Artist Quayura manipulates a robotic arm for sculpture
The contemporary art creation process is becoming more and more open, and the audience can even participate in it. The mystery of artistic creation is gradually lifted, and from the perspective of the audience, it is the transformation of the role of the spectator to the participant; for art, it is an exploration of its future possibilities.
The solo exhibition of artist Davide Quayola, which is currently taking place at the Hao Art Museum in Shanghai, is her reflections on classical art and modern technology. He operated the robotic arm on the spot to carve, bringing a new experience to the audience. This method of on-site creation allows the audience to become a witness to the birth of the work.
Quayola, Sculpture Factory, Sculptures, 2019
Nowadays, it is not new for artists to create on-site works, but it is still relatively rare to create sculptures on the spot like Quarjura. Without the help of scientific and technological means, it is difficult to accurately complete such a complex engraving task. The use of mechanical, programming and other means of creation is a manifestation of the artist's bold exploration of artistic possibilities, and it is also one of the reasons why artistic creation is gradually becoming public.
Quarjura pays tribute to the artist's sculptural works reproduced using mechanical and digital programming techniques
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"From Secret to Public"
In ancient times, artistic creation was a secretive process. The birth of a great work requires the artist to constantly think and polish repeatedly. This process is often done independently by the artist. At that time, art was a very niche existence, ordinary people needed to run for food and clothing every day, and only the nobles and royal families would enjoy and pursue art.
Annie Cabigting, "Homage to Bacon", Azabu Oil, 168×131cm, 2007
In ancient Europe, the favor of the nobility often determined whether the artist could continue to create. Because only in this way can the basic financial support of creation be guaranteed. In this context, collectors are more concerned with the work itself and are not interested in how the artist creates.
Velázquez's "Gong'e", oil on canvas, 318×278cm, in 1656, the artist used the principle of mirror reflection to record the scene in which he was painting a portrait of the royal family.
Even prolific artists like Vincent van Gogh need financial support. Although Van Gogh only began his artistic career at the age of 27, he created nearly 2,000 paintings over a decade. During this time, his younger brother Theo was selflessly sponsoring Van Gogh. It can be said that Theo indirectly made this master of art.
Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, oil on canvas, 65×54cm, 1889
Van Gogh was not understood at the time and was even considered a "lunatic". He dedicated his life to art and continued to work alone until his death, when he was gradually understood and appreciated.
Vincent van Gogh, The Red Vineyard, oil on canvas, 75×93cm, 1888, the only work van Gogh sold during his lifetime.
In addition, most of the previous art forms were mainly paintings and sculptures, and the creation method was single and lacked ornamentation. This is one of the reasons why the process of artistic creation remained mysterious at that time.
In the film Camille in 1915, the sculptors Rodin and Camille are working on sculptures.
The non-public model of artistic creation is also related to the concept of the artist himself. The work of American photographer Vivian Maier has been discovered and exhibited by historian John Maloof in recent years.
John Maluff sorted out a photo negative of Vivian Meier
Vivian Meier's work is extremely personal, and she is considered one of the most important contemporary photographers in the United States. However, almost no one knew that she was working on her work, and only she carefully collected all the negatives.
Contemporary street photographer Vivian Meier
For Vivian Meier, the important thing is not to be famous, but to always be with art. Nowadays, the public wants to understand the creative process of former artists, and can only make bold speculations with the help of their works and interview materials. In people's eyes, it is lonely to create in such a lonely way; but for artists, they have obtained a spiritual satisfaction that ordinary people cannot imagine.
Vivian Meier, black and white photography
"Spectators, Witnesses, Participants"
The openness of the artistic creation process marks the transformation of the audience's role. The audience feels not just a single work of art, but a complete process of artistic creation. This change allows the audience to have a clearer understanding of the characteristics of the work and understand the creator's intention.
Marcel Duchamp, Bicycle Wheel, Installation, 1913
Under the influence of the early avant-garde movement, art forms became diversified and people's minds began to be liberated. Ordinary people also began to contact and appreciate art. In 1913, Marcel Duchamp created the first installation in the history of human art, The Bicycle Wheel, which marked the beginning of the artist's breaking with tradition. The process of artistic creation is no longer limited to the studio, and artists have begun to show their creative process to the public while exploring more possibilities in art.
Cai Guoqiang, "The Wolf Descending the Mountain", Gunpowder, Canvas, 230×387.4cm, 2006
Cai Guoqiang, "Flying Saucer and Shrine in the Sky", Gunpowder, Canvas, 259×339cm, 2002
The artist's creative process is actually part of his work. Cai Guoqiang, a famous Chinese contemporary artist, is famous for his highly expressive blasting works. His work is not limited to the canvas, and the shock and amazement brought by each explosion is also part of his work.
Cai Guoqiang, "Ladder of Heaven", 2015
This highly expressive approach to artistic creation shows not only art, but also the artist's concept of life and creation. The audience has changed from a bystander to a witness to the birth of art.
Cai Guoqiang, Flower City in the Air, 2018
As a humanistic product of society, art will inevitably collide with the characteristics of the times in the process of development. Immersive art is a new form of expression born after the fusion of art and technology, and this art form is becoming more and more popular, after all, pictures and audio can be downloaded from the Internet, but the overall feeling of immersion can only be experienced by going to the scene.
James Tellel, The Inner Way, 1999
American master James Turrell turned the light that was originally a supporting role into the protagonist of the artwork. Through the pictures, the audience can only see bright color blocks, and only when they are on the scene can they feel the shock of light and color.
James Terrell, The Light Inside, 1999
Based on the Tudor-era writer Thomas Tallis, 40 hymns are played simultaneously, based on the tudor-era writer Thomas Tallis' choir, "Wishing to the Lord and Not Him."
Jenny Cardiff, 40-Voice Hymn, Installation, 2014
The audience can hear each singer's voice by adjusting the position, and in the center of the installation, they can feel the effect of the ensemble. The work touched countless audiences when it was exhibited at The Met, and The New York Times described it as a work of "excellence."
The audience experienced the artistic effects brought by different locations on the spot
In the current era of interactive art, the role of the audience has once again been transformed into "participant". The earliest forms of interactive art can be traced back to the artistic practice of Surrealism in the 1920s. Duchamp's 1920 "Rotating Glass Disk" allowed the audience to participate in the artistic creation for the first time, and people could watch the visual illusion created by the rotation of the machine from a meter away after starting the work.
Marcel Duchamp, Rotating Glass Plate, Installation, 1920
When it comes to interactive art, one must think of performance artist Marina Abramović's performance art at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, "Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present." This seemingly simple setting is actually an emotional exchange between the artist and the audience: the artist integrates his past experiences in his creation; the audience looks at the artist with curiosity and his own understanding of the work.
"Marina Abramovich: The Artist's Presence" retrospective scene
Artist Caitlind R.c. Brown) uses 6,000 incandescent lamps to form a huge "cloud", and the hanging rope seems to be a "raindrop" falling from the cloud, and the people under the clouds are strangely clustered in contrast with the crowds when they are sheltering from the rain every day. The whole work is done in the process of people turning on and off light bulbs. Such interactive artworks not only satisfy the all-round experience of the human senses, but also give people a new perspective on the way of daily life.
Kate Lind Brown, Clouds, Installation, 2012
People gather around the "cloud" to feel the art
"Valuable Engagement"
Interactive art turns the audience's engagement into an important part of the artistic creation process. It makes the art of "high cold" no longer out of reach, and the audience can truly "touch" the art instead of blindly viewing the work through the glass wall.
Studio Swine New Spring, Installation, 2017
Random International Rainhouse, 2015
From the artist's solo creation to the fusion of modern technological means with art, the artist constantly develops the unknown territory of art. The audience's participation in artistic creation not only expands the influence of art on reality, but also makes the development of art more possible. At the same time, in the process of audience participation, artists can summarize and generate more inspiration according to people's reactions.
teamLab , Echoing the Forest of Lights – A Stroke , Installation, 2016
The transformation of artistic creation from mysterious to open is a symbol of the progress of the times, which represents the wider and wider field of artistic integration. At the same time, this also shows the improvement of social living standards, only when the basic needs of survival are met, people will pursue the spiritual entertainment form of art.
Yayoi Kusama's "Disappearing Room", the artist invites the audience to paste colored polka dots in the pure white room for decoration, and the whole work is completed in the interaction with the audience.
There are two sides to everything. The openness of artistic creation is that the artist wants to better express his creative concept, rather than becoming a gimmick for the merchant to attract the audience, and participating in order to participate will only turn the artwork into a "tourist resort".
People inside the Louvre are busy taking pictures of famous paintings, and art appreciation becomes formalized.
Artists are purposeful when creating, and no matter what form of creation is the process of the birth of the work. The change in artistic creation from mysterious to public is only to allow the audience to understand art more directly. If you treat interaction as a game, you lose its original value.
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[Editor, text/Zhang Xintong]
[This article was originally produced by Harper's Bazaar Art Department and may not be reproduced without permission]