Duncan Yeldham
PHIT
The Vitruvian (Man/Woman)
ID: 10267254
Duncan Yeldham
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ID: 10267254
A Brief Background
This is a copy of the original drawing Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci created in 1487.
The drawing is based on the ‘Ideal Proportions of man’.
‘This sketch, and the notes that go with it, show how Leonardo understood the proportions
of the human body. Each separate part was a simple fraction of the whole. For example, the head
measured from the forehead to the chin was exactly one tenth of the total height, and the
outstretched arms were always as wide as the body was tall.’ (BBC, 2006)
The proportions follow as such; ‘A palm is the width of four fingers’, ‘A foot is the width of four
palms’, ‘The length of the hand is one 10th the man’s height’ and so on. Other artists attempted to
depict these proportions but none were so successful as Leonardo. These ideas were not Leonardo’s
own but those of the roman architect Vitruvius, hence the drawings title, ‘The Vitruvian Man’. Both
men believed that these same principles should be used in the design and creation of buildings.
Leonardo took these ideas further. He spent a lot of his life searching for connections
between the structure of the human body and other patterns in nature. He proclaimed that; “Man is
the model of the world”
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My Documentary - The Vitruvian Project
My idea for this project has always focused around the body image. Originally starting with
my own physical development, then going on to photograph other people to show how any body
image can be presented in an ‘attractive’ light, and again, at this late stage it has been rethought.
The previous ideas and proposals for this documentary have lacked focus, as a result I sought out a
direct link between a piece of work already created (the Vitruvian man) and my own images.
My documentary will consist of me interviewing various people on and off the streets about
their favourite part of the male or female figure and compiling the results. Then I will collect the
images of the selected parts of the body and compile them into recreating the Vitruvian
Man/woman.
The idea is to show that there is no set ‘ideal’ figure, individual ideas as to what they find
attractive or ideal will always vary. The end result of my recreation will not be a pretty picture, it will
be one of odd proportions, an unattractive mix-up of what various people find attractive in the
human figure.
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Photography
I will take as many photographs of the nude or nearly nude male and female figure. I will
have to have a wide range of different figures so as to comply with the interview answers. The
hardest part will be the framing of the photographs and the poses struck by the models. A small rig
will have to be set up so as to get the right angles for the shots in which the models legs are wide
apart. Markings will have to be made also to instruct the model exactly where to stand.
There is a possibility to create two final pieces, ‘The Vitruvian Man’ and ‘The Vitruvian
Woman’ however this is all very dependent upon the amount of female volunteers I can get, It is
Duncan Yeldham
ID: 10267254
unlikely I will get many, as a result I may have to mix sexes into one figure or focus just on the male
figure.
Obviously the Vitruvian man has two pairs of arms, and two pairs of legs, each limb I intend
to chop into four (each arm will be that of 4 different people; bicep, elbow, forearm, hand). The
chest, stomach, waist and groin will consist of 4 people, 8 if I split it down the centre, ½ woman ½
man. That’s upwards of 24 models, however, it would be possible to mix and max, use different
parts of the same model, as long as they are not in direct contact with each other, and not on the
same limb. This may cut down on the amount of people I will need.
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Film
All of the interviews will be covered by film, asking people their favourite part of the human
figure. I am also in contact with Tate Modern and Britain as well as Tate St Ives regarding filming
opening and closing scenes for the documentary. I want to cover other artists and photographers
interpretations of the human figure throughout the ages, it would make a nice introduction to see
varied pieces on what is thought to be attractive/ appealing,