Sculpture Studio Spring 2010

Project 2: Kinetics and Interactivity
ARTIST RESEARCH

 

Mowry Baden

Mowry Baden’s art deals with the physical and perceptual interaction between the work and the viewer. By altering natural human gestures, he is imposing “upon the viewer’s movements and awakening a physical self-awareness that was previously unconscious” (1). With this goal in mind, he constructs his work in such a way that he is less interested in the physical appearance of the object than in the experience. He wants the viewer to be able to enter the object/space, and in doing so have a “visceral, internal, and sensorially cross-circuited” experience (1).

He achieves this interaction with the creation of “envelope spaces,” which are alternative spaces that function within the confines of a gallery (2). These spaces are so effective because they surround the visitor in a self-contained structure. For instance, Baden’s work, Phantom Limb (1967), deals with one’s awareness of their body. Since the viewer becomes enveloped in the piece they cannot see their hands and feet, but rather they can feel the inside of the structure with their hands. This emphasizes the gap between visual and tactile perception, and tests the senses. Phantom Limb requires that the participant is in motion, and becomes a “task-oriented” piece of art (2). Since his art is task-oriented, it invites the viewer to interact both physically and perceptually (3). His 1997 work, I Can See the Whole Room II, is a simple mattress on an aluminum base that revolves when triggered by the viewer’s movements. This invokes the participant’s self-awareness of their body, while at the same time the participant’s visual senses are stimulated as they see a reflection of the room. Since this structure relies on the participant, it becomes altered by contact with their mind. Baden was interested with the transformative power of art, art’s interaction with life, and whether or not it can change our perceptions (3). In an interview Baden once said, “This body may be mine. That’s enough to start with. The body (possibly mine) runs into other things, but more importantly, it runs into itself” (2). His works, therefore, create an internal awareness of movement. Hudson Street Tomato (1984) creates not only an awareness of the body and movement, but also an awareness of life. This work is different, however, because it is not in a gallery space, but rather on the sidewalk of a busy street. The participant interacts by pedaling a bike in order to send oxygen to a tomato plant inside a plastic bag. In doing so, they are allowing the plant to survive, which creates a realization of the basic needs of life.

By using harnesses, furniture, rooms, and pathways, Baden invites the viewer to walk, crawl, lift, stretch, pedal, etc. Since his works do not appear untouchable, because many of them are created out of everyday items, the viewer sees the sculpture as a “palpable, sensory, motile subject” and wants to experience the work (2). People want to interact with Baden’s work because he invites them to participate.

(1) http://www.mowrybaden.com/index.php
(2) http://www.mercerunion.org/archive95/248.html
(3) http://www.pomona.edu/museum/exhibitions/archive/spring2001/baden/home.shtml

Phantom Limb (1967)

I Can See the Whole Room II (1997)

Hudson Street Tomato (1984)

 

Tim Rollins and K.O.S

Tim Rollins is both an artist and a very influential educator. Through a collaborative strategy called the Art and Knowledge Workshop, Rollins has been able to teach reading, writing, and group art-making to students from a wide range of needs and backgrounds. This integration of skills has been referred to as “jammin” by the children in this program (1). The Art and Knowledge Workshop began as an after-school program in community centers and has grown nationally and internationally into a traveling workshop (1). The children in this program are called K.O.S- kids of survival. Through his use of interactive techniques, Rollins has been able to create a community engagement that focuses on physical interaction, social interaction, and at times political interaction. These children find acceptance through the harmony within their work and communication as they come together through the creation of art (4).

His method for achieving this constructive interaction among the children is fascinating. First they read a book by an influential author, such as Kafka, Shakespeare, or Malcolm X, and then through discussion they deconstruct it both “physically and analytically” (2). They often relate the stories to their own experiences and therefore learn from each other (3). After discussing key metaphors in the story, they sketch and arrive at a collaborative mural-like, iconic image. Although it is collaboration, Rollins makes sure that each individual artist has his or her say, which is an important part of the interaction. They then take actual pages from the literary classics and glue them to the canvas, which is then painted over with their interpretation of the story (5). In the Invisible Man series (2008) the group used very bold symbolism to portray the “invisible force” behind their work. In doing so they are achieving one of Rollins’ goals- “not only would we make art, but we could make history” (4). Another striking series, Any Means Necessary (2008), is based off of an influential social and political figure- Malcolm X. By keeping the black lines simple and symbolic, the K.O.S successfully draw attention to the powerful words of the text. This incorporates another form of interaction between the viewers and the group because they are beginning a dialogue between the community, educators, philosophers, etc.

This workshop has become a cross-cultural learning experience for these children. Through many of their pieces, they speak out against political neglect and support an “independence movement” (2). They have demanded that their work be exhibited in museums so that the community has a chance to see and understand their ideas. Also, they have recently created a website that “continues a practice that has long incorporated others” (5). This website allows the community to become more involved through workshops, and in doing so it engages youth from many different backgrounds. It allows the work to reach “the public,” and furthers the goal of interactivity among children in the community.

(1) http://fryemuseum.org/exhibition/3315/
(2) http://www.inliquid.com/thought/articles/mangel/rollins.shtml
(3) http://www.icaphila.org/exhibitions/rollins.php
(4) http://www.lehmannmaupin.com/#/artists/tim-rollins-and-kos/
(5) http://awp.diaart.org/kos/home.html

The K.O.S

Invisible Man Series (2008)

Any Means Necessary (2008)