Since time immemorial, artists have always tried to come up with new ways of trying to express their feelings, emotions as well as thoughts (Archer 14). They try voicing out their concerns about identity, history as well as memory through the use of modern and contemporary art. With the onset of modern technology, it becomes much easier for them to be creative and innovative using different objects and murals, hence expanding their imaginations (Bishop 82). One such way that they use to express their thoughts is through Installation Art.
Installation Art can be defined as a visual art method used by artists whereby sculptural materials and other murals are used to alter a given space or area (Archer 22). It can be in form of photography, painting, sculpture, video performance, and/or performance by individuals. Part of the composition used by the artists is normally the specific settings such as floors, walls as well as lighting. The use of Installation Art came to be in the early 1970s and incorporated almost any media to affect a particular environment (Bishop 84). Installation art is normally meant to create or narrate the story of the artist to the audience and it can either be temporary or permanent. In this kind of art, the emphasis is mostly put on the idea that the artist is trying to bring out rather than the murals he is using (Ibid 85).
Installation art was already in operation in London and New York in the 1960s. Artists shared a desire to make temporary or permanent use of suggestive spaces to express what they thought and felt (Davies & Ronald 27). An example of such an artist is that of Mr. Mario Merz who came to be after World War II. He used a wide range of forms, diverting from the traditional concept of painting and sculpture (Archer 24). He expressed his ideas on floors, ceilings as well as walls. He did this using a variety of materials for instance fruits, vegetables, pieces of glass, wax, mud, bundled twigs, and loaves of bread (Davies & Ronald 32). Other known artists in the 1960s include July Chicago, Group Material, Isaac Julien, and Robert Morris (Bishop 89).
As a whole, artists both in London and New York were still in the experimental stages of installation art. They experimented on different backgrounds and materials and observed the reaction of their audience concerning what they had created and expressed at the end (Archer 39). For instance, in 1961, an artist in New York created a form that included gigantic geometrical solid objects constructed in gray-painted plywood, that the audience could walkthrough since it wormed itself into the fabric of the architectural space provided in the gallery (Bishop 105). In London, the majority of its gallery spaces are dedicated to installations and installation art as a whole.
What is most interesting is the involvement of women in installation art since the 1960s. Moving away from the traditional culture which believed that art was only meant for men, installation art brought about events as well as personalities of women’s civil rights and movements (Davies & Ronald 48). Installation artworks of women such as Margo Machida whose paintings represented the multiplicities of women’s identities and Marisol Escobar, whose paintings and sculptures expressed political and social commentaries were recognized (Ibid 50).
In conclusion, Installation art is not confined to private spaces alone but can also be applied in public spaces, for instance, parks and halls. Such kind of art is meant to provoke and evoke the audiences’/viewers’ senses which include longings, moods as well as thoughts. And with the emergence of modern technology, artists are becoming more brave, radical, and dramatic in using installation art as a form of expression.
Work Cited
Archer, Michael. Art since 1960. London: Thames and Hudson. 1997.. Pp. 13 – 45.
Bishop, Claire. Installation Art: A Critical History. Tate, London. 2005. Pp. 78 – 112.
Davies, Hugh Marlais and Ronald, J. Onorato. Blurring the Boundaries: Installation Art, 1969 – 1996. La Jolla, CA: Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. 1997. Pp. 25 – 51.