‘Some Relations between Conceptual and Performance Art’ - Frazer Ward, Summary

Frazer Ward’s article outlines the typical perceptions that surround conceptual and performance art and their similarities and differences to one another. Ward discusses that “Conceptual and Performance Art are engaged in a continuing dialogue, sometimes a conversation, sometimes an argument.”

Conceptual art is considered as a “work that emphasises the underlying conditions of aesthetic experiences.” Implying that conceptual thought comes before aesthetics and appearances. This questions the viewers reaction and acceptance of the practice and the respect it gives to language over the material form and sensory perception. Performance Art in comparison is directly addressed “as a form of art that happens at a particular time.” It is a physical act that is often presented in front of an audience in a specific location. Performance art is confined by its temporality and its strong connection to the physical. This highlights the notable difference between the two, performance art is “temporal,” where as conceptual art can be considered forever.

In the late 1960’s and 1970’s the inter-relationship between conceptual and performance art became evident, subsequently it is considered that performance art has ultimately challenged the foundations of conceptual art. Ward explores conceptual art within the artists and artworks of Ian Burns ‘Mirror Piece’ (1967), described as typically conceptual, and the ambiguously conceptual explored through Vito Acconci’s ‘Step Piece’ (1970).  “The juxtaposition helps to reveal the ambiguity imported into the category of the conceptual with elements of performance.” The two works reveal the artists intention of stimulating and challenging the traditional principles and exclusive qualities of visual arts. Ward questions that performance art has been regarded to have challenged some of the limitations of conceptual art, particularly its notion of rationality.

Reflecting on the predominant role performance has had within the art context, it becomes clear the dynamic elements performance has enforced onto conceptual art. Instead of observing them as separate entities, Ward provides us with the insight into the way that a concept can unite aesthetic and physical qualities. Considering how performance art can provoke conceptual branches, we gain understanding that they both depend equally upon each other.

Filled-Space Installations: Enchantments

Walt Disney and his enchanted world 'Disneyland'

1955

Filled-Space Installations: Enchantments

Mark Lawrence Rosenthal states, “Like a large cathedral, an installation can transport its viewer into a state of awe, providing also a sense of physical smallness vis-à-vis the all-consuming vision of the installation’s artist.” Some forms of transformation may occur whereby the visitor is even converted, as it were, to the vision of the creator. This philosophy spilled into Kurt Schwitter’s innovative ideals of enchantment-type installations in the twentieth century through his piece ‘Merzbau.’ Schwitters expresses his total “contemplative immersion of the self in art” in this work. The immersive walk-through environment encompassed his whole apartment where he covered its surroundings with limitless objects that he had obtained and collected.

Enchanted spaces are commonly made distinctly separate and thus rarely relate to the architectural setting in which they are installed. As Kabakov suggests, “windows are an anathema, for they reveal the rejected world; if the ceiling or floor is emphasized, each will likely suggest the sky or the earth.”

During the 1920’s installation was approached with diverse experimentation. Dada, Bauhaus, Russian Constructivism and Dutch De Stijl all developed and incorporated installations of interchange. This was notably developed by Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dali.  Duchamp’s work ‘1200 Bags of Coal’ (1938) and ‘Etant donnes’ (1946-66) disorders and encapsulates gallery space. By disregarding the norms of exhibiting art it provides a dislocating engagement within the viewers, enticing observers to be encapsulated within Duchamp’s creations. Dali’s ‘Le Taxi Pluvieux’ (1938) and ‘Dream of Venus’ (1939) created environments in which above all, the surreal, bewitching, perplexing, or even frightening were emphasized yet included the environment in where it was situated.

Enchantment was taken to a new level in Walt Disney’s Disneyland (1995). Disney creates a world in which “you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.” It has been classified as scandalous to put ‘Disneyland’ into an art context. The enchantment was created purely for leisure purposes it suggests that a total environment of sensory pleasures might be possible in a ‘leisure situation.’ “A full-body escape from reality, in which someone else’s aura and world view dominate the viewer’s entire perceptual field, is the goal.” These expectations of entertainment within art led to the expansion of the tableaux formation as well as the creation of live, performative ‘happenings’ led by artists such as Alan Kaprow. These elements of enchantments emphasise the spectacle of the viewers engagement and participation to enrich the intentions of the artist’s created world.

This continues to a more diverse use of tableaux formation with elements of a walk-in environment creating a worldly aura, theatrical in the most fundamental sense. In close relation, video installations follow the model of the enchantment, captivating the viewer in a different realm. The continuation of a created world is developed by IIya Kabakov, in his application of doors and walls in order to disconnect the space from the gallery. In his wall drawings, Johnathan Brofosky,  intended to erase any sense of architecture. This vision also captivated contemporary video installation artists that also capture the essence of a created world.

Enchantments allow artists to captivate observers within their crafted environments. It detaches viewers from the physical space, enabling them to experience the artists full intentions of the created world.

Annotated Bibliography

Yayoi Kusama

‘Aggregation: One Thousand Boat Show,’ 1963

Sewn stuffed fabric, wooden rowboat, paint; 999 silkscreen images on paper.

Boat, 265x130x60cm,

Installation dimensions variable on reconstruction.

Heartney, Eleanor. Art & Today, London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2008.

The chapter, ‘Art and Architecture’ explores how art has been encompassed by the built world. Traditionally, architecture is a design process that ensures buildings with structural longevity, the realisation of which relies on financial capability. In this regard, architects historically tended to stick with conventions. Yayoi Kusama contests these conventions with her embrace of art within the confines of a built environment.  

Although this chapter doesn’t cover Yayoi Kusama’s work directly it has provided me with an better understanding of art and its relationship to architecture. Through Heartney’s extensive referencing of artist and their works surrounding architecture, I was able to identify Kusamas incorporation of architecture within her art practice.

Gautherot, Franck; Guldemond, Jaap. ‘Yayoi Kusama Mirrored Years,’ France: Les Presses Du Reel, 2009.

This book encapsulates Yayoi Kusama’s retrospective exhibition ‘Mirrored Years.’ The exhibition displayed her early works, attitudes and strategies from her period in New York in the 1960s. More recent work that Kusamas continues to produce today were also on display. ‘Mirrored Years’ captured the many elements of Kusamas work, highlighting in detail her main attributes and conceptual intentions. This book allowed me to recognize Kusamas connection to architecture through her alteration of the gallery space in order to reach the full conceptual potential of her works. In ‘Mirrored Years,’ Kusama created controlled environments where the spectator became fully immersed in her world.

Hoptman, Laura; Tatehata, Akira; Kultermann, Udo. ‘Yayoi Kusama,’ London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2000.

This book captures Yayoi Kusama’s full biography and body of work up until 2000. The opening chapter is an extensive interview of ‘Akira Tatehata in Conversation with Yayoi Kusama.’ The interview highlights Kusama's cheerful personality as she discusses heartfelt topics of her childhood and later mental concerns. This interview helped me understand Kusama not only as an artist but as a person. The hallucinations that she experienced as a child have become the inspiration for much of her work.
The book leads into a focus on Kusama by Udo Kultermann called 'Driving Images.' Kultermann discusses the significance in Kusama's multifaceted work that expands in numerous directions and perpetuates basic human concerns.

Ellwood, Tony, GoMA Director. ‘Look Now See Forever’, Brisbane, 2011, http://interactive.qag.qld.gov.au/looknowseeforever/introduction/  (accessed May 1, 2012).

The Gallery of Modern Art housed the exhibition of Yayoi Kusama titled ‘Look Now see Forever.’ The exhibition has a diverse collection of Kusama’s work, its stand out pieces being her interactive installation of ‘The Obliteration Room.’ This website enhanced my appreciation of Kusama’s relationship with architecture through its comprehensive review of ‘The Obliteration Room.’ The website explains that in this piece, Kusama again plays on the accepted conventions of our built world. The room is regular in every other way apart from its colour. By manipulating this one element of a usual architectural setting, normality is played upon. Spontaneity,  irregularity and uniqueness is celebrated.

Bibliography

- Heartney, Eleanor. ‘Art & Today,’ London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2008.

- Gautherot, Franck; Guldemond, Jaap. ‘Yayoi Kusama Mirrored Years,’ France: Les Presses Du Reel, 2009.

- Hoptman, Laura; Tatehata, Akira; Kultermann, Udo. ‘Yayoi Kusama,’ London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2000.

- Neri, Louise; Nickas, Robert; Yamamura, Midori. ‘Yayoi Kusama,’ New York, Gagosian Gallery, 2009.

- Kataoka, Mami. ‘Yayoi Kusama: An infinite consciousness directed at the cosmos,’ Essay written by Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2011.

- Ellwood, Tony, GoMA Director. ‘Look Now See Forever’, Brisbane,

http://interactive.qag.qld.gov.au/looknowseeforever/introduction/ (accessed May 1, 2012).

- TATE Modern. ‘Yayoi Kusama Exhibition,’ London,

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/yayoi-kusama, (accessed May 2, 2012).

- Abramowitz, Ryan. ‘Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Years: Art and Australia,’ Sydney, http://www.artaustralia.com/newsviews.asp?news_id=45 (accessed May 4, 2012).

- Bunyan, Marcus. ‘Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Rooms: Art Blart,’ Sydney, http://artblart.com/tag/invisible-life/     (accessed May 4, 2012).

- Passman, Melissa. ‘Yayoi Kusama: Gagosian Gallery: One art world,’ New York,     http://oneartworld.com/Gagosian+Gallery/Yayoi+Kusama.html,  April 17^, 2009, (accessed May 7^, 2012).

John Kaldor Family Collection at the Art Gallery of NSW

In May 2011, the Art Gallery of NSW announced the most extraordinary donation to an Australian public gallery - the gift of John Kaldors Family Collection. Built up over 50 years, the collection is a versatile representation of recent international art movements. A patron and supporter of contemporary art, John Kaldor has been one of Australia’s most dedicated collectors. Since the 1960s Kaldor has been acquiring the works of emerging artists, many of whom later became highly influential figures in the art world. Gallery director Edmund Capon expressed that "The John Kaldor Collection is the most important collection of late 20th century avant-garde art in Australia. This unique collection is an exemplary vision of one man on behalf of his family. This is a gift that will forever be a milestone in the history of this gallery.”1

Comprising over 200 works, the collection includes in-depth representations of Christo, Jeanne-Claude, Jeff Koons, Sol LeWitt, Robert Rauschenberg, Ugo Rondinone among others. Minimalism is a cornerstone, with impressive works by Donald Judd, Carl Andre and Frank Stella. There is a strong performative element, including works by Gilbert & George, Richard Long and Francis Alÿs. There is also an exceptional compilation of German photography with key works by Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth and Thomas Demand. Video art that ranges from Nam June Paik to Bill Viola and Shaun Gladwell are also apart of the collection. ¹

Sol LeWitts work holds a particular predominance within the collection due to the pieces scale as well as its dynamism. LeWitt has been referred to as the father of Minimalism and Conceptual art - some say he coined the latter term. LeWitt's 1977 Kaldor Public Art Project adorned an entire wall of the AGNSW: straight, curved and broken lines as well as tessellating shapes adorned the space from floor to ceiling.¹ In 1998, he filled a room of the MCA with glossy acrylic surfaces that echoed the curves and waves of the building's architecture. For the new gallery, the Sol LeWitt Studio installed five site-specific wall drawings and paintings, including a re-creation of an entire painted room from John Kaldor's home. The sculpture ‘Pyramid,’ from 2005, seems to shift as you walk around. LeWitt made use of a system of interlocking, equally-sized geometric shapes, showing his interest in repetition and seriality. Its structure echoes a type of pyramidal tower known as a ziggurat – an architectural form that was thoroughly considered within LeWitts research.

The John Kaldor Collection extensively compliments and extends the Art Gallery of NSW contemporary collection. “The Kaldor family aren't just buyers, they're instigators: they've brought not just artists and artworks to our shores but whole ideas about art.”2

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1 Claire Martin, “John Kaldor Family Collection,” http://archive.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/media/archives_2008/kaldor_gift/index.html.  Accessed 2.5.12

2 Bethany Small, “Time Out Sydney: John Kaldor Family Collection,” http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/art/features/9257/the-john-kaldor-family-gallery?DCMP=OTC-RSS- Accessed 1.5.12

Unmonumental: Going to pieces in the 21st Century, Laura Hoptman, 2007.

One of the key featuresof modernity is that everything is able to be altered by human intervention. Everythingis available and we can make anything in congruence with modernity, aclassification of art. Though the subject matter of theart has changed from being what it is to how it’s done.

Assemblage is therelevance of time and the artist who incorporated the concepts into the piecesthroughout time. Laura Hoptman expresses that assemblage is the placement ofpreform materials, objects or fragments that weren’t intended to be art materialswith juxtaposition to one another. She states that theapex of assemblage can be identified as Robert Rauschenberg’s series ‘Combines,’hybrids of paintings and sculptures that the artist produced from 1954 to 1964.

John Cage (A leading figure of post-war avant-garde who wasRauschenberg’s friend and mentor) memorably compared the structure of ‘Combine’to that of a newspaper. He wrote, “there is no more subject in a Combine thanthere is in a page from a newspaper.”

Sculptors incorporating assemblage into their work have stuck by theguidance and outline of Rauschenberg’s ‘Combine’ though towards the 21^stcentury artistic visions toward assemblage progressively altered. Theaesthetics of the piece became increasingly secondary to the perception. Thisshift can be seen in Rachel Harrison’s, Huffy Howler (2004) which almost mocks andcriticizes the work of the ‘Combine’ and its theory.

Though neo-avant-garde art of the post war period resembles works ofpre-World War II, they’re classified merely as masquerades of the earliermovement. Though visually consistent, they are completely different in meaning.The audience, assigned a new meaning to this period of art.

The strategies of assemblage and appropriation inneo-neo-avant-garde 1980’s art practice mimicked its predecessors - replacingindustrial elegance with found objects. Such products of object culture portrayedthe “idea that the readymade has been so absorbed that the object from life isas obvious a material for art as oil paint.”

Assemblage more so than any other art practice can be regarded as amirror to contemporary visual culture, a physical representation of socialvalues in 1960’s urban culture. Pieces began to embody such mentalities aspolitical dissatisfaction, sexual malaise, bad education etc. The best of theseworks, are highly organised “internarratives that are more often than notparticipatory in contemporary art as well as political discourse.”

‘Unmonumental’ was a term developed to describe the kind ofsculpture that lacks the characteristics of the ‘monument.’ These new formshold a distinct sense of possibility where both physical and ideologicalfractures are common.

In this new century that could be classified as an error of customization,artists act as the social commentators forming “irreproducible one-offs.”Though most sculptures from the last five years have a common aesthetic ofassemblage, this doesn’t imply that this mode is “aesthetically dominant.”Assemblage represents a movement towards customization and a general longingfelt for individuality and uniqueness.