In human history there has always been a need to express ourselves in some fashion and we do this by creating. These creations take on different forms such as performances, this being music, dance, acting ect or through manipulation of materials such as painting, sculpture, assemblage, ect. Although the fundamental understanding of art is that of creation but the other aspect of it in exploration is what is the meaning of an artist's work, what makes art, art? Through it is established that art is original creation, unique in its own right, and it shows a level of creativity and craftsmanship.
How dose one veiw art?
There are a total of four aspects in which art is viewed through these would be form, funcation, meaning, content, and context. Form is about the physical attributes of the artwork at hand, such as the scale, style, medium ect. While the function is dealing with the purpose of why the work was created in the first place, was it political, experimental, sentimental ect. Unlike function, context is more of the logicgiscal things such as who is the artist, when was the work made, what was the cost of production, context can be answered through an investigation and research. Content is just the subject matter of the work, while meaning is the deeper expression of the work through both content and meaning are subjective to the viewers and can change over time. These aspects are what makes for the deeper understanding of art rather than being superficial.
How dose work on real life artworks?
Using the example of the sculpture that is on Washtenaw Community College’s campus,in Ann Arbor Michigan. The sculpture is two large metal rectangles that lean against each other that goses by the name of "Gateless Gates". The impact of the work varies as most students pass by and think nothing of it other than some fixture that they have to walk around or even through on the way to their classes. Through the impact that it has upon further education and examination of the work it can be inferred that the sculpture represents community, co-dependence of a student and teacher where a student can only learn from a teacher but a teacher can not teach without the students being present.
Personal thoughts and Questions
My personal response to viewing the work was how large on the scale of an artwork was and just the meaning of it. I also noticed that it was located where the student center is, which is in the middle of Washtenaw Community College's campus. I do not dislike the work nor like it, I don't know how to feel about it through this could be that I'm viewing it second hand through a screen rather than in person where I may have more of a response to it. Through it did provoke more questions than anything, these being as such:
Where was the sculpture created and if it wasn't on campus then how was it transported?
What thoughts did the artist have that lead them to decide to go with a simple-abstract representation of community?
Did the artist intend for the materials used to have a level of symbolism in regards to community?
Are the bricks on the ground that the work rests hold any meaning? Are those names of donors of the commissioned work?
Given my first impressions of the sculpture I would say it has changed a bit as I have a better understanding of what the work could possibly mean, as upon first glance it just seemed to be just two metal rectangles that were leaning on each other. I look at it as more so being a symbol of unity of Washtenaw’s campus and the fact that it speaks to their values as a college, this being that if someone wants an education or to learn skills then the door is open at Washtenaw. After viewing this work in order to understand art on a more substantial level that is in depth one must understand what makes art what it is and then other basic research exercises. When looking at Wastenaw’s sculpture to the unknowing mind it would simply be something in the way that holds no meaning or function but through research and inferring it shows different.
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At first glance of the Gateless Gate, my thought was 'tumbling'. Without a gate to complete the structure, the posts are tumbling. The inference I take from this is that education is that gate which students go through to discover the world. The community of students and teachers then, together form the gate, without which the whole structure ... tumbles. :-)