure-ground relationships at a variety of scales. In addition, the dialogue between different figures as well as the careful development of the backdrop surfaces were topics of study. Several design strategies were employed to create relationships between figure elements and their backdrops, including the insertion of volumes into and through one another, the careful development of material and surface, and light. From this work, as well as previous projects, several key findings can now be articulated concerning the potential use of figure-ground relationships in the development of a work of architecture. These include the need to optimize the proportion of figure(s) relative to a given background and the key role that the disposition of figures relative to one another plays in the development of a meaningful figure-ground relationship.
Master of Architecture

This thesis explores the literary figure of the mythical early Irish judge, Fíthal, from the earliest literary reference to him, c. 800, until MacPherson’s Ossian of the mid-eighteenth century. It does so by close study of the texts within which Fíthal appears, with close attention to their assumptions and purposes. From this series of close studies we can chart the developing character of Fíthal from juridical authority in the legal and legalistic texts to ideal judge or chief judge in the wider literary tradition. The thesis is divided into seven chapters, a general introduction, and one appendix. Chapter 1 contains a literature review of the major authors and disciplines which contributed to the thesis. Chapter 2 explains Fíthal’s position as a Wisdom Figure and the international background of Irish didactic literature. Chapters 3 and 4 contain the survey of Fíthal’s existence in Irish literature including discussion of the authorial intent underlying each manifestation. Chapter 5 is a new critical edition of the most important poem concerning Fíthal. Chapter 6 is a discussion of some hitherto unexplored but important facets of Fíthal’s character and an assessment of the theoretical writings which have implications for an understanding of his status. This thesis contributes to the continuing debate concerning the relationship between early Irish law and early Irish literature while simultaneously updating and revising scholarly knowledge concerning Fíthal. The thesis ranges widely over early Irish literature as it touches on Fíthal and explains his role in the literature in both its native and international context. It is hoped that this treatment of a relatively obscure but widespread figure will demonstrate how it is possible within the extant evidence to capture a character with a continuing presence in the tradition – a conclusion with considerable implications for our understanding of the tradition itself.

Observation et analyse de la pratique medicale moderne, confrontee a des situations d'exposition ethique sans precedant qui posent en pleine post-modernite - et en l'actualisant - la question morale et ses enjeux. Ou se situe la tradition morale medicale, confrontee a une infinite de possibles? comment reguler les procedures en vigueur tant au plan de la recherche biologique que dans le domaine des consequences pratiques ? exploration de l'ordre qio se met en place, revolutionnant les conceptions relatives a l'homme, le sens de sa destinee, son devenir
Modern medical practice observation and analysis versus new ethic issues that produce in post-modern times - and by reactualisating it - the ethical problem and its value. What is the medical ethic custom position in front of the infinities potentialities? how to regulate the actual procedures applied in the biological research and in the practicals consequences fields? exploration of this upcoming order that deeply changes the very involving human conceptions, the human meaning, the human future

Depuis l'Antiquité gréco-latine jusqu'au XXe siècle, le mythe de Médée a fait l'objet de nombreuses transpositions. Il nous semble que le personnage éponyme pouvait être une figure contemporaine de l'interculturalité. C'est cette hypothèses que la présente étude se propose de démontrer. Pour évaluer l'importance de l'interculturalité du mythe de Médée, il a fallu d'emblée en souligner les différents procédés de réactualisation aussi bien sur le plan textuel, spatio-temporel qu'au niveau des éléments scèniques. L'étude des éléments structurels a montré que cette volonté de réactualisation obéissait à un souci de subversion et de carnavalisation du mythe antique qui pouvait se prêter ainsi à des contextes nouveaux. Dès lors, il est devenu possible d'inscrire le personnage de Médée proprement dit au coeur de notre recherche. Ainsi, le caractère interculturel du personnage de Médée nous a-t-il semblé provenir de son être et de son faire ainsi que des différents motifs qui la caractérisent. Autant de signes particuliers qui font d'elle non pas un personnage exclusivement grec mais plutôt un personnage ouvert sur l'universalité. La réactualisation et la réappropriation (du mythe) pouvaient donc participer de ce que nous avons appelé une poétique de l'interculturalité dont nous avons montré l'intérêt et la portée. En définitive, Médée peut devenir la figure emblématique de la problématique "indetité vs altérité" qui constitue de nos jours un enjeu majeurs des relations interculturelles. On comprend donc qu'elle puisse être tour à tour africaine, américaine, gitane ou anglaise.

The influence of spatial attention location on figure-ground organization was assessed in an experiment in which a cued detection paradigm was paired with a figure-ground task. Viewers' fixation was held constant while a cued detection task directed their attention to a location in one of two regions within a figure-ground stimulus. Viewers were more likely to see a meaningless shape (low denotative region) as figure when spatial attention was allocated to that region than when it was allocated elsewhere. The location of spatial attention had no influence on whether or not a meaningful shape (high denotative region) was seen as figure. The results are discussed in terms of direct and indirect routes through which attention might influence figure-ground organization.

La figure du couple machiavélique, présente chez Shakespeare, Laclos, Barbey d'Aurevilly, Henry James, James M. Cain, entre autres, est étudiée selon une triple approche. La première approche, d'inspiration structurale, vise à dégager les éléments constitutifs de la figure et son scénario permanent. L’analyse conduite sur la base de cette approche confirme l'existence de deux matrices, l'une fondée sur le couple Macbeth, l'autre sur le couple de libertins des Liaisons dangereuses. La seconde approche, qui relève d'une démarche herméneutique, met en évidence le substrat biblique de la figure du couple machiavélique dans sa version shakespearienne, qui serait une réécriture du récit de la Chute de la Genèse. La version laclosienne du couple machiavélique serait pour sa part le marqueur de la dégradation des relations amoureuses dans leur conception post-courtoise. Enfin, la troisième approche est esthétique: elle vise à étudier la construction de la figure, son effet sur le lecteur, et sa valeur ajoutée par rapport à la figure canonique du Méchant. Elle s'attache aussi à définir l'esthétique du mal associée à la figure du couple machiavélique
The figure of the Machiavellian couple, which appears in Shakespeare, Laclos, Barbey d’Aurevilly, Henry James, James M. Cain, among others, is studied through a three-fold approach. The first one is a structural one and aims at identifying the basic elements of the figure and its scenario. This approach confirms the existence of two matrix, one based on the couple of Macbeth and the other on the pair of libertines of Laclos’ novel Les Liaisons dangereuses. The second approach is interpretative and underlines the biblical basis of the figure of the Machiavellian couple in its Shakespearean version, which is a rewriting of the Fall of Adam and Eve while the couple of Laclos signals the deterioration of romantic relationships in a courtly meaning. The third approach deals with aesthetics and aims at studying the forms and poetics of the figure and its effect on the reader as well as its added value in relation to the “Canon figure” of the Villain. This third approach deals also with the aesthetics of Evil linked to the figure of the Machiavellian couple

Nella mia tesi mi interrogo sulla figura dell'artista e sul problema della sua creazione artistica. Prendo in considerazione soprattutto quattro romanzi della seconda metà del XIX secolo. Inoltre, analizzando il rapporto tra l'artista e la donna, cerco di dimostrare come e perchè la donna risulta un ostacolo nella carriera dell'artista.

Figure du mythe grec, les Amazones du patriarcat renvoient un discours d'épouvante qui interdit aux femmes de mener une vie autonome c’est-à-dire sans les hommes. Cette dissuasion trouve l'une de ses formes dans l'Iliade d'Homère, texte fondateur de la pensée occidentale – européenne – dont la philosophie est l'un des rejetons. Une lecture détaillée du motif amazonien réfléchit notre rapport à la tradition par la figure amazonienne du différend et pose la question filiale par un appel à une postmodernité qui remet en jeu l'héritage antique. Advient une écriture de l'amazonat de sorte qu'il ne soit plus belliqueux c'est-à-dire de sorte qu'il s'entende autrement que par les vieilles catégories binaires dont celles de sexe
Greek myth talks about patriarchal Amazons in order to dissuade women of living by themselves, that is without men ; in Iliad, a phobic discourse teachs that female sex does not wage war. Philosophic discourse is politically the offspring of the Homeric poem and is logically the result of Occidental – European – thought. This study aims to question an ancient heritage by an exhaustive reading of traditional text and by a rewriting of amazonian motif. "Postmodernism" is the name for refering to Amazons who make love as for conceiving beyond old and binary categories like gender ones

Statue The Lilith is figural sculpture that combines elements of hyperrealism with purely abstract element. Female figure sitting on a throne is wrapped and draped in unrelated elements and their relationships. That make her imaginary clothes. The statue is the result of interest in the topic of mystery and its sculptural representation. The statue is a combination of materials, mostly it consists of fiberglass and polyester.

This paper is a comparison of narrative in Genesis and Midrash Genesis Rabbah, using as a sample each text's version of the story of Cain and Abel. The paper begins with a survey of the study of Bible as literature and Midrash as literature, examining the work of Robert Alter, Meir Sternberg, Wesley A. Kort, Isaak Heinemann, Ofra Meir, David Stern and Jacob Neusner. Following this is a close reading and poetic analysis of the two primary texts, then a summary and comparison of narrative conventions and techniques. Narrative is examined according to the considerations of plot, character, narration and meaning. Further conclusions are drawn regarding the different portrayal of God in biblical and midrashic discourse, attitudes toward paradox and ambiguity, and strategies for achieving ideological and rhetorical goals.

Le cauchemar est une expérience onirique universelle que différentes épistémès ont tenté d'expliquer. A la croisée de la médecine, de la mythologie, du folklore et de la psychanalyse, cette figure questionneuse a cependant suscité peu d'études spécifiques. En commençant par l'étymologie du mot "cauchemar", la première partie de la thèse fait le point sur sa définition, son histoire et ses enjeux dans ces différents domaines. Ce qui permet d'affirmer que le cauchemar n'est pas un simple mauvais rêve, mais une expérience onirique mythique ayant un scénario stable: le cauchemar est un démon - un revenant, une créature maléfique - qui chevauche un dormeur et l'oppresse. C'est en opérant ce retour au sens classique fixé picturalement The Nightmare de Heinrich Füssli (1741-1825) que la lecture des récits littéraires est abordée. Pour montrer la permanence et le renouvellement en littérature, le corpus rassemble des nouvelles d'époques et d'aires géolinguistiques aussi diverses que possible (textes de Pou Song Ling, Charles Nodier, Fitz James O' Brien, Franz Kafka, Augusto Roa Bastos, Jean-François Reverzy). Leur ensemble cosmopolite tend à montrer que l'université du cauchemar se retrouve dans ses représentations littéraires. Le corpus du deuxième chapitre est plus restreint puisqu' il analyse une variante romantique du cauchemar dans des textes de Washington Irving, Théophile Gautier et Sheridan Le Fanu. Le cauchemar n'est plus un démon hideux mais une belle " morte amoureuse ". Le troisième chapitre est centré sur un seul auteur, Julio Cortázar. Sept de ses nouvelles, parmi lesquelles " Cauchemars " (1982), reprennent et renouvellement de façon originale et moderne la figure mythique du cauchemar. Sa récurrence en fait un " mythe personnel " cortazarien. Ces sondes textuelles tendent à définir un cauchemar littéraire où la dimension onirique, l'apparition surnaturelle et la réalité de l'expérience font qu'il s'exprime dans et par le texte fantastique. Le dernier chapitre interroge la dimension mythique du cauchemar en littérature, et tente de cerner sa possible classification en tant que mythe littéraire. Ces textes reprenant le scénario mythique, oublié aujourd'hui dans la pensée commune, témoignent que le cauchemar a conservé toute sa charge symbolique et sa puissance d évocation dans l'imaginaire.

Cette thèse propose une réflexion sur la représentation de la figure humaine au-delà de la " ressemblance cadavérique " présumée par Maurice Blanchot. Nous interrogeons les appels à figurer la figure humaine dans diverses formulations et configurations iconoplastiques, par les moyens associés de la peinture et de la photographie, à partir d'un corpus de postures plastiques contemporaines. Comment la figure humaine se donne-t-elle à figurer pour déborder la seule figuration ? Il est aussi question de reconvocation puisque les œuvres étudiées procèdent de reprises, transferts, reconductions, revenances.Les êtres blanchis peints par Jean Marc Cerino, les portraits flous et dérobés de Gerhard Richter, un ensemble d'autoportraits photographiques assourdis de Jacques Damez, les Faces grimaçantes et les Masques Mortuaires rehaussés d'Arnulf Rainer, les défunts dévoilés et photographiés en gros plan par Andres Serrano et les faces surfacées peintes par Anthony Vérot ouvrent des analyses poïétiques et esthétiques qui nous amènent à distinguer deux voies de l'effacement : l'affaiblissement et tout autant la surenchère. Visibilités défectives ou exacerbées ? Deux pôles se succèdent et articulent la tension dialectique de la donation et du retrait : " figures affaiblies " / " figures excessives ". Figurer c'est opérer par distanciation, retrait, passage, dissimulation, déplacement. Ce travail de recherche relève des rapports de force qui travaillent les figures résistantes à leurs oblitérations mais aussi à toutes tentatives de dévoilement. Ces détours étudiés signalent les infigurables qui se désistent : le visage, l'être, l'autre, soi-même, la mort.

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mathematics, 2015.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 107-109).
In this thesis, I prove several results toward constructing a machine that turns Lagrangian correspondences into A[infinity],-functors between Fukaya categories. The core of this construction is pseudoholomorphic quilts with figure eight singularity. In the first part, I propose a blueprint for constructing an algebraic object that binds together the Fukaya categories of many different symplectic manifolds. I call this object the "symplectic A[infinity]-2-category Symp". The key to defining the structure maps of Symp is the figure eight bubble. In the second part, I establish a collection of strip-width-independent elliptic estimates. The key is function spaces which augment the Sobolev norm with another term, so that the norm of a product can be bounded by the product of the norms in a manner which is independent of the strip-width. Next, I prove a removable singularity theorem for the figure eight singularity. Using the Gromov compactness theorem mentioned in the following paragraph, I adapt an argument of Abbas-Hofer to uniformly bound the norm of the gradient of the maps in cylindrical coordinates centered at the singularity. I conclude by proving a "quilted" isoperimetric inequality. In the third part, which is joint with Katrin Wehrheim, I use my collection of estimates to prove a Gromov compactness theorem for quilts with a strip of (possibly non-constant) width shrinking to zero. This features local C[infinity]-convergence away from the points where energy concentrates. At such points, we produce a nonconstant quilted sphere.
by Nathaniel Sandsmark Bottman.
Ph. D.

Ce travail a pour but de faire une lecture philosophique de l’image du vin dans l’œuvre de l’écrivain et critique français Charles Baudelaire. Nous analysons cette image en tant que figure qui structure le texte et qui est structurée par lui. La figure du vin est considéré comme élément de base d’une esthétique développée par l’écrivain français. De ce fait, ce travail entreprend une analyse plutôt textuelle à la lumière de notions philosophiques du vin considéré comme une « interimage », grain du texte baudelairien. Cette image poétique est le fil conducteur pour établir une cohérence, une interprétabilité autre de la poétique de l’auteur des Fleurs du mal. Pour cela, ce travail analyse les éléments textuels concernant la formation de l’image du vin, ses réminiscences et le rôle du poète, tout en mettant en rapport la critique et la poésie.
Este trabalho tem por objetivo fazer uma leitura filosófica da imagem do vinho na obra do escritor e crítico francês Charles Baudelaire. Analisa-se essa imagem como uma figura que estrutura o texto e que é também por ele estruturada. A figura do vinho é considerada como um elemento de base da estética desenvolvida pelo escritor francês. Portanto, este trabalho desenvolve uma análise mais textual à luz de noções filosóficas, considerando o vinho como uma “interimagem”, grão do texto baudelairiano. Essa imagem poética é o fio condutor para o estabelecimento de uma coerência, uma interpretabilidade outra da poética do autor de As flores do mal. Para tanto, esta dissertação analisa os elementos textuais concernentes à formação da imagem do vinho, suas reminiscências e o papel do poeta, relacionando sempre a crítica e a poesia.

Figure assignment entails competition between object properties on opposite sides of borders. The figure is perceived on the side of the border that wins the competition. Ample evidence indicates that configural familiarity is among the competing object properties. We investigated whether priming the semantics of a familiar object suggested along one side of a border can increase its likelihood of winning the competition. To prime the semantics, we presented brief masked exposures of object names before brief masked exposures of displays where a portion of a familiar object was suggested on one side of a central border separating two equal-area, black-and-white regions. Participants reported whether the figure lay on the left or right side of the central border and were unaware of the presence of the word prime. These experimental primes named either the Same Object (SO) or a Different Object (DO) as the familiar object suggested in the display. In the DO condition, the word named an object either in the Same Category (DO-SC) or a Different Category (DO-DC) as the familiar object suggested in the display, where superordinate category was defined as natural versus artificial objects. We also used non-words as control primes. We hypothesized that, if semantic activation influences figure assignment, participants in the SO and DO-SC conditions should be more likely than participants in the DO-DC condition to perceive the figure on the side where the familiar object lies following experimental primes than control primes. We did not observe differences between experimental and control prime in any condition. However, we did obtain a Prime Context Effect, in that participants were more likely to perceive the figure on the familiar side of the border in the SO and DO-SC conditions than in the DO-DC condition. The Prime Context Effect shows that participants discerned the relationship between the masked word prime and the semantics of the familiar object suggested in the display, and this led them to change their strategy on both experimental and control trials. We also found that behavior changed over the course of the experiment: Participants in the DO-DC condition perceived the figure on the familiar side of the border more often in the second half of the experiment, on both experimental and control trials. This pattern suggests that over the course of the experiment, they learned to rely more on information from the display than from the prime, perhaps by restricting their attention to the time when the figure-ground display appeared. Participants in the DO-SC condition perceived the figure on the familiar side of the border more often on experimental trials in the second half of the experiment, whereas their performance on control trials did not differ in the first and second half. We hypothesize that participants in the DO-SC condition learned to match the superordinate semantics of the experimental prime and the display, leading to semantic priming. Taken together, these results show that (1) participants can quickly learn the relationship between experimental primes and target displays and can change their strategy accordingly, and (2) semantic activation can affect figure assignment.

This bachelor’s thesis explores the concept of ‘Saint Patrick’. A case study of Saint Patrick, the study approaches the figure from a holistic point of view. Accordingly, it is not the purpose of the study to discuss solely the historicity of the Patrician legend; both the historical and the unhistorical, and further, the past and the present are seen as essential to the figure. On a more general level, the thesis addresses the question of how to approach a figure that is inherently fictitious. Essential to this question is the concept of hagiography. The study shows that attitudinal problems remain in terms of saints. In accordance with more recent trends in the study of saints, this thesis adopts a wider view of what is historical. The present study argues for a dualistic understanding of the concept ‘Saint Patrick’: namely, the figure is a combination of the historical man who flourished in the fifth century and the posthumously developed image of a saint. Moreover, the study demonstrates that Saint Patrick is a construction. Emphasising the significance of the community behind a saint and his/her cult, the ‘clientele’ of a saint, the study discusses the dynamics involved in the construction of a saint. Importantly, understanding Saint Patrick requires a knowledge of the historical and religious context in which the figure has developed. Further, the study demonstrates the importance of appreciating the concept of sainthood in terms of Saint Patrick. Significantly, it is the memory of a person that forms the basis for the creation of a saint. More specifically, this thesis analyses the ‘problem’ of Saint Patrick. The analysis shows that the problematic nature may be understood on a variety of levels. The study concludes that, due to its long history, the concept of Saint Patrick is a complicated one, and the most useful approach is therefore to accept the complexity and focus on the history of the concept. The thesis argues, too, for an understanding of Saint Patrick as a product of Irish history. Considering his historical importance, the study of Saint Patrick is valuable in its own right, but may be seen, too, as instrumental in understanding the history of the Irish
Tämä kandidaatintutkielma käsittelee Irlannin suojeluspyhimystä Pyhää Patrikia, jota tutkitaan kokonaisvaltaisesti, käsitteenä. Tutkielman tarkoituksena ei ole siis tarkastella ainoastaan pyhimyksen historiallista paikkansapitävyyttä, vaan laajemmin sisältäen sekä pyhimyksen historiallisen että kuvitteellisen puolen, jotka kuuluvat molemmat olennaisena osana Pyhän Patrikin käsitteeseen. Yleisemmällä tasolla tutkielma pohtii, miten suhtautua historiallisesti merkittävään hahmoon, joka sisältää myös paljon kuvitteellisia piirteitä. Tähän kysymykseen liittyy olennaisesti hagiografian eli pyhimyselämäkerran käsite. Tutkielma osoittaa, että pyhimyksiin liittyy edelleen asenteellisia ongelmia. Pyhimysten tutkimuksen nykysuuntauksia heijastellen tutkielma omaksuu laajemman näkökulman historiaan. Tutkielma esittää Pyhän Patrikin käsitteen muodostuvan kahdesta osasta: 400-luvulla vaikuttanut piispa ja tämän kuoleman jälkeen kehittynyt pyhimys tulisi pitää erillään. On tärkeää huomata, että ’Pyhä Patrick’ on konstruktio. Tutkielma tarkasteleekin, mitä tekijöitä pyhimyksen rakentumiseen liittyy painottaen erityisesti yhteisön, pyhimyksen ”asiakaskunnan”, merkitystä. Jotta voisimme ymmärtää Pyhää Patrikia paremmin, meidän täytyy tuntea se historiallinen ja uskonnollinen konteksti, jossa tämä hahmo on kehittynyt. Lisäksi on tärkeää ymmärtää, mitä pyhyyden käsite pitää sisällään. Huomautettakoon erityisesti, että pyhimys rakentuu aina henkilön muistolle. Tarkemmin sanottuna tämä tutkielma analysoi Pyhän Patrikin ongelmallisia piirteitä osoittaen, että näissä voidaan nähdä useita eri tasoja. Tutkimus tuleekin siihen lopputulokseen, että Pyhän Patrikin hahmo on monimutkainen johtuen sen pitkästä historiasta, minkä vuoksi on hyödyllisintä hyväksyä tämä monimutkaisuus ja keskittyä tarkastelemaan käsitteen historiaa. Tutkimus esittää myös, että Pyhä Patrik tulisi nähdä Irlannin historian tuloksena. Ottaen huomioon pyhimyshahmon historiallisen merkittävyyden Pyhä Patrik on jo itsessään tärkeä tutkimuskohde. Pyhän Patrikin tutkimus auttaa meitä kuitenkin myös ymmärtämään Irlannin ja irlantilaisten historiaa

Nous nous sommes questionnés dans cette thèse sur les apports des paradigmes scientifiques, spirituels et philosophiques dans la pensée et les œuvres de George Brecht. À travers la synthèse de ceux-ci, nous avons tenté de voir ses travaux comme des outils à faire l'expérience de la connaissance, à l'intégrer d'une façon non mentale. Nous avons souhaité redéfinir le statut de l'artiste, et voir dans son œuvre les prémices d'une conception nouvelle de l'art en tant que recherche transdisciplinaire concrétisée en objets artistiques
We questionned, during this work of thesis, about the contributions of spiritual, philosophical and scientific paradigms in work and thinking of George Brecht. Through their synthesis we tried to see his artworks as experiencing tools, integrating knowledge in a non-mental way. We wanted to redefine artist’s status through Brecht and tried to sight in his artwork the firstfruits of a new art’s conception as a transdisciplinary research shaped in artistical objects

Qu'est-ce que le talent du conteur, sinon tout le talent ? Telle est la phrase lancée par Philarète Chasles dans son Introduction aux Romans et contes philosophiques, en 1831. En effet, malgré‚ la réputation de romancier qu'on lui fera plus tard, Balzac a d'abord une nette préférence pour le conte. Son identité auctoriale se place sous le patronage de grands conteurs tels que les Arabes inconnus des Mille et Une Nuits, Boccace, Rabelais, La Fontaine et Sterne. Si Balzac s'inscrit dans la tradition du genre avec La Dernière Fée (1823) et une série de Contes drolatiques (1832-1837), avec les Romans et contes philosophiques (1831), les Contes bruns (février 1832), et les Nouveaux Contes philosophiques (octobre 1832), il vise plutôt à une rénovation du genre à sa manière. Il s'agit ici de retracer l'image du conte dans le premier tiers du XIXe siècle, et le parcours de Balzac par rapport à ce genre, depuis sa jeunesse jusqu'au début des années 1830. A travers plusieurs enquêtes sur la publication de contes en livre et dans la presse, un panorama bibliographique est dressé. Sont envisagés ensuite les travaux et les jours du Balzac conteur dans une période marquée par la mode du conte, mais aussi par le changement de la situation socio-économique qui conditionne la vie des écrivains. Chez Balzac, le conte n'est pas un genre uniforme et fixé‚ mais conçu et pratiqué‚ comme un genre souple et multicolore qui peut accueillir la variété formelle, thématique, du ton et du style. Dans son désir de s'identifier avec ce genre, Balzac se façonne une figure de conteur, dont on propose ici l'histoire depuis son origine jusqu’à sa disparition précoce vers la fin de 1832
"What is the talent of the 'Conteur', if not that of all talents combined ?" writes Philarète Chasles in his forward to Romans et contes philosophiques published in 1831. Although Balzac is best known as a novelist, he himself greatly admired the genre known as the "conte". Balzac traced a great deal of his own literary identity to the "grands conteurs" he considered his patrons such as Boccaccio, Rabelais, La Fontaine, Sterne and "the anonymous authors of The Arabian Nights". If in La DerniŠre Fee and Contes drolatiques Balzac confronts the traditions of this genre, his Romans et contes philosphiques, Contes bruns and Nouveux Contes philosohpiques represent instead an attempt to reform the "conte" in his own style. This thesis re-examines the "conte" as it was written in the first decades of the 19th century and traces the course of Balzac's literary development vis a vis this genre from his "youthful period" until the first years of the 1830s. Through a survey of books and literary magazines, I give a bibliographic survey of various "contes" published during this time. I also examine the daily work and life of Balzac during these years : a time not only of immense popularity for the "conte" within literary circles, but also one of changing socio-economic conditions for writers in general. Balzac envisaged the "conte" not as fixed genre, but as one of great flexibility and iridescence capable of accommodating a variety of styles, tones, and themes. Through his close identification with this genre, Balzac styled himself above all as a "conteur", an identity which this thesis traces from its earliest formulations until its precocious dissolution near the end of 1832

2010 - 2011
Facendomi guidare da alcuni testi ritenuti imprescindibili (Homo sacer. Il potere sovrano e la nuda vita, Bíos. Biopolitica e filosofia, e Impero), ho tentato di operare una ricognizione, per me necessaria, sul bíos e sulla politica, sull'inestricabile intreccio, sul controllo dei corpi, sui dispositivi del potere che, come il denaro di Wall Street, non dorme mai, sul potere che c'è, che straborda, invade, cattura. Ho tentato di risalire la corrente della biopolitica attraverso le intuizioni di Michel Foucault, l'analisi puntuale delle ‘prime tracce del discorso biopolitico’ e le ambivalenze presenti nella prospettiva del filosofo francese. Ma la tesi, ovviamente, non poteva non giungere fino a noi, dando conto delle riflessioni di Giorgio Agamben, di Antonio Negri e Michael Hardt e di Roberto Esposito, l'autore al quale ho già dedicato una monografia (L’impolitico e l’impersonale. Lettura di Roberto Esposito, Morlacchi 2010) e che appare il più convincente nel disvelare i lati oscuri di un fenomeno enigmatico, la biopolitica, che "minaccia continuamente di rovesciarsi in tanatopolitica". Ho utilizzato soprattutto le mappe concettuali di Laura Bazzicalupo per illuminare il fondo buio di un percorso impervio, altrimenti inaccessibile. Dopo aver esaminato le tematiche citate, ho ritenuto importante affrontare l’evoluzione della comunità, tra società e persona, mitopoiesi e società, l’uomo borghese (e il suo denaro), la crisi del simbolico, l’alienazione e il mondo fatto cosa, approdando nella società evanescente e nella globalizzazione politica, per mostrare il male come sacrificio della vita. Ma anche il male come malattia. Il lato biologico del male, che va oltre quello metaforico dell’organismo e del corpo sociale. Indago come lo iato tra individuo e società, tra corpo biologico e corpo sociale, divenga sempre più critico e problematico. In particolare, seguendo la linea teorica tratteggiata da Giuliano Piazzi, riferisco di come il sociale – nella sua forma più avanzata – assuma le forme e la lingua del Capitale e di come questo non sappia più che farsene di un corpo che sia solo vita. Lungo questo percorso sono giunto a incontrare la logica dell’astrazione e della generalizzazione (che si concretizza attraverso il potere pervasivo del denaro), che si scontrerà con l’unica forma di generalizzazione forte, realmente capace di scuotere il male attraverso la sua forza: la vita. [a cura dell'autore]
X n.s.

La mia tesi, dal titolo "Figure femminili nella letteratura di Okinawa", propone uno studio sulle figure femminili okinawane e sulla condizione della donna nella società attraverso la loro rappresentazione nella letteratura locale dai primi decenni del XX secolo fino ai nostri giorni. Dopo una breve panoramica della scena letteraria e della storia di Okinawa nel primo capitolo, ho dimostrato come l'utilizzo di tale figura è stato importante per ritrovare e riaffermare l'identità perduta sia delle donne sia degli uomini okinawani, con il racconto Kakuteru pāti, 1967, di Ōshiro Tatsuhiro. Successivamente ho studiato le figure della noro e della yuta, due tipologie di sciamane, per capire in che modo, nella storia delle Ryūkyū, la donna abbia ottenuto un ruolo centrale nelle sfere religiosa e privata. Ho terminato il secondo capitolo con l'analisi di Mabuigumi, 1998, di Medoruma Shun, in cui una yuta si scontra con la modernizzazione. Nel terzo capitolo ho preso in considerazione soltanto opere di scrittrici donne okinawane. Kushi Fusako narra della forza e caparbietà di una donna okinawana, nonostante la povertà in cui versa il paese, nel racconto intitolato Horobiyuku Ryūkyū onna no shuki, 1932. Yoshida Sueko offre uno sguardo sulla vita delle prostitute degli anni Cinquanta in Kamāra Shinjū, 1984. Infine, ho tradotto e analizzato Mienai machi kara shonkanē ga, 2006, di Sakiyama Tami, una delle più influenti e prolifiche scrittrici okinawane dei nostri giorni.

Référencée par son auteur même à la tauromachie, l'oeuvre de Michel Leiris décline toutes les facettes d'une figure heroïque dans laquelle se projette le "je" de l'autobiographe. Nourrie par le mythe, délibérément situé dans un environnement hyperbolique, le sujet forge ainsi son propre statut heroïque. Au fil d'une oeuvre et d'une écriture véritablement "fondatrices" se construirait alors une identité de substitution, seule agréée par son créateur. La genèse du double mythique passe par différentes phases : revendication d'une lignée prestigieuse à laquelle présiderait un père poète, une mère cantatrice, collection d'images ou de scènes à la gloire du je héros posant tour à tour en guerrier, voyageur ou dandy, exhibition dominée toutefois par la figure de l'artiste. Cependant la projection heroïque participe d'un effet de trompe-l'oeil généralisé, du décor à l'énoncé, aptitude qui la préserve en fait d'une éternité "pétrifiante" et la perpétue néanmoins dans ses phases heroïques, indéfiniment renouvelables. Mené dans les limites internes au texte, ce jeu subtil avec la mort enjeu majeur dans une autobiographie - cum enjeu majeur dans une autobiographie - culmine dans l'illusion que suscite aussi l'oeuvre entière, celle d'un écrit perpetuel, ultime défi aux règles du genre et, sur le plan "heroïque", accomplissement absolu de la figure textuelle
Referred by his own author to the bullfighting, Michel Leiris's work illustrate all the facets of an heroic figure onto which the autobiographer projects himself. Fed by myth, delibertly situated in an hyperbolic environment, the subject builts thus his own heroic status. As the works grow, a substituted identity, claimed by his creator, would so be founded. The genesis of the mythic double goes through different stages : aspire to a prestigious lineage, with a poet as gather, a singer as mother, collect the pictures or the scenes that glorify the I as a heroe, alternatly warrior, traveller or dandy, all exhibitions dominated by the figure of the artist. Nevertheless the heroic projection takes part in a general effect of trompe-l'oeil, presentin the decor and the utterance, which aptitude protects her in fact from a petrifiying eternity, and yet perpetuates her in her heroic phases. Played into the text, this subtle game against the death - which is the essential stake in an autobiography - reaches its highest point in the illusion of the whole work miming a never-ending piece of writing as a last challenge to the rules of its genre, and as an absolute accomplishment ofthe textual figure

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:45:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria de Lourdes Lima Nunes.pdf: 937157 bytes, checksum: 10663b3a56ad690597c8da94a1bea8f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-09
Many studies have been undertaken in order to develop theories in the field of text analysis. For the diversity of study methods and the great variety of meanings that may result from such studies, it is necessary to apply these procedures to assess its effectiveness in practice. This work is studied, based on theories of discourse analysis and text linguistics, the effect of a sense of figurative language in the translated text in three versions that aim to reach different audiences. The text chosen is The Sermon on the Mount, in the Bible, the passage of the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. The examination of the text include the identification of the terms of the figurative meaning and its relation to other elements of phrasal construction, followed by application of the theories of the discursive possibilities for finding meaning and purpose as a form of rhetoric.
Muitos estudos têm sido empreendidos com objetivo de desenvolver teorias no campo da análise de textos. Pela diversidade de métodos de estudos e pela grande variedade de sentidos que podem resultar de tais estudos, torna-se necessária a aplicação desses procedimentos para avaliação de sua eficácia na prática. Neste trabalho é estudado, com base em teorias da Análise do Discurso e da Linguística Textual, o efeito de sentido da linguagem figurativa em texto traduzido em três versões que pretendem alcançar diferentes destinatários. O texto escolhido é O Sermão do Monte, descrito na Bíblia, no trecho do evangelho de Mateus, capítulos 5 a 7. O exame do texto compreende a identificação dos termos de sentido figurativo e sua relação com os demais elementos da construção frasal, seguido da aplicação das teorias discursivas para constatação das possibilidades de sentido e seu efeito como figura de retórica.

Que peut la singularité par rapport au film ? Cette thèse évalue la possibilité d'analyser un film à partir des éléments singuliers dont il est composé. La singularité dont il est question correspond aux éléments dissemblables, aporétiques, lacunaires qui ne se conforment pas avec ce qu'on est en droit d'attendre d'une narration, d'une esthétique ou d'une grammaire cinématographique. Cette recherche a dû aborder le concept même de singularité pour diverses acceptions, mais aussi pour des domaines aussi bien scientifiques qu'artistiques. La méthode qui en est sortie a été appliquée à un corpus de film restreint : Nostalghia d'Andreï Tarkovski, Les Harmonies Werckmeister de Béla Tarr et Seven invisible men de Sharunas Bartas. Son application a révélé combien ces œuvres sont infiniment plus complexes et plus ambiguës que l'on a pu le croire. Elle a surtout permis de mettre en évidence que ce que l'analyse figurale nomme figure doit être prolongé par la notion d'anti-figure. La figure seule ne suffit plus à restituer les battements toujours vivaces qui parcourent un film. D'autre part, elle laisse apercevoir combien ces battements répondent en réalité à la confrontation de trois hiatus, l'un figuratif, l'autre représentatif et le dernier psychique, impliquant la mémoire des images, le réel et le pathos
This thesis evaluates the possibility of analyzing a movie from the singular elements it contains. The singularity in question corresponds to dissimilar elements, of aporias or gaps that does not comply with what we expect from a narrative, from an aesthetic or from a cinematographic grammar. This research has approached the concept of singularity both in science and in the arts by studying the different meanings of this termThe method that was elaborated from the properties of singularities was subsequently applied to a small corpus of movie: Nostalghia by Andrei Tarkovsky, Werckmeister Harmonies by Béla Tarr and Seven invisible men by Sharunas Bartas.Its application has revealed how these works are much more complex and ambiguous than we might believe. He has contributed to highlight that what the figural analysis calls a figure should be extended by the notion of anti-figure. a figure alone is not sufficient to render the beats that cross a movie. On the other hand, it lets see how these beats actually correspond to the confrontation of three hiatus, the first is figurative, the second is representative and the last is psychic involving the memory of images, the reality and the pathos

La représentation de la figure humaine tire son origine du masque que portaient les personnalités exceptionnelles de la société sauvage, étroitement lié à l'imprévisibilité de la Nature. Mais, avec le développement de la civilisation (occidentale), qui cherche à organiser son environnement et à prévoir les dangers, le masque se transforme en persona qui agence ses actions selon la nécessité d'un discours prescrit par la Cité (Antique). Depuis, dans le domaine des arts dramatiques, le terme « personnage » qui s'y réfère dans sa définition, sert le plus souvent à désigner des êtres fictifs liés à un monde diégétique (façonné). Le documentaire, contrairement de l'idée du dualisme classique entre la fiction et la non-fiction, propose une représentation de la figure humaine mélangeant en permanence les deux vertus des éléments fictifs (inventés et organisés selon la nécessité du récit) et des éléments existants (répercutant l'authenticité et la nature instable du monde réel). Il introduit ainsi, d'une part, l'aspect aléatoire de la réalité dans une histoire inventée, et, de l'autre, il fait allusion aux théâtralités inhérentes à la vie sociale. En partant de cet aspect fusionnel, nous retraçons l'évolution du personnage dans le cinéma documentaire depuis les œuvres précurseurs, dans lesquelles la représentation de la figure humaine se rapproche d'abord de la « figure-mobile », jusqu'aux œuvres contemporaines, pour lesquelles nous proposons une nouvelle action : la « figure-corps ».

This project chronicles my explorations of the human figure in intaglio and relief printmaking and in the medium of artists' books. I had very little experience in the field of printmaking prior to my acceptance into the Masters program at Ball State University. I found intaglio, or etching into a metal plate, stimulating and exciting because there are very few limitations in terms of what I can do with this medium. I received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in drawing from SUNY Fredonia. Creating artwork in the printmaking medium has allowed my drawing skills to continue to grow and provided a variety of new technical possibilities. I choose to work with the figure because it is an important subject for an artist to study in order to learn to draw. Since all humans share the same basic structure, it is something that everyone should relate to. It is also something that translates into every possible medium, from cave drawings to fashion design. Many of the artists I have studied, such as Albrecht Durer, and Francisco Goya, worked with the figure in printmaking. Their work provided inspiration while I pursued my own work in this field.
Department of Art

The purpose of this research has been to develop a technique by which satellite constellations in different classes of orbit may be realistically compared. Previous work on constellation design has tended to focus on minimising the number of satellites required to provide coverage of the Earth. The variations in satellite vehicle design, which result from the use of different orbits, have, in general, been neglected in such analyses. The purpose of this research is to bridge this gap between constellation design and satellite design using a Figure of Merit. This Figure of Merit incorporates the coverage value provided by the satellite constellation, measured in terms of percentage coverage time, and the overall mass of the satellites which are required to provide this coverage. The coverage value is measured against a specific requirement, which is defined geographically, and which may be weighted by the user to reflect the relative importance of different regions. This allows arbitrary, asymmetric, real-world requirements to be adequately represented. This also marks something of a departure from previous work, in that the goal of much constellation design work has been to provide un-weighted coverage of the entire globe. Simplified mass models are developed for generic communications and surveillance satellites in a variety of orbits, and are then used to calculate the Figure of Merit for individual satellites. It is shown that the best solution depends crucially upon the geographical distribution of the requirement, and other user-defined parameters, such as the minimum elevation angle which can be tolerated. It is also shown that, for certain typical requirements, the Figure of Merit correctly identifies geostationary orbit (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) as having particular advantages. iii The technique of characterising the requirement geographically may also be used as a means of optimising the orbital parameters of the candidate constellations, and a preliminary description of this procedure is also provided. The Figure of Merit Technique is then applied to representative communications satellite constellations in order to demonstrate its ability to differentiate between candidate options. The Figure of Merit technique is also used to investigate the possibility of using a surveillance satellite at very low altitudes.