My Instagram bio has been “on the lookout for all things art + people saying ‘I could do that’” for years… in many ways, it’s quite trite, but I truly love that feeling. There's something profoundly fulfilling about shifting someone's perspective from boredom or confusion when faced with seemingly simplistic art to having them fall in love with the concept or story, just like I have over and over again.
This sentiment extends to instances when people experience art they might not even know they are experiencing. A pioneer and visionary for such situations is Richard Serra, who passed away this week at the age of 85. His pieces are large, industrial, often rusting, and might even be confused for construction debris on occasion. However, at first seemingly mundane in visual language, experiencing one of his monumental works in person creates a lasting, full-body experience that is hard to ignore.
So, this month, in honor of the late artist, I’m writing a little love letter to the pioneer of sculpted space, hoping you’ll run to the Serra nearest you and fall in love too.
🌊 Deep Dive: On Richard Serra
I remember my first encounter with Richard Serra, it was not in person but via a projector screen in high school, and the impact was nonetheless mesmerizing.
In this art history class, we were presented with his site-specific piece, Titled Arc (1981). The massive public sculpture was created for and installed in New York's Federal Plaza. The large, and at first monumental but seemingly harmless, piece of metal caused a real stir. Its presence so disrupted daily routines that a legal battle ensued over its removal, ultimately resulting in the dismantling of the piece.
The beauty of the installation, from my and many art history nerd’s point of view, lay in its disruptive force. The sculpture did interrupt your day, you had to walk a few steps out of your way because of art. How cool is that? While you can wax and wane about the impact of art, it can be easy to simply walk by a painting, but a gigantic metal sheet in the middle of a plaza? You must think twice. I became obsessed with the effect of art on the everyday.
However, it’s understandable if you feel compelled to call the experience “junk,” and think like a participant in the court case in favor of the sculpture’s removal, feel that $175,000 (the funding price at the time) is a lot for a rusting metal wall (spoiler his pieces are far more expensive today…).
However, it is understandable to perceive the above experience as lacking and to empathize with those advocating for the sculpture's removal, especially when considering the hefty price tag of $175,000 (at the time of funding) for what appears to be a deteriorating metal wall. (It's worth noting that the artist's pieces command significantly higher prices today, making the above figure a steal of a deal.)
Artists and artworks, especially in the contemporary genre, can and do play games.
To make you feel better for thinking the above, the humor with Serra is that even the professionals get “it” wrong, confusing preservation with spontaneity, accuracy with experience. All the time.
For example, I just finished Bianca Bosker’s new book Get the Picture, (she also writes about this experience in the Wall Street Journal) and she discusses her time as a museum guard at the Guggenheim in New York. A portion of her time is spent watching Richard Serra’s Tearing Lead (1968). Her primary responsibility was to monitor visitors and accidental movements of the haphazard pieces of the sculpture on the floor and report back to the curator for repositioning before welcoming the next day’s visitors. However, in conversation with a conservator, it was noted that the pieces were spontaneously placed initially, therefore, the human involvement, like with his more monumental pieces, was part of the plan. It is all to often the case that the museum context inherently suggests preciseness and preciousness, and makes you feel uneasy about revering some shredded lead on the floor. A sentiment that is far too often extended to all art.
Herein lies the beauty of experiencing a Serra and experiencing his sculptures outside the sacred walls, nestled in a field in Ontario, stretching across the Quatari desert, or greeting you at the entrance to the tube. Your day is interrupted and you might not even know it is the work of capital “A,” Fine Art, doing so.
At the end of the day, in Serra’s case, it is not really about the details or the hallowed nature of the art object, his pieces rust and tarnish, but instead how it makes you feel — dwarfed, awestruck, claustrophobic, alive. If you’ve had the pleasure of experiencing one of his monumental pieces in person, in a museum context like that of Guggenheim Bilbao, or in a public space like Pearson Airport in Toronto, you’ll understand why entire buildings are built around his visions.
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Standing near his work makes your heart beat a little faster, with excitement but also a little fear. His art also puts into perspective how small we all are in the grand scheme of things, and isn’t that refreshing?
🔥 Trending
In other, “I could do that but I didn’t,” news… minimalist sculpture master Donald Judd’s foundation is suing Kim Kardashian regarding the reference to her fake furniture pieces by the artist in a recent promotional tour of her skincare office.
Also in pop culture… “Beyoncé ‘not authorised’ to project Cowboy Carter message on Guggenheim, New York museum says.”
Everyone seems to think the Whitney Biennial is relatively boring… without much controversy or impactful debate-instigating works. I guess we will have to go and find out ourselves.
💸 Advisory Picks
I’ve got my eye on the previews for Plural Art Fair in Montreal opening next month, often some fun discoveries, so far I am excited to see Towards’ presentation which includes Sophia Lapres.
The 60th edition of the Venice Biennial opens next month through November. If you visit please send pictures!
👋 Parting Words…
I love hearing about art experiences that change your mind, if you have any please send them my way!
Until next time…
XX, B