This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting

zu sich selbst befreit

English translation: liberated to be itself

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:zu sich selbst befreit
English translation:liberated to be itself
Entered by: Catherine Winzer

18:00 Jan 30, 2012
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting / modern art
German term or phrase: zu sich selbst befreit
I am translating the description of an exhibition that documents the history of "konstruktiv konkrete Kunst".

"Wie sie [die konstruktiv konkrete Kunst] ihre Galeristinnen und Galeristen, Sammlerinnen und Sammler und die Kunstkritik begeisterte, dokumentiert die von einer Publikation begleitete Sonderschau, indem es wichtige Galerien und deren Arbeit mit dieser Kunstrichtung vorstellt. Interviews und Bild- und Textdokumente erzählen von entscheidenden Situationen in der Auseinandersetzung mit dieser ***zu sich selbst befreiten*** Kunst."

The text ends here, so I don't have any further context.

I wondered about "art that is freed for itself", but I'm not completely happy with it. I'd be grateful for any help.

British English, if possible.
Catherine Winzer
Germany
Local time: 14:15
liberated to be itself ((& variants of same essence - to follow its own laws / whims.. ) ))
Explanation:
This is in the vein of that quote (Carl Andre?) re. art being about art and everything else being about everything else - the liberation from having to be 'about' anything but its own drama within/on its surface/support (in 2-D work), for example. Ultimately the liberation of art from an obligation to 'portent' ( as in C19 or the end-of-C19 to 1970s dread of it - history painting... in that sense, narrative... illustration... ) towards the abstract.


Selected response from:

Stephen Reader
Local time: 14:15
Grading comment
Thanks, everyone, for your answers. I liked Stephen's the best.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2liberated to be itself ((& variants of same essence - to follow its own laws / whims.. ) ))
Stephen Reader
4 +2self-liberated / self-liberating
Helen Shiner
3 +1liberated for itself
Jaime Holmes DipTrans MITI
2 +1which has found its own feet
Wendy Streitparth
3having liberated/liberating itself from previous conceptions
Gert Sass (M.A.)
3 -1liberated from itself/went beyond its own limits
Ramey Rieger (X)


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
liberated from itself/went beyond its own limits


Explanation:
escaped its own boundaries
went beyond itself


Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 14:15
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: Wouldn't that be "von sich selbst"?
34 mins
  -> Hi Phil, yes, you're probably right.
disagree  Lonnie Legg: See Phil.
6 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
liberated to be itself ((& variants of same essence - to follow its own laws / whims.. ) ))


Explanation:
This is in the vein of that quote (Carl Andre?) re. art being about art and everything else being about everything else - the liberation from having to be 'about' anything but its own drama within/on its surface/support (in 2-D work), for example. Ultimately the liberation of art from an obligation to 'portent' ( as in C19 or the end-of-C19 to 1970s dread of it - history painting... in that sense, narrative... illustration... ) towards the abstract.




Stephen Reader
Local time: 14:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 115
Grading comment
Thanks, everyone, for your answers. I liked Stephen's the best.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: "Liberated to be itself" doesn't really fit the context, but I like your other suggestions. "Ploughed/plowed its own furrow" is another possibility.
11 mins
  -> Thanks, Phil, wasn't quite comfortable with the actual wording in isol'n -though e.g. '*an art* liberated to be itself' still doesn't jar to me. Best /S.
agree  Helen Shiner: Yes, liberated from within to express itself freely - and greetings, Stephen./Or rather 'liberated from within to just be what it is' with no further intent necessary, as you say.
38 mins
  -> Thx, Helen; very best to you too.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
liberated for itself


Explanation:
I think the contrast here is with the regular collocation of "befreien von" ("freeing from"). Here, rather than a freeing 'from', we have a freeing 'into' or 'for', i.e. not a liberation away from the object, but towards and into the object.

Jaime Holmes DipTrans MITI
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:15
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Stephen Reader: Very much with your explanation
4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
self-liberated / self-liberating


Explanation:
Another variant. The impetus comes from within the art itself to free itself from external constraints of any kind. This is Modernist abstraction taken to its extremes.

See also the Tate's definition of Minimalism, for instance: http://www.tate.org.uk/collections/glossary/definition.jsp?e...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2012-01-30 19:20:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another suggestion: this art liberated from within

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 275

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Phil
agree  Stephen Reader: And very much with yours
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Stephen.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
which has found its own feet


Explanation:
just an idea

Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Local time: 14:15
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Stephen Reader: W/ your backgr'd perception; not sure re. the wording, as a pre-modern (or earlier, pre-Impressionist) descriptive art could also be said (sorry to be pedantic!) to be self-confident. So opening the wider contempl'n of earlier, Ren. 'libs'. Oh dear...
3 hrs
  -> Thanks for the agree Stephen, despite all the reservations!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
having liberated/liberating itself from previous conceptions


Explanation:
such as abstract art, which it is to be distinguished from as well

alt.: forming a conception in its own right

Gert Sass (M.A.)
Germany
Local time: 14:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search