Reflections on Conceptual Art

This week's topic has made me ponder quite a bit. What is conceptual art? What sets it apart from the other art forms that we have already studied this semester? I am not sure if I fully understand the "concept," but if I had to take a crack at it (and I do because that is what this blog assignment is all about) I would say that conceptual art is more about the process which took place to create the art and less about the art itself. We are used to looking at a piece of art and having to speculate as to its meaning based upon what we see, the title of the work, and perhaps the artist's background and experiences. Conceptual art is different. It is like art that can speak for itself. I believe it is more bold and in your face. I think it allows for more freedom to create beyond the subject matter and technique. You get to think way outside of the box. It seems more customized and unique. It has a sort of "Awe Factor;" I like it.

My favorite type of conceptual art came from the reading. I really like the idea of works that change depending on your perspective (sculpture in-the-round is an example of this idea). David Smith's "Blackburn: Song of an Irish Blacksmith" and Giovanni da Bologna's "The Rape of the Sabine Women" are two examples in the book that implement this idea. I also like site-specific, public art where the site where you go to view the art piece was literally designed around the piece being showcased. If moved from this location, the piece loses much (if not all) of its luster and meaning. So, if we combine my favorite "concepts" thus far then we get a public, site-specific piece that changes depending on the viewer's perspective. Now, that is cool.

David Smith's "Blackburn: Song of an Irish Blacksmith" seems to be trying to convey at least two different sensations. If you look at from the front it appears "airy and open," whereas the profile view appears "densely compacted." I have to agree with the book and say that the compacted view seems as if two parts of the sculpture seem to be trying to escape whereas the frontal view appears symmetrical and balanced.

Giovanni da Bologna's "The Rape of the Sabine Women" is a very dramatic scene that evokes fear and violence. With more background of the characters I might be able to give you a deeper analysis : ) The book says that: "it is in part the horror of the scene that lends the sculpture its power, for as it draws us around it, in order to see more of what is happening, it involves us both physically and emotionally in the scene it depicts." Neato.

Yes, I am intrigued by conceptual art and it is definitely "my thing."