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Process art is expressed through many mediums, distinguishable by repetitive action and focus upon the task rather then the end result. Almost everything that we do in our lives has its own process; therefore subject matter depicting process is limited and can be easily abstracted. It can be hard to decipher whether or not a work is classified as process art because of its vast applications. However, when the making or experience of making holds more pertinence than the piece or production of it, the work is usually considered process art.
An early example of process art, although unintentional, was a statue started by Michelangelo. In the midst of carving he stopped, the incomplete quality of the statue appears very raw. The artist’s hand seems more prominent and the work seems more active, more recent. Viewers get to see the behind the scenes footage when looking at a piece like this, they can become almost voyeuristic, able to peek at the work during a time when it is otherwise unseen.
Process art is able to demystify the process behind production. Production becomes the critical component of the work, not the work that is produced. In Sunflower Seeds, Ai Weiwei along with 1,600 others, handcrafts ten tons of porcelain sunflower seeds. The installation is a commentary on industrial processes, the ways in which mass quantity goods are produced, particularly in China. Weiwei brings attention to the industrialized practices by implementing traditional means of making. By placing emphasis on traditional production, the viewer is encouraged to reflect upon the role that industrialized production has in their lives.
In another work by Weiwei, Dropping a Hun Dynasty Urn, Weiwei destroys an ancient Chinese urn, a historically precious artifact. The process of dropping a genuine artifact is vital in order to convey essential historical and theoretical meaning. Photographs documenting Weiwei dropping the vase are presented as the final product, not the broken urn. Pictures of the artist dropping it himself emphasize the importance of the action of breaking, presenting the broken urn would have far different implications.
In western society we have a tendency to create false imagery surrounding the production of common items, food and other goods. Consumers are made to believe that industries are supporting a healthy work force for the mass production of endless nonsense. In my work I am juxtaposing a natural and perceived processes using simple circular forms. In doing so I am trying to emphasize the distance between actual process and the illusion of process. The concept for this piece originated when I felt anxiety towards the lack of control surrounding the outcome of the work. Process art isn’t about figuring out the end product but molding and manipulating your means to explore natural phenomenon. There was a struggle when my intentions for the work were not supported by the material’s natural properties. Process is all about investigation of the materials, you need to get to know them and to play with them.

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This page was last updated: April 10, 2014 1:19 PM