Lecture 2 HW

Richard Sierra and many artists and critiques look upon the Tilted Arc as an amazing work of art, while citizens working inside the same building as the sculpture think that the piece is nothing more than scrap metal. Sierra created the piece so that people could become self-aware and so that the environment around them would change as their perception changed. The workers in the building; however, felt that the sculpture took up too much room in the plaza and that it attracted too much unwanted attention from not only humans, but animals as well. The artisans and critiques were right about the piece being a work of art. It warped the eye of an individual and created an entire new scene all together. The men and women working at the plaza could have just dealt with the piece being where it was. It had caused no harm and it gave a whole new meaning to its surroundings. Sierra did not want the piece to be moved to a different location because it was built just for that spot, if it was placed elsewhere, the feeling of the art would not be the same. Sierra was right about his piece. Without it in that spot, then it gives away the feeling of the arc protecting the fountain on one side from the buildings on the other. To take apart the piece during the day would have angered many artisans and citizens alike, so the sculpture had to be dismantled at night. In order for oneself to experience new horizons, they must leave their comfort zones, and artists make this happen through their work.

The futurists wanted to rid of the old and bring in the new. They sought for speed and violence along with the expansion of machinery. They no longer wanted museums and libraries and the thought of morality was diminished. The speed of automobiles has increased drastically in the last 100 years and machinery is now apart of almost everyone’s everyday life. Violence spreads like wildfire because of the improved machinery and speed that man has accomplished.

Throughout the entire Menil Collection, I was really interested in the Egyptian pieces within the primitive age displays. The culture of that time attracts me with their use of limestone as a medium and hammer and chisel as a tool. Like all cultures at the time, the Egyptians used pictures to describe words; however, their civilization had a more advanced system compared to others. Even their sculptures were advanced with all the grooves and fabricated details carved into the medium. Although they made marvelous works, the Egyptians hardly ever used repetition and rhythm within them.
After studying all the pieces, I believe that I would love and maybe would make the Louis XV Display Table. The display was an old desk scattered with trinkets and gizmos that corresponded with one another perfectly. Being a pack rat myself, the desk reminded me of how my own room looks and how I never let things go no matter how old they may be.
Joe Goode’s Untitled (Cloud Photo) fits into the idea of Kissed by Angels because of the painted photo of clouds lingering in a warm colored space. Like the rest of the art work in the display area, it was light and seemed like you were actually staring into the sky.
Both the Kissed by Angels and the Television and Disasters displays were created to deny the observer a straightforward reading of the composition while the artists tried to show something outside of themselves. Although the two displays have a common element, the presentation of it is performed completely different. Where is the Kissed by Angels has transcendence and atmospheric ethereality, the Televisions and Disasters is more aggressive and shows the reality of life.