"conceptual art"

1) why is the viewer an important element in conceptual art?

because the art does not take a traditional form, it demands more from the viewer. it is said that conceptual work only truly exists in the viewers mental participation.

2)why is it so difficult for people to accept the "fountain" by duchamp, as art?

before "fountain" people had rarely been made to think what art actually was, or how it could be manifested; they had just assumed that art would either be a sculpture or a painting.

3)what questions did duchamp pose with his readymades? explain with examples.

the readymade is presented not as a statement, "this is a urinal" but as a question or challenge. "could this urinal be artwork?" try to imagine this reproduction of the mona lisa with a beard as an artwork, not just a defaced reproduction of an artwork. an artwork in its own right. examples of this kind of readymade work would be "fountain" and "LHOOQ" by marcel duchamp.

4)why is it difficult to categorize conceptual art in the context of traditional art?

many conceptual works will not fit any clear typology, just as many conceptual artists resist any restrictive definition of what they do. one reason for their frequent opposition to the museum is its insistance on such categories. kosuth's "one and three chairs" were stored in several different locations throughout the museum. the museum was uncertain where it should be stored because there is no department of conceptual art.

5)choose a quote from the article that you find interesting and explain. site page number.

page seven

"in the last resort you will have to decide what you believe,just as in engaging with any example of conceptual art it is the response of you, the viewer, that defines the work."

this statement very clearly defines for me the intention of conceptional art. i also find the quote very beautiful and misterious because you never know what is being implied. its all in the viewers interpertation.

all answers to questions were taken from the article "conceptual art" by tony godfrey 1997

journal research: donald judd

Donald Clarence Judd (June 3, 1928 - February 12, 1994) was a minimalist artist (a term he stridently disavowed). In his work, Judd sought autonomy and clarity for the constructed object and the space created by it, ultimately achieving a rigorously democratic presentation without compositional hierarchy. It created an outpouring of seemingly effervescent structure without the rigor associated with minimalism proper.

-wikipedia

1) how does the artist utilize materials/media/foumd object,in an art historical context, verses a contemport context?

in judds work there is no historical context. as a minimalist artist his work has been described as direct, forceful, controversial and influential. judd began work in which materiality was the focus. he used simple materials such as metals, plywoods and concrete. with simple often repeted forms, he explored space and the use of space. judd rejected the european artistic values. instead of the illusion of space he worked in real space.

2)how do the materials inform the meaning of the piece?

judd felt the categorical identity of objects was itself in question.

3)what site was chosen for the artwork?

new york and marfa, texas

4)how does the site/place inform the meaning of the artwork?

most of judds works were installed in properties through out new york and texas. judd advocated for the permanent installation of works by artists in carefully selected environments. he believed that art should not represent anything, that it should simply exist. making room sized installations that made the space around his work the playground.

FIRST ASSIGNMENT:

our first assignment for the semester was to create a sculpture considering line and skin. wire was the suggested medium. the following images are composed of artist that i drew inspiration from during my creative process. after viewing many different approaches and works, i am confident in saying that my preference is to the non-objective. the only exception being a little birdie here and there. at the end of the section you will find my work.

melisa

wire

   [wahy^uhr]

–noun

1.

a slender, stringlike piece or filament of relatively rigid or flexible metal, usually circular in section, manufactured ina great variety of diameters and metals depending on its application.

headspace (2009), wire sculpture, Roman W. Schatz

tammy

The knot on the poster is not a computer rendering, but an actual wire sculpture which Tammy made and photographed with a digital camera.

valerie muller

"wire sculpture"

frank j miele american folk art

artist unknown

artist unknown

mary hanks

A feminine wire sculpture of a dress form done entirely in chicken wire. Sculpted, twisted & woven entirely by hand. Elegance meets the raw in the juxtaposition of the formal long dress & the media used.

untitled 2007

beautiful

eva hesse. right after 1969

Milwaukee Art Museum, gift of Friends of Art, 1970
The Estate of Eva Hesse. Hauser & Wirth Zurich, London.

Medium:
Sculpture

antony gormley's wire sculpture

you have to really look, but there is something really beautiful going on here

helens wire

Line and Space are central to Helen’s work. She draws in two and three dimensions, using a variety of materials.Her drawings are often investigations into the overlapping processes and visual qualities of sculpture and drawing.
Helen’s wire sculptures of the human form are introspective drawings in three dimensions.
The sculptural lines and the open space defined by them present a continually changing visual experience.

ruth asawa wire sculpture

Artist: Ruth Asawa, at the new de Young Museum, San Francisco Ruth Asawa is an American artist, who is nationally recognized for her wire sculpture, public commissions, and her activism in education and the arts. In San Francisco, she has been called the "fountain lady" because so many of her fountains are on public view.

insperation from others:

i love the lines and movement of these two pieces

beginning insperation

thumbnail sketches

final thoughts

sketches of sculpture

finished project

found objects

wire

tulle