Art

The two artists papers that I read were Robert Barry, Untitled Statement in Germano Celant, Art Povera (1969) and Gordon Matta-Clark, Gordon Matta-Clark A Retrospective (1982) by Susan Rothenberg. The two artists related to each other in exploring the different possibilities of art form for producing information within a person. In Robert Barry, he explored technology for transmitting energy waves and sound. Matta-Clark experimented, pushing art and expression to its boundaries with the splitting of a house.

Robert Barrys analysis and use of the wave pieces in his own art work, he felt helped people to know that these technologies and transmission of information exists. Barry says that, by just being in this show, Im making known the existence of the work. The concept of art is to transmit and communicate to the person viewing it. Barrys description of the use of the art space to communicate is important because he is giving people an experience to identify with a piece in their own way. Perhaps the use of technology enhances that for them.

My favorite quote from Barry is, As with any art, an interested person reacts in a personal way based on his own experience and imagination. Obviously, I cant control that. The reason why I view this as important is because the artist loses the doubt inside them and instead focuses on communicating the piece. The information is portrayed however the person needs to see it at the time. It is possible that the many people who see the art can portray it on various levels throughout viewing it over time. The use of technology that Barry desires to use may enhance the experience for the viewers. Barry thinks outside the box and incorporated different avenues of communication into his works.

In Matta-Clarks split house, I believe that the main point was the fine line between the solid structure of a house and the fragility of the earth it sits on. In Rothenbergs description of it she says, Being in that house made you feel like you were entering another state. Schizophrenia, the earths fragility, and full of wonder. It was so subtle at every level  the way a crack fell through a door molding, through the stairs. The work of Gordon touched upon senses in different ways and left a viewer feeling real emotion. At least was the observation from Rothenberg. The main point that Gordon was intending to make is that art can touch a person on so many levels. In Rothenberg, it hit her emotionally and speculatively. In her write-up about her time there, she said to feel uncomfortable. It seems that her natural way of viewing the house splitting piece would be at her level where, there was no home here. The transmission of communication can be taken by each person on their own level of understanding at the time. Gordon may have simply wanted to show the house as being a house. The viewer, as in Rothenbergs case, took a more complex meaning to the piece based on her life experience at the time.

My favorite quote by Rothenberg on the house split piece is, It showed more about volume than any Minimalist work  it had psychological and formal punch. This is my favorite quote in the entire passage because it shows the ability of the art form to transmit information to the subconscious through a piece. Since the subconscious takes things personally, it will always relate something to the person that is viewing it. The art form transmits what the writer wants to invoke in the person in different ways. Whether the artist has control over the feeling may not be true as in Barrys statement, but the ability remains that communication is occurring whenever the viewer sees the piece.

The comparison between these two passages is that each was speaking about communicating to the viewers. Barry communicated through the use of technology in his art piece. He focused on the space and energy that was available to be transmitted. Matta-Clark used the one of the necessities in human life, a shelter. His splitting of the shelter revealed the inside of the structure. Both of the artists also talked about participation in the piece. The participation within Barrys art piece has to do with senses of the radiation and microwaves. The participation of Matta-Clarks piece was sensory, using emotions and feeling.

In my own art pieces, I sometimes get into my head too much. The communication process becomes fuzzy and I care more about pleasing the person on the viewing end. Instead, as in the case of Barry and Matta-Clark, I am learning to let go and trust the communication process. I follow where things interest me, as in the exploration of different forms and structures seen in the two artists examples. I still have to learn to let go completely but I am getting there.