art in the park at woo

I am officially back on campus, and just finished a pretty intense week of leadership training. I have to be honest and say that as much as I would like to keep posting every Wednesday, I'm just not sure I can keep up - but I will do my best.

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I took a quick jaunt to Worcester last night, and on the way to Price Chopper (like the dollar store, but with food: cheap, a little bit sketchy, and quite overwhelming) I was shown Art in the Park by my very adept driver who correctly guessed that it was right up my alley.

Nexus, Brook Mullins

Organized by the Worcester Cultural Commission, the exhibition runs through Sept. 30 in Elm Park and contains work from 14 New England artists.

Pianista Observatorium, Michael Frassinelli

Red Totems, by Susan Champeny, is visible from the street and looks like a series of over-sized heavy plastic toys. They almost reminded me of chess pieces or painted pottery. In reality they are made from disposable plastic plates, cups, and bowls. This part of the exhibition was installed interactively and is based on concepts of reuse and disposal.


The only other piece visible from the street is Toaster by Steven Rolf Kroeger. I consider it an excellent work for attracting visitors, as it is definitely intriguing. The photo that I have is not the best, but it is a vw van-turned-toaster complete with styrofoam toast and lights in the windows made to resemble the heating coils on the inside of a toaster. Kroeger certainly has a sense of humor, and I can't help but love the absurdity. Can you imagine this zooming down the highway?

the elephant in the room

There is a very important work of art that I have not yet mentioned. It changed the course of modern art, and its creator continued to be a quiet presence in the art world. Marcel Duchamp's Fountain (1917) was literally the urinal heard 'round the world. It is a classic work of art, and one that you need to understand in order to analyze much of what came afterward. In a way, it helps to justify conceptual art.

Fountain was entered into the Society of Independent Artists exhibit, which announced that it would show any artist's work. Duchamp signed the urinal "R. Mutt" so that the art world would not recognize the well-known artist. It was hidden from view during the exhibit and caused quite a bit of controversy. At the time, ready-made art was a new concept, and it brings up issues of plagiarism. In addition to the fact that urinals were considered vulgar objects.

In defense of the work an anonymous editorial was published, which stated "Whether Mr. Mutt made the fountain with his own hands or not has no importance. He CHOSE it. He took an article of life, placed it so that its useful significance disappeared under the new title and point of view – created a new thought for that object."

Duchamp shifted the focus of art from technique to intellectual meaning. Now, the artist could elevate any object to art merely by selecting it. These were not random selections, however. The choice of a urinal poses some interesting questions (was it used? answer - no.) and brings to light the idea that something banal and common can be art. In actuality, the plumbing and engineering required for this device makes it quite advanced and in a sense, artistic. Arguments can be made either way, but it is the origination of the idea that "it is art if I say it is."

moonlight in Brazil

Taken by A Scho at Copacabana Beach, for your comparison.

talk about juxtaposition

Jeff Koons currently has an exhibition of recent work running in France at Versailles. He is the first American contemporary artist to have a show at Versailles, but not every one in France was excited about him being invited to show his work in a tourist-ridden cultural monument. Some feel as though it is a sacred place, and furthermore, that visitors will go away with the wrong impression of the palace. This is understandable in way - Koons is know for his kitsch. He recreates objects that are banal and familiar, much like pop artists from the 60s. His art, for this reason, is contested by some art critics. His work presents common objects in a way that forces you to rethink them in order to understand them. On the surface his ideas may seem cheap, but his attention to detail and clever wit are undeniable.


So, this summer visitors to the palace of the great Sun King will be met with images of American kitsch against a rococo backdrop. Both are products of excessive lifestyles and wasteful cultures and for that they are perfectly matched. I can't help thinking that a modern day Louis would love the large outdoor sculptures that appear to be renditions of balloon animals, but are in reality made of steel and many tons. Something so expensive yet whimsical would suit his fancy. While he used Versailles as a way to distract his courtiers from political ambitions, Koons uses his art to call attention to his own ideas, but it is the same kind of flashy diversion. I love how Koons' artwork makes me see Versailles in a different way. I can't help but notice the similarity in hue of the gold leaf and gilded objects and the shiny surface of the balloon dog (proof that all humans like shiny objects), or the general feeling of superfluity gained in the overall effect. I like the pairing of stagnant history and contemporary art. And yes, that last photo is MJ and Bubbles.

bridging the... crack

Doris Salcedo (b. 1958) is an artist from Bogotá, Colombia who focuses her art on overlooked victims and pain. Her commitment to expressing power dynamics and inequality is no surprise when one imagines the violence she must have witnessed growing up in a politically unstable Columbia. The violence decreased in the 1950s and 60s after a political agreement but resumed in 1964 with a civil war and the creation of formal guerrilla groups. Deaths and disappearances were at random, but always the result of someone powerful acting against the powerless.

Her 2007 sculpture, Shibboleth, represents the difficulties of immigration and the pain of segregation. It is a large crack in the floor of the Tate Modern's Turbine Gallery that deepens and widens as it zigzags over the floor. Shibboleth is from a Hebrew word - probably not a coincidence - meaning "any distinguishing practice which is indicative of one's social or regional origin."

The sculpture is a real modification in the floor structure rather than an optical illusion. When the exhibition closed it had to be filled in. However, there is still evidence of the exhibit in the form of a scar on the floor - a metaphor for the psychological effects of violence. Shibboleth actually divided the crowd at the gallery, creating a metaphor for segregation, and also changed the way that you perceive the space. Normally it is seen as a grandiose hall, but will a large crack in the floor no one was looking up. Shibboleth artificially represents pain and separation, and the conscious decision to cross over a boundary.

*Get excited: The Turbine Gallery Unilever series has exhibited some of the most fascinating art in recent years, and will unveil it's next exhibition in October.