My first impression Shirago Kazuo's untitled piece in the walker was that he was either really lazy or just didn't care what the final product looked like. I usually dont care for complete abstraction. I don't feel a message speaking to me, and so I usually walk away after first glance. When the creative process was explained to me I grew a little more appreciation for the piece.
He painted the piece with his feet, by globbing the oils with his toes and draging them around the piece by swinging from a rope.
The artist Jiro Yoshihara said that Kazuo Shiraga was "nobody if he didn't paint with his feet". It raieses the question, if the creative process wasn't there, would we see the piece differently? Because this art is for art's sake, I can't find an objective in the creation. I think the creation is a reflection on the creator inevitably. That is the only meaining I can see behind someone swinging on a rope smearing blogs around with his feet. When it comes to action painting I think it can get a little boring. I wouldn't pay money to watch someone paint with his feet.
The Piece
http://collections.walkerart.org/item/enlarge_fs.html?type=object&id=8482&image_num=1
An article on Kazuo
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/kazuo-shiraga-avantgarde-artist-who-painted-barefoot-and-hanging-from-a-rope-815381.html
I agree that action painting is kind of boring, and then you have to think - under what circumstances was the piece created? What were the external forces that made him decide to paint with his feet, and with such materials; is the painting more important to those who experienced the artist making it?
ReplyDeleteThe painting is the end result of a performance, so it's only half of the actual art. As a stand alone painting, I found out that I only liked the color red - nothing more. I'm sure an accompanying video recording of the performance would have enhanced the piece.
I have to agree with Geoffrey here Jason...In many contemporary works, the artist is not as interested in the final product as the process he or she is involved in and what their process and work is commenting on. What does your article (Kazuo's obituary) tell you about his work and the place that it and the Gutai movement, itself, hold in regard to contemporary painting, performance and art history?
ReplyDelete