Honestly, I wasn't fully engaged with the list of artists provided. I appreciated the concept of Process Art, but had trouble enjoying the works by the artists mentioned. In some sense, I wasn't sure I understood how their works was considered Process Art, in fact, it might be that I don't fully understand what Process Art is when looking at the works.
Then I came to Joseph Kosuth on the list. I'm still uncertain if I like him or his works, but I suppose Process Art focuses more on the process and meaning rather than the final pieces, and Joseph's art builds on meaning, which, after listening to a short video of him talking on the subject, I was curious.
Finding the piece "One and Three Chairs" on MoMa held my interest. I liked how honest, and how obvious it really is in itself. Jospeh did not make the chair, or take the photo, nor did he write the definition, he simply put them together.
The description below questions whether it can even be considered art, yet by doing so, it gave me a clearer understanding of what this conceptual piece signifies. I appreciate that it disregards the process of creating art, to the extent that Joseph did not create any of the three elements on display (whether intentional or not). It includes a very literal, generic, everyday object, something that might have been purchased at a small cost or perhaps found at no cost at all. However, once positioned in a presentation that isolates the object along with different visual formats, the debate begins. Why are we looking at a chair?
In One and Three Chairs, Joseph Kosuth represents one chair three ways: as a manufactured chair, as a photograph, and as a copy of a dictionary entry for the word “chair.” The installation is thus composed of an object, an image, and words. Kosuth didn’t make the chair, take the photograph, or write the definition; he selected and assembled them together. But is this art? And which representation of the chair is most “accurate”? These open-ended questions are exactly what Kosuth wanted us to think about when he said that “art is making meaning.” By assembling these three alternative representations, Kosuth turns a simple wooden chair into an object of debate and even consternation, a platform for exploring new meanings. - MoMa
The essence of the debate is what transforms this into a work of art. He clearly supports his advocacy towards the idea that "art is making meaning" by curating a piece that is so bold it compels you to question it. In questioning it, you create meaning.
I found the concept of "One and Three Chairs" to be insightful. The title itself feels to be the force that brings the piece together. The title somehow reminds me of the saying "one and the same" which in a sense, perfectly encapsulates what this piece represents.
LINKS
Comentários