The provocation
“Artistic practice is inherently uncertain, the whole process being a kind of faltering journey from there being nothing to there being something. If it was possible to lay out a set of ideas and tools that would fit together easily to comprise a piece of work then not only would art be a more pedestrian experience for all involved, but everyone would be doing it. From seeing images in stains on the wall to embracing playfulness and risk more generally, the role of the artist is one that naturally incorporates large amounts of managed undecidability. In the majority of instances this is hidden in retrospect by the verbal rationalisations and explanations that are constructed around the art object at a later date, which are necessary to protect the artist from charges of arbitrariness.”
These words are taken from an article by Mark Wilsher entitled Against Explanation published in the May 2005 issue of Art Monthly. For this asynchronous seminar, contribute your views on Wilsher’s words using the following questions to start the discussion.
- Where do the artist’s responsibilities lie when their artwork is made public?
- Where does the balance of power exist between artist/curator/writer/public?
- What role does uncertainty play for the artist?
At the end of this week, reflect in your journal on the ideas raised and explored in the asynchronous seminar for you personally. How do these challenge and/or extend your thinking and practice?
_________________________________________________________________________________
It was really interesting to explore these ideas by way of an asynchronous seminar because it gave us all a chance to pause and think about or own responses. It was also interesting to be exposed to our cohort member’s opinions.
Ideas and thoughts for me personally as a result of this exercise:
Where do the artist’s responsibilities lie when their artwork is made public?
My initial response was that if the work is to be made public, the artist does have a certain sense of responsibility to that public. But it is interesting to note that my cohort mates that reside in countries where freedom of expression abounds, seem to feel that they can make the work, and then how the public respond to that piece is up to the public, and not up to them. So I guess the topic of artist’s responsibility is very nuanced, and can very much depend on what country they find themselves making art in: Certain countries – such as the one I reside in – have cultural observances and laws which prohibit artists from not being held to account for what they put into the public domain.
Cultural observances aside, where the artist’s responsibility lies once a piece has been made public would depend on how explicitly obvious the piece is (can a wide audience access and understand it? Can they understand it alongside an artist’s explanation?), and whether it is meaningful for the artist to have that public understand or respond to the piece in a specified way. Some artists are happy for the public to respond however they will and others might see the public’s varying response as part of the artistic piece.
For me, I would be devastated if I had a certain intention/meaning behind an artwork, had endeavoured to communicate that through the artwork itself or through accompanying communication, only to have the public/critics completely misunderstand/take it out of context or worse, take offence.
Where does the balance of power exist between artist/curator/writer/public?
Again, I seem to disagree with most of my cohort mates. I feel that if the artist is making the work – it would not even exist had the artist not made it – the artist should have ultimate power over it. In reality though, critics will write what they want, and curators will place/frame that artwork as they wish, and the public will respond to it as they wish too. It’s a minefield. I suppose once an artist releases something into the public domain, it takes on a life of it’s own, and the artist has lost all control over it.
Most of us raised vulnerability as an artist. I suppose that part of that vulnerability is having faith to put something out into the public domain knowing full well we have very little control over what happens next.
What role does uncertainty play for the artist?
Uncertainty is my utter kryptonite – in my art and in my life! I am deeply uncomfortable with the not-knowing. In that respect, this course is pushing me in philosophical ways that run far deeper than uncertainty in art. What I do in this course – testing uncertainty, trying to become more comfortable with it – has become a metaphor for what’s happening in my personal life. I am going through such a state of flux on so many levels that I have no choice but to embrace the uncertainty.
As uncomfortable as uncertainty is for me, I know it is for my growth.
It is the place where the magic happens.
Debbie New 