Summary of Interventions

Summary of Interventions

One of the main categories of Installation Art is ‘Site Specific Art’. Site Specific Art is significant as it involves the area in which the installation is presented, and or, created. It serves to investigate the physical, functional, intellectual, cultural and institutional character and often assesses the site where it is accessed. Installation art is removed from traditional art strategies and embraces the space or the ‘locale’. The examples used within this article, all use the space to enhance the meaning of the installation to the audience.

Installation art has not been overly welcomed as it has rejected traditional art making. The 1960’s artists were challenging the conventional strategies and presentations, an example would be; Frank Stella who painted onto the wall of a gallery. The rejection of conventional art making gradually progressed into minimalist, post minimalist, earth and conceptual art. This affected sculpture as the pieces began to spread out through the exhibition space, and was no longer confined to the accepted space.

From this progression, the pieces now engaged with the ‘real space’, or reality, and thus the viewer could connect with the art through the space in which it was presented.  An example of this is Carl Andre. Andre’s work extends lines on the floor of a gallery which invites the viewer to pass through, drawing they’re attention to the space rather then what the gallery holds. This reversed the traditional idea, as the space now framed the art. Some installations are aggressive toward the viewer making them feel uncomfortable, such as Serra’s ‘Delineator’ and Bruce Naumans ‘Double Steel’ by insisting on the viewers participation as well as the effect of the site, in which the art is installed.

In conclusion, it could be said that museums and traditional art galleries in essence remove art from the reality of everyday life and create a barrier between the viewer and the intention of the artist. Through the choice of site, installation art closes that gap and connects the viewer and the installation as one.