Sculpture Studio Spring 2010

Project 1: Process
ANALYSIS

Process art manifests itself in all artworks. After all, any piece of art requires a making, and making art ultimately requires a process. Whether the process is obvious or not, it is there. In this unit, however, process tends to be an apparent aspect of the art. It is almost always very clear how the art is made—whether it is a sculpture like Jackie Winsor’s Nail Piece, in which nails were evidently hammered into wood, or a sculpture that is made gradually and in the moment, quite like an acting piece, much like the one-time works of Joseph Beuys.

It is interesting to think about how sculpture artists can make the process of their work just as intrinsic as the main message, theme, or idea their work is regarding. Tara Donovan, for example, makes ordinary objects extraordinary (not to be cliché) by grouping mundane items together in ways that do not fulfill the original purpose of the objects. Her process is clear, and it is definitely part of her idea, but it is just as prevalent as the meaning of her work; to make the mundane interesting. Process goes along with her idea, and is just as prevalent, but it is just as important as her main thesis. For many artists, their process becomes less significant than their final idea and their final piece.

While coming up with ideas for my own process piece, I was constantly challenged as to why my piece had to do with process and how that was just as prevalent as the purpose of my sculpture. It was difficult to make my sculpture more process-oriented, and it was difficult to justify why it was process-oriented. I’ve found that process-oriented sculptures provoke different criteria from which to judge. Haze by Tara Donovan might be, to some people, merely drinking straws stacked up along a wall, without any other thought process or meaning behind it. After this unit, I’ve found that the beauty of her (and all) process-oriented art is the fact that the artist’s actions are of critical importance to the outcome, and are also clearly documented. It is obvious what the artist has done or is doing. The way their work is made is no secret.