“The rainbow I see is not the rainbow you see”—rants about museum wall text and artists' statements come from a strong belief, derived initially from my study of Robert Irwin and his work, in the experience of art being unmediated and individual--that art which truly fulfills its purpose as art, requires no explanation. Olafur Eliasson, who I have also written about extensively, follows in Irwin’s footsteps and takes it one step further, viewing everything--from the publicity around an exhibition and the expectations it raises, to whatever personal interactions occur in the museum as well as the physical situation itself (including temperature, sound, and the presence of other people)--as contributing to the experience of the art. As he said yesterday at the press preview for his mid-career survey, which opens Sunday at MoMA and PS1: “I don’t want to interpret the work for you. My interpretation is not your interpretation.”
His pieces are not accompanied by wall text.
His pieces are not accompanied by wall text.
Comments
This is very refreshing. The Museum of Contemporar...
Thank you, Katherine. I think the new century requ...
No wall text, good idea!<br>or we could just have ...
or we could just have a show of explanations and anecdotes about the artist
"I don't remember the actual work, but I learned a lot about the artist's life."
Charlie Finch wrote a "The Emperor Has No Clothes"...
I think Charlie Finch missed the show. He should g...
Well, maybe Charlie was just pissed about what he ...
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