Justin Masterson /Advanced Sculpture, 2014 |
Project 2: Place |
Justin Masterson Dr. Scheer Site-Specific Analysis Site-Specific artwork rejects the pedestal of the gallery. A sculpture concerned with place partners with the context of the area it is placed and creates meaning based on that partnership. The piece may come about from the place it is presented. Using the materials found in the area an artist can literally make art from a site specifically. Or, an artist can create a space that specifically presents an alternative reality. The meaning of a site-specific artwork is mainly derived from the context the piece of art is in. Gordon Matta-Clark took buildings neglected by society and presented them in an artistic light that conceptually addressed issues of the time. Artistically cutting shapes from decaying urban sites he brought about commentary on abandonment, and issues of social class. These structure usually were all to be demolished, for that matter site-specific art is now always permanent when subject to nature and forces of man. Andy Goldsworthy goes into nature to construct his art. Drawing inspiration from what he finds in nature. The artist partners with the site in a very nonintrusive manner. Interacting with the beauty in the forms of found organic materials he is able to create a cohesion between the art and the everyday nature of the site, further pronouncing the beauty of nature. Both of these artists interact with the materials the site provides for them as meaning can change when you bring the materials to the site. Many artists have been interested in cosmology in relation to a site specific artwork. The position of a particular art piece derives meaning from being associated with the specific astrology of the area. Artists like James Turrell interact with the patterns of the site to enhance the given aesthetic experience. Ideas like this are interesting because they can be dated back to ancient architecture oriented towards cosmological bodies for religious reasons. Finally, an artist can create an imagined place. The imagined site-specific artwork presents an alternative view of reality uncommon in the everyday. Such an environment can only be staged. An artist can use light, mirrors, cells or anything real to bend perception to portray a concept. This can be purely visual or personal. Louise Bourgeois uses the imagine place to convey feelings. The place puts the viewer in intimate relation with the art, driven towards specific notions. Whereas Paul Friedlander uses light to portray a visual alternative reality that is aesthetically provocative. |
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