art is art

[low_delta]

We took off work this afternoon to visit Forest Home cemetery again. This time on business - no photos. On the way back, we stopped at the art museum. First we saw Rashid Johnson's work.

It doesn't look like art, does it?



Its media comprises black steel, plants, grow-lights, books, electronics, a piano and shea butter.

We rented the audio tour, so we listened to an extended interview with the artist, so we heard the thought processes that went into this and the other pieces. It left me feeling that it's art if you can explain it. I'm not going to say I liked or disliked this piece. In fact, that's the problem - it didn't leave me feeling anything. I preferred the rest of the pieces there. Here's a Google link to what a lot of it looked like: link.


Here's Cindy interacting with a piece by Anthony McCall, called You and I, Horizontal (II).

Comments

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Ummmm...business at the cemetery?

I like that plant thing but I don't know if I'd call it art. It looks like a great set-up for lots of plants.

And I LOVE that picture of Cyn. Now THAT is art!

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

Just some pre-planning possibilities. Nothing important going on.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

*whew*
*stops worrying*

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I can't think of a scenario where my friends list wouldn't know of something going on with us, that required a visit to a cemetery for business.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Perhaps. But quite often things happen suddenly and the first thing on one's mind is not informing friends. I didn't think anything was really wrong and the pre-planning stuff was first on the list but you know...

[ravenfeather.livejournal.com]

OMG! I NEED the plant thing, only spread out into walls!!!!!

Other than that, I was not that impressed. It looks like he throws a lot of stuff.

I think in order to be art to an individual, it has to make you feel.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

... spread out into walls!

But with a grid tight enough to keep out raccoons?

There's art that looks good, and art that makes you feel something. But the looks good stuff is merely decoration? Unless it's meaningful on some level. And that meaning makes you feel something, hopefully? So some of it only causes feelings for the artist. But what if the intellectual side causes feelings?

Clear as mud?

[ravenfeather.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! *grin* to all of it.

Glassed on the outside (or more logically acryliced) to keep the critters out and let the light in.

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

That structure make me looks so short!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

The grid is nine squares high, so you can almost see the top of it in the photo.

[smittenbyu]

agree with the first one... love plants and looks like a great indoor garden. I am not sure I would consider it art. The second one looks really cool or you capture it well! :)

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

It held a lot of plants, some stacks of books, and a few electronic devices showing videos. And a few small, vaguely sculptural items. So it was very much like something you'd find in someone's living room.

It was sort of a cone of light. And there were occasional puffs of fog to provide texture. I wasn't impressed until I walked into the center of it. It was really very interactive. And one of the few pieces there that you can touch... sort of.