Modern vision of art differs drastically from the concepts and views, held in the previous centuries. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, art “is a process or product of deliberately and creatively arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions” (Danto, 2003, p.32). Therefore, a piece of art is characterized by creativity, or elements or features the artist produces on their own, and by the property of inciting emotions and appealing to senses. In my view, there is also one relatively subjective criterion, aesthetic value of the work, which also defines art. In the present paper, I will argue that the installation by Gonzalez-Foerster belongs to art, as well as the work “Embankment” by Rachel Whiteread, as they both imply new and unexpected creative concepts and go beyond pure aestheticism by putting the guest into extraordinary, unusual atmosphere and making them derive pleasure from the thoughts and emotions they are experiencing in this psychological environment.
Gonzalez-Foerster’s apocalyptic installation, TH.2058, is composed of a set of items, cobbled together and disposed in a peculiar order in the huge Tate’s Modern Turbine Hall. It is noted that there is no element in the installation, which the author produced by herself. On the other hand, I believe that in order to create a piece of art, the author should not necessarily make all components on their own: for instance, when a talented florist creates a composition out of flowers, embellishments, vases and ribbons, the result of the work can be referred to as art. Similarly, the installation by Rachel Whiteread, also exhibited in the Tate Museum, is composed of 14, 000 white cardboard boxes, of which the author made a gigantic labyrinth, which seems from a distance like a mountain of ice cubes. In addition, the author managed to create a kinesthetic effect, so it looks like the installation is moving “from inside”. It is clear that the author produced neither paper for these boxes nor the boxes themselves, she created a miracle, which appeals to a multiple emotions and mesmerizes its viewers. Gonzalez-Foerster designed the interior in a specific way for the purpose of creating atmosphere and impression, and ingeniously put all items in order so that the necessary effect on the viewer is achieved. This atmosphere is not material, one cannot touch or see it, but it exists and is represented through the strong emotions and sensations visitors have.
I also have to note that the creation of artwork necessarily involve artistic imagination, or conceptual novelty, communicated through the work. Whiteread’s “Embankment” underlies the ideas of intimacy and purity, as her “paper labyrinth” is associated with using the paper as a means of expressing emotions (writing books or diaries), so the boxes have a relaxing effect on guests and make them recall those pleasant personal experiences which they sought to share with paper. Similarly, Gonzalez-Foerster’s intent is to show the idea of public safety as she envisions it for the future. The place actually looks like a shelter, which can become home for hundreds people in case of emergency. There is also a large sculpture, that looks like a “second roof” and which, according to the legend, serves as an additional tool of protecting the shelter inmates. I recognize that this representation of safety differs substantially from what furniture advertisements suggest, as the interior does not seem cozy or comfortable. However, the idea of sculpture, which has grown to safeguard humanity, is worth attention and respect, and the feeling of being literally shielded by art is so interesting and unique that it makes viewer believe the person who created this impression is a true artist.
On the other hand, I admit that the aesthetic value of Gonzalez-Foerster’s installation is quite low, as opposed to classical paintings and music. In fact, both Whiteread’s “Embankment” and Gonzalez-Foerster’s TH.2058 are not perceived as beautiful, since contemporary audience is accustomed to different canons of beauty. Obviously there is neither harmony nor successful color spectrum in the “cobbled-together pastiche” and conglomeration of old cardboard boxes; moreover, the respective combinations seem to certain degree chaotic. However, the organization of space in both installations points to the idea of alternative frame of reference, which does not employ aesthetic language as a means of communication. The installations rather have a meta-aesthetic purpose and are designed to make visitors enjoy the thoughts, memories and sensations they are experiencing at the time of watching the installation, instead of purely enjoying the appearance of the artworks. I can call this value “meta-aesthetic”, due to the fact that both works help their viewer find aesthetic satisfaction in their own reflection upon what they perceive in the gallery. Whereas the sensations and emotions, which emerge after the person watches a beautiful performance or painting, are momentary and directly connected to the object of awe, meta-aesthetic feelings are more “autonomous” and appear to be associated with spiritual or psychological aspects of the encounter with the object rather than the physical qualities of the object.
As one can conclude, I believe art is a broad notion which, however, can be distinguished by three main points: creative invention, appeal to senses or emotions and aesthetic value. The present paper effectively proves that the installation by Gonzalez-Foersteris valuable in meta-aesthetical context, as the atmosphere the author creates in the gallery brings the pleasant sense of security and safety as well as happiness with the idea of being protected by artworks.
Works cited
- Danto, A. The Abuse of Beauty: Aesthetics and the Concept of Art. Gallatin Books, 2003.
- Alberge, D. “Tate Turbine installation by Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster shows London under attack”. Web.
- Tate Modern. “The Unilever Series: Rachel Whiteread: Embankment”