In this chapter I will look at the cultural value attributed to works of visual art that use destruction as a tool in their creation. Art that specifically and mindfully deals with destruction shows the complex process involved in a way that audiences can interact with. ‘Only up close do you see that a process of destruction is taking place which is as complex as the process of creation.’ (Dorment, 2001). When presented in a dedicated space and given the label of art, it becomes difficult and almost pointless to try and separate and distinguish what is destruction and what is creation as they amount to the same thing. Art created from destructive processes is valued when placed in spaces dedicated to cultural and artistic purposes. …show more content…
Break Down was a project for which during a two-week period in 2001 the artist Michael Landy systematically destroyed every last one of his possessions. Destruction and deconstruction of artwork is used by many contemporary artists to improve, transform and challenge not only the physical materials they choose to work with but also preconceptions and aesthetics within society (Boldrick, 2013). Landy on the other hand took the process of destruction within art to a much more personal level. Once Artangel had selected his proposal for the project for funding, Landy began an inventory of his possessions; a task that he thought might take a few weeks but actually took three years to complete. The 7,227 items, including Landy’s car, passport and his entire collection of art (his own and other artists’) were systematically destroyed by a team of operatives using a custom built conveyor belt and machines to crush, shred and pulverize the objects until only powder remained. Landy says that he saw it as ‘the ultimate consumer choice …One way or other I 'm trying to get rid of myself, so it 's kind of the ultimate way without actually dispensing of me.’ (Artangel, 2001) and regretted that, straight away after the project finished he had to go out and buy more products –a toothbrush, a pair of socks- and that he instantly fell back into
Though World War II was awful in every respect, and it led to the destruction of many priceless works of art, there are some examples of beauty emerging form the chaos. One such example come from the work Dean Keller. Keller was one of many “monuments men” who were given the daunting task of the preservation of art during the war. The monuments men had little resources yet they prevailed in their efforts of protecting much of the art at risk during the war. The thought that the allies had the forethought to take earnest efforts to respect the history and culture that comes from these great European works of art, is a glimpse of the beauty that emerged during this time of turmoil. At the end of the war, Dean Keller led the Americans in returning the art they had gathered for protection. This was received by great crowds of emotional Florentine’s grateful for the return of their stolen history. This scene of compassion and gratitude
Art is able to evoke different feelings and emotions to each person that sets their eyes on it. The act of ‘looking’ is simple, but a lot comes from it. Where the eyes are first drawn to, the duration that the eyes are focused on a specific detail, and the thoughts that flood one’s brain when viewing art is all significant. These actions say more than the piece itself, it reveals emotions of both the artist and the audience. Art can be expressed through infinite forms, but the underlying importance is not with the art itself. It represents a place in time, displaying what was noteworthy to an individual in their own life. It serves as a lasting creation representative of human imagination with the ability to bring out a multitude of emotions from whoever views it. When art is created it represents the creativity of the human mind compacted into a physical object. Art has little usage aside from pure observation, yet it has prevailed throughout time, showing its importance to humanity. Art provides a lens into humanity, showcasing the human ability over time. When studied through history, art is a view into the development of humans and their interests. Through something as basic as commonly using symmetry to transitioning to asymmetry, the European’s perspective following the Renaissance is revealed. The making of art is solely up to one individual and their creativity. It is the pinnacle of
encompasses an ironic recipe of two ingredients, synthesizing destruction with its counterpart of creation. Michael Landy, a Young British Artist and member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, is recognized for his extensive practice, which spans from the monumental and epic, to the intricate and meticulous.[2] His investigation into destructive performance can be traced back to his monumental project Break Down (2001) in which he publicly obliterated all his personal belongings in a critical examination of what we value and what we discard, consumerism and waste, and human labour and its empirical worth.[3] Landy’s drawing H.2.N.Y alludes to Jean Tinguely’s inexorable deteriorating machine, constructed in a three week period adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art and subsequently set in motion only to pulsate, tremble and burst into flame in an unsuccessful pursuit of self-destruction.[4] Fourty-seven years after Jean Tinguely’s self-destroying machine combusted in a star-studded social arena, Landy produced whimsical, detailed studies on paper for a reenactment of the machine’s performance.[5] Having discerned a coincidental similarity between his own project and Tinguely’s, Landy initiated an unorthodox artmaking process where he reconstructed the event through the peripheral fragments of people’s memories.[6] Just as the smoldering embers of an abandoned campsite still harness the power to start a forest fire, the contradictory
Controversial pieces of art are nothing new; artists express their opinions and beliefs in their work, and those who see the artist’s views as problematic speak out against it. Art encourages debate, and debates can be angry and emotion-driven. But when a piece of art is created that is almost universality looked upon as having corrupt morals, the debate tends to switch “I disagree with what this art portrays” to, “this work of art should not be allowed in society, regardless of its quality.”
There are various ways in which destruction can be used to transform thought and it is one of the best ways to garner attention. Although Smash it Up manages to draw attention, they fail to address the deeper meaning in their actions. A performance needs more, especially in this day and age where vandalisms are done to artworks somewhat regularly. A famous example of this being the ‘destruction’ of Picasso’s Guernica when a young artist spray-painted the words: ‘Kill Lies All’ across the bottom half of the canvas.
The world of art is exists in a constant state of change, as with every passing generation its very definition evolves. For instance, the disproportioned figures resting against a flat plain of the Medieval Times got replaced by the hyper-realistic works of the Old Masters and those, in time, were taken over by the whirl of colour and light that the Impressionism brought in the 19th century. After that, many other movements came to exist, each vastly different than the last, and in the future more will see the light of day. Consequently, both Raphael’s “ The School of Athens” and Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain” are both considered great works of art, regardless of the fact that those two pieces are nothing alike. Therefore, under certain circumstances, the illegality of painting on public or privately own spaces does not diminish the artistic qualities of graffiti— those two statements are mutually exclusive, as certain types graffiti are in fact works of art, regardless of the method used to create them.
Art is known to flaunt its own beauty by being artistic and expressive in its own unique measure. Diana Mack’s “It isn’t pretty…But is it Art?” depicts the ambience surrounding art while questioning the discrepancies among what is considered to be a good piece of art or not. Mack proposes the controversial public incidents in which it occurred, that prevented these art works to receive the legitimate amount of consideration and acknowledgement it deserved to receive. Meanwhile, Steve Grody’s “Graffiti: The Anatomy of a Piece” informs us on how arrogance and stereotypical views towards art and graffiti can conceal the true elegance and significance it tends to withhold. In support, he introduces us to the three continuums amplifying his perspective
The exhibition acknowledges the uncertainties surrounding their original purpose. Presenting them in an artistic context, it demonstrates that our definitions of what constitutes ‘art’ are also problematical. Even the all-encompassing definition recently proposed by Brian Eno – art is ‘everything you don’t have to do’ (Eno, 2015, 14m. 30s.) - fails in the face of artefacts which would appear to have been an intrinsic
Art has a long history in the evolution of modern mankind, from paint made of wet clay,to sculpture, and even to modern art. Some pieces are meant to symbolize an emotion or an object, to be used in the worship Gods,to tell stories or simply to be something beautiful. Throughout history, art has evoked emotions, awe, and has broken barriers and culture lines in ways nothing else could. Art can be influenced from everywhere; nature, emotions, neighboring cities and many other ways. Since so many culture influence each other, it is easy to see where similarities in pieces might be.
Art is one of the most fascinating attractions that the world has to offer us. From its smallest art pieces to its enormous architectural designs. Art doesn’t have an age, whether it was made during the time of our ancestors the Homo erectus or as new as our present day. Art is a way of expression, to tell someone a story about a person event or thing. In this research essay I will be describing the Art work which I have researched that are most fascinating to me.
The “Preservation” is a digital art piece that demonstrates several different meanings. This piece invokes fear and discomfort by exhibiting how oil, gas and chemical industries are destroying the earth and humanity with pollution and toxin. The artist uses two arms to represent the way of life. One side presents a beautiful, pure, and an unharmed world, and the other shows darkness, death, the destruction of earth, and how it is taking over. This piece of art is aimed towards the oil, gas and chemical industries. The “Preservation” is on the Deviantart.com, created by (Shortcircuit123), also known as Paul, a twenty-year old male from south Netherland and studying art at ABK Maastricht. He started out with just drawing and now
Our class textbook, Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach, offers historical context into the role of gender in art. The text examines gender roles across time periods, countries, and mediums, revealing much of the reason we are where we are today. As a part of the Cengage curriculum, it highlights some of the most crucial points and works throughout history, such as Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus, to depict the context of the origins of the female relationship throughput art
Miyake’s work is ever-innovative and timeless. The geometric and form-inspired designs mean it’s not focussed on a trend, leading it to stand alone. His slightly processed- focussed work has really helped me view ‘deconstruct/ reconstruct’ as a concept, or perhaps a process, not just something that can be shown aesthetically. As well as showing me the emotional connotations of exploring urban as a topic, and how these can be so diversely represented through
The ideology of small spaces merge with those the communities’ and the city’s as well. The Goal of Small Spaces is to “Make the Place more interesting” As Zach Medler, the curator of the project, puts it. Small Spaces A $20,000 project has recruited thousands of artists who have turned Lafayette’s dilapidated alleys and walls into works of art.1
On March 1, 2001, two of the worlds most important pieces of Buddhist art were destroyed. Currently, there is a similar site facing the same fate. The destruction of Buddhist art is often linked to the destruction of cultural heritage. Because art is the best window we have into the origins and growth of a culture, it is important to preserve this source of history. With the destruction of each piece of art, we loose a part of our past as a human race, whether it be your own culture or not. The issues facing Buddhist art should matter to us all as it is not only a problem the religion has faced before, but a very urgent situation that required immediate action.