It is interesting what can fall into the “art” category. Now to be perfectly clear, I am definitely not the one who should be defining what is and what isn’t art. What I know about art can be contained in something as small as a thimble. I definitely am artistically challenged.
However, even when I don’t understand what I’m looking at it, I am always in awe of the gift of conceptualizing that the artist has – how on earth the artistic mind can come up with such a work. I am definitely an appreciator, and I think the artist needs us too.
So having staked out my position, I’d like you to take a look at a bit of art from the Bay area. The images above are actually seat cushions from old chairs, each with an image of a posterior imprinted on them. And how did they get there? The artist, Beth Grossman, had the owner of each posterior bend over and hold a clear Plexiglass sheet tightly against his or her rear end to create the image of being seated. Then the artist photographed the posteriors, transferred those images to fabric and finally upholstered the chair seats with that fabric. There are ten seats.
And who belongs to those rear ends? None other than the men and woman who hold Seats of Power in the bay area town of Brisbane, California – the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the City Council members, the Fire Chief, and others.
The artist, Beth Grossman, said she created these seats in the hope of humanizing city officials and encouraging public involvement in city affairs. The seats are hung on the wall in the City Hall Conference Room; at least for now the showing is open to the public.
According to the article I read in the Los Angeles Times, the jokes and smart remarks are flying, and everyone is laughing. “You have to start at the bottom and work your way up.” “He’s trying not to be cheeky.” “Should we change the city name from Brisbane to Brisbun?” And from the Mayor, “I appreciate the exposure. I had thought about what my legacy would be, but I had never thought it would be my butt.”
I really enjoyed reading about this artistic venture in the Bay area. If I lived up there I’d go take a quick peek at it. I can’t say if this is good art or bad art; but for me it is very interesting art. A couple of years ago I went to an art exhibit in Santa Monica where the artists used books or strings to create their pieces. I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t imagine how it was that an artist thought to do what they did with that material. I didn’t understand it at all. However, I have never stopped thinking about it, and have had some interesting talks in the intervening months about it with the people I went with. So I suppose if a piece of art causes that, then it has taken on a life of its own and is no longer just a flat, static object. I suspect artist Grossman’s work is like that too, and those city officials who made it all possible can be assured of leaving their mark on the city for a good long while.
However, even when I don’t understand what I’m looking at it, I am always in awe of the gift of conceptualizing that the artist has – how on earth the artistic mind can come up with such a work. I am definitely an appreciator, and I think the artist needs us too.
So having staked out my position, I’d like you to take a look at a bit of art from the Bay area. The images above are actually seat cushions from old chairs, each with an image of a posterior imprinted on them. And how did they get there? The artist, Beth Grossman, had the owner of each posterior bend over and hold a clear Plexiglass sheet tightly against his or her rear end to create the image of being seated. Then the artist photographed the posteriors, transferred those images to fabric and finally upholstered the chair seats with that fabric. There are ten seats.
And who belongs to those rear ends? None other than the men and woman who hold Seats of Power in the bay area town of Brisbane, California – the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the City Council members, the Fire Chief, and others.
The artist, Beth Grossman, said she created these seats in the hope of humanizing city officials and encouraging public involvement in city affairs. The seats are hung on the wall in the City Hall Conference Room; at least for now the showing is open to the public.
According to the article I read in the Los Angeles Times, the jokes and smart remarks are flying, and everyone is laughing. “You have to start at the bottom and work your way up.” “He’s trying not to be cheeky.” “Should we change the city name from Brisbane to Brisbun?” And from the Mayor, “I appreciate the exposure. I had thought about what my legacy would be, but I had never thought it would be my butt.”
I really enjoyed reading about this artistic venture in the Bay area. If I lived up there I’d go take a quick peek at it. I can’t say if this is good art or bad art; but for me it is very interesting art. A couple of years ago I went to an art exhibit in Santa Monica where the artists used books or strings to create their pieces. I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t imagine how it was that an artist thought to do what they did with that material. I didn’t understand it at all. However, I have never stopped thinking about it, and have had some interesting talks in the intervening months about it with the people I went with. So I suppose if a piece of art causes that, then it has taken on a life of its own and is no longer just a flat, static object. I suspect artist Grossman’s work is like that too, and those city officials who made it all possible can be assured of leaving their mark on the city for a good long while.
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