Septych

Septych (from the Latin septem "seven" and Greek ptychē "fold") is a seven panel piece that must be seen as a whole. Technically, a septych is a type of polyptych and is not unlike diptychs and triptychs, which are more common forms. Though not presently a word in common usage the visual arts use of the term and its related concept is not new. As early as the 19th century seven panel works of art were being made. For instance the Japanese painter, Utagawa Sadahide, is said to have created a broad landscape of the old Japanese fleet going off to war with Korea. Its seven panels depict many old style ships.^[1]

In an article entitled, The Maleficent Seven - Al Salzman's "anti-septych",^[2] published by "Seven Days - Vermont's Independent Voice", the artist seven oval collection is discussed. The writer of the piece uses the word septych both to describe the work and its concept, being that of seven collected images, plus suggests the theme creates a negative or anti-septych tone because the artist disdains the subject matter in each painting.

Septych Art Work

Septych,^[3] is the name of a work by Australian artist, Jim Hensby (aka sheshouldknow),^[4] who added the image to the DeviantART website on October 24, 2007. It is described as a concept piece for seven skateboard (deck) designs he was doing for a fake skateboard company called American't. The artist jokes that a septych should be seven images if a diptych is two and a triptych is three. The homophone of septych, septic, is what the artists presents as his one word analogy of Christian institutionalized faith. 7 being the "divine number, 7 deadly sins presented over 7 boards creating a septych.

Michelle de Villiers^[5] mixed media work, Celestial Sandwich Septych,^[6] is described as a "sandwich consist[ing] of several layers: the seven days of creation; the seven heavenly virtues; seven greek vowels-alpha to omega. The seven virtues will balance the seven Deadly Sins." The 14 collected painting are to be installed so as to "juxtapose the seven sins with the seven virtues, to create balance, which is a fine line down the middle of the space."

Both the concept and the word again appear in the title of American artist, wetdryvac's Seven Deadly Sins - Septych.^[7]

Septych Photography

A quick search of Flickr^[8] shows 38 images with tag septych from 13 different photographers. Though some people mistake 6 images for the 7 image concept that septych implies.

Septych writings

In writing, however, where prequels, sequels and trilogies are common multi-part works; there have been few attempts to create a 'septych'. But 'septych' could describe series such as the Harry Potter books that concluded with a seventh novel.

In poetry there is one example of an attempt to make a septych by combining seven separate poems into a whole work - William Jordan's Perched in the Wires - A Septych.^[9] According to the author the seven poems are governed by specific rules though the poem itself fails to meet some of the rules mentioned.

See also

• Diptych
• Polyptych
• Triptych

References