(I am going to include all of my citations to be sure I give proper credit.)
New on the Scene: Installation
Art and Its Influence
A new member has officially joined the art family. This member is unconventional, down-to-earth, interactive, independent, and difficult to transport. Who is this new family member? Artists call it “installation art.” What exactly is it and how did it get here? Why is it both popular and controversial? Finally, how can it impact the way people view art today? Understanding installation art and how it has developed can enhance one’s overall understanding of art and its purpose.
First of all, what is installation art? According to John Kissick, former Chair of Critical Studies at Pennsylvania State’s University of Visual Arts, “Installation art is that which builds a work around a specific site or critical position, rather than making autonomous objects that hang as individual entities on a wall” (475). According to this loose definition, a museum curator could be considered an installation artist, and the inside of a cathedral could be considered an installation (Kissick 475). Kate Mondloch, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Oregon, adds that installation art is an arranged environment where the viewer’s senses and experience with the space are meant to be a part of the work itself (xiii). Finally, Films Media Group’s film Installation Art gives this succinct definition: “The artwork takes over the space. It defines the space.”
How did this art form develop?
Installation art developed through changing attitudes, concerns about art, and
technology. This change of attitude came as a result of disenchantment with the
Modernist view of lofty and heroic art (Kissick 459). Thus, Pop Artists started
“embracing the mundane and the commercial and dismissing the heroic and the
masterpiece,” thereby creating a “demystification of what was once a sacred,
highly personal experience” (Kissick 459-61). One key artist who expanded the
old boundaries of art was Marcel Duchamp. With his invention of “ready-mades,”
Duchamp presented the artistic significance of everyday objects, giving birth
to the idea “that art and life could regularly trade places” (Kissick 455;
Getlein 489). Using common items such as a bicycle wheel or a urinal, Duchamp
cleverly demonstrated, according to Professor and art curator Faye Ran, “that
there are no objects which
cannot
also be considered signs” (46). This new mindset led to the rise of Postmodern
art, which ultimately dissolved the barriers
between high and low
art while questioning the “artistic persona and myth of the sacred object”
(Kissick 462). Additionally, art historian Julie Reiss claims that artists El
Lissitzky and Kurt Schwitters set important precedents by including whole rooms
in their works, Proun Room and Merzbau (xxiii).
In the midst of these changing attitudes toward art, a new concern rose to the surface of the art world. Art enthusiasts could sell and collect traditional art through the marketplace, but this practice often objectified art and treated it as a commodity (Kissick 463). To some artists, buying and selling art debased its purity and integrity. Additionally, as the idea of Postmodern art grew in strength, this commodification of art seemed to prop up the boundaries between “high” and “low” art because of the price tag placed on each piece. With these concerns in mind, artists breathed Conceptual art into being. This form of art attempted to break free from greed and art commodification by placing an emphasis on the idea of the art rather than the art itself (Kissick 462-63). Unfortunately, however, Conceptualists still ended up giving in to greed and tradition by selling their artistic ideas (Kissick 463). Still, many artists saw the problem with art commodification and sought another solution.
A solution arose in the form
of Performance art. Rising to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, this art form
avoided “the easy commodification of the art object (by producing no object at
all)” (Kissick 464). This production of art within a space set the stage for
installation art.
Another important aspect of
installation art’s development is technology. By the 1960s, the art world had a
big competitor: television (Kissick 459). Artists then had to search for new ways
to gain the public’s attention: installation art was one solution. Furthermore,
Films Media Group claims that the invention of the common video camera in the
1970s accelerated installation art’s popularity as artists integrated videos
into their works. With photography, however, installation artists really drove
their creations to the center of attention (Reiss xvi). Art professor Monica
McTigue of Tufts University says, “Although installation art is often assumed
to be an art of direct experience, it is often mediated by photography” (1).
This is partly because photography allows many more people to observe the
installation after it has been disassembled (1). Thus, technology such as
photography enabled installation art to gain recognition.
Why is installation art so popular? First of all, it offers opportunities to create a great variety of works with many different meanings (Kissick 475). One can use sculpture, videos, common objects, paintings, and performance in an installation piece. Secondly, installation art helps solve the problem of art commodification by tearing off the price tag and returning art to a purer, more experiential form (Kissick 475). Additionally, installation art “has a physical presence” that increases its popularity (Reiss xv). Finally, as art critic Matthew Collings expressed in Films on Demand, installation art possesses a kind of attitude: “It is now the most trendy thing you could do. It’s almost against the law not to do it.”
Why is installation art controversial? According to Films on Demand, installation art questions what art should be: art could be broken macaroni or an unmade bed. Additionally, installation art does not receive a lot of scholarly attention because it is not easily purchased or experienced once it is taken apart (Reiss xv).
Despite these drawbacks, how can installation art impact how one views and understands art? Installation art emphasizes the experiential and non-commercial nature of art, as well as its God-glorifying purpose. Firstly, Films on Demand says that installation art helps one to realize that the experience of art may be more important than the art itself. This is because “how one sees is just as important as what one sees”; installation art helps the viewer become part of the art itself (Mondloch xiii).
Secondly, installation art
helps one to realize that art is not about buying and selling. Art is meant to
be experienced and enjoyed. Not only does installation art remove greed from
the equation, but its interactive nature helps one to appreciate art in a purer
and fuller sense.
Finally, because it often uses
common objects in a room, installation art can help one to see beauty and art
all around in everyday life. God’s entire creation is a work of art that is
meant to be experienced and enjoyed, and installation art can help God’s people
to enter into His installations every day. Thus, understanding installation art
helps one to appreciate art and its ultimate purpose: to point viewers to the Great
Artist. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His
handiwork” (English Standard Version, Psalm 19.1).
Works Cited
Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Good News Publishers, 2001.
Flavin, Dan. Untitled. 1996. Fluorescent light installation. Dia Center for the Arts, NY. Artlex.
Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Getlein, Mark. Living with Art. 9th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. 489. Print.
Installation Art. Films Media Group, 2000. Film. Films On Demand. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Kissick, John. Art Context and Criticism. 2nd ed. London: Brown and Benchmark Publishers,
1996. 455-75. Print.
Kusama, Yayoi. Fireflies on Water. 2002. Mirror, plexiglass, 150 lights, and water. Whitney
Museum of American Art, NY. Whitney. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
McTighe, Monica E. Framed Spaces: Photography and Memory in Contemporary Installation
Art. Lebanon: Dartmouth College Press, 2012. 1. Google Books. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Mondloch, Kate. Viewing Media Installation Art. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,
2010. Google Books. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Ran, Faye. A History of Installation Art and the Development of New Art Forms. New York:
Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 2009. 46. Google Books. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
Reiss, Julie H. From Margin to Center: The Spaces of Installation Art. Cambridge: MIT Press,
2001. Google Books. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Schwitters, Kurt. The Hanover Merzbau. 1923-1936. Installation. Hanover, England. Merzbarn.
Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Steiner, Gerda, and Jorg Lenzlinger. Falling Garden. 2003. Installation. Venice, Italy. The Artful
Desperado. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
And so, if I haven't utterly lost you yet, I will share the installation art that I did.
I took approximately 290 Crayola crayons and hung them in color-coordinated patterns from the ceiling.
A new member has officially joined the art family. This member is unconventional, down-to-earth, interactive, independent, and difficult to transport. Who is this new family member? Artists call it “installation art.” What exactly is it and how did it get here? Why is it both popular and controversial? Finally, how can it impact the way people view art today? Understanding installation art and how it has developed can enhance one’s overall understanding of art and its purpose.
First of all, what is installation art? According to John Kissick, former Chair of Critical Studies at Pennsylvania State’s University of Visual Arts, “Installation art is that which builds a work around a specific site or critical position, rather than making autonomous objects that hang as individual entities on a wall” (475). According to this loose definition, a museum curator could be considered an installation artist, and the inside of a cathedral could be considered an installation (Kissick 475). Kate Mondloch, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Oregon, adds that installation art is an arranged environment where the viewer’s senses and experience with the space are meant to be a part of the work itself (xiii). Finally, Films Media Group’s film Installation Art gives this succinct definition: “The artwork takes over the space. It defines the space.”
 |
| Fig. 1. Kurt Schwitters. The Hanover Merzbau, Hanover, England. |
 |
|
Fig. 2. Yayoi Kusama, Fireflies on Water,
Whitney Museum of
American Art, NY.
|
In the midst of these changing attitudes toward art, a new concern rose to the surface of the art world. Art enthusiasts could sell and collect traditional art through the marketplace, but this practice often objectified art and treated it as a commodity (Kissick 463). To some artists, buying and selling art debased its purity and integrity. Additionally, as the idea of Postmodern art grew in strength, this commodification of art seemed to prop up the boundaries between “high” and “low” art because of the price tag placed on each piece. With these concerns in mind, artists breathed Conceptual art into being. This form of art attempted to break free from greed and art commodification by placing an emphasis on the idea of the art rather than the art itself (Kissick 462-63). Unfortunately, however, Conceptualists still ended up giving in to greed and tradition by selling their artistic ideas (Kissick 463). Still, many artists saw the problem with art commodification and sought another solution.
 |
| Fig. 3. Dan Flavin, Untitled, Dia Center for the Arts, NY. |
Why is installation art so popular? First of all, it offers opportunities to create a great variety of works with many different meanings (Kissick 475). One can use sculpture, videos, common objects, paintings, and performance in an installation piece. Secondly, installation art helps solve the problem of art commodification by tearing off the price tag and returning art to a purer, more experiential form (Kissick 475). Additionally, installation art “has a physical presence” that increases its popularity (Reiss xv). Finally, as art critic Matthew Collings expressed in Films on Demand, installation art possesses a kind of attitude: “It is now the most trendy thing you could do. It’s almost against the law not to do it.”
Why is installation art controversial? According to Films on Demand, installation art questions what art should be: art could be broken macaroni or an unmade bed. Additionally, installation art does not receive a lot of scholarly attention because it is not easily purchased or experienced once it is taken apart (Reiss xv).
Despite these drawbacks, how can installation art impact how one views and understands art? Installation art emphasizes the experiential and non-commercial nature of art, as well as its God-glorifying purpose. Firstly, Films on Demand says that installation art helps one to realize that the experience of art may be more important than the art itself. This is because “how one sees is just as important as what one sees”; installation art helps the viewer become part of the art itself (Mondloch xiii).
 |
Fig. 4. Gerda Steiner and Jorg Lenzlinger,
Falling Garden, Venice, Italy.
|
Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Good News Publishers, 2001.
Flavin, Dan. Untitled. 1996. Fluorescent light installation. Dia Center for the Arts, NY. Artlex.
Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Getlein, Mark. Living with Art. 9th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. 489. Print.
Installation Art. Films Media Group, 2000. Film. Films On Demand. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Kissick, John. Art Context and Criticism. 2nd ed. London: Brown and Benchmark Publishers,
1996. 455-75. Print.
Kusama, Yayoi. Fireflies on Water. 2002. Mirror, plexiglass, 150 lights, and water. Whitney
Museum of American Art, NY. Whitney. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
McTighe, Monica E. Framed Spaces: Photography and Memory in Contemporary Installation
Art. Lebanon: Dartmouth College Press, 2012. 1. Google Books. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Mondloch, Kate. Viewing Media Installation Art. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,
2010. Google Books. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Ran, Faye. A History of Installation Art and the Development of New Art Forms. New York:
Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 2009. 46. Google Books. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
Reiss, Julie H. From Margin to Center: The Spaces of Installation Art. Cambridge: MIT Press,
2001. Google Books. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Schwitters, Kurt. The Hanover Merzbau. 1923-1936. Installation. Hanover, England. Merzbarn.
Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Steiner, Gerda, and Jorg Lenzlinger. Falling Garden. 2003. Installation. Venice, Italy. The Artful
Desperado. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
And so, if I haven't utterly lost you yet, I will share the installation art that I did.
Incidentally, I also dipped the ends of the crayons in glow-in-the-dark paint so that I'd have a mini planetarium. It's difficult to capture this with pictures.
After two months (in which approx. 80 crayons fell from the ceiling), I had to take this installation art piece down last week. It was a little sad, but it will live on in pictures just like so many other greater pieces. And at the same time, I'm satisfied that it fulfilled its purpose. Installation art, after all, is like joy. It is meant to be enjoyed and released. The instant we try to grasp it and keep it for ourselves, it is no longer true joy.
In the meantime, I will dream about other possible installation art pieces I could do, and I'll fantasize what it would be like to have someone pay me a lot of money to do something I love.
But mostly, I'll remember what installation art has taught me about joy. And I'll try to remember that I'm entering God's installations every day.
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