The Invisible Sculpture and Other Conceptual Art
Did you hear about the artist who sold nothing for 15,000 Euros?
Salvatore Garau’s “invisible sculpture” titled “lo sono”, which translates to “I am”, sold in auction in 2021. The conceptual piece is based on the idea that nothing can still have a weight and energy to it based on the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. So nothing, can actually be something. Even though the artwork is invisible, the buyer didn’t go home empty handed-they were given a certificate of authenticity and a set of instruction that the work must be exhibited in a private house in a roughly five-by-five foot space free of obstruction.
If you didn’t hear about the ‘invisible sculpture”, perhaps you heard of the banana that was taped to the wall that sold for $6.2 million? The banana artwork was the concept of Maurizio Cattelan and is titled “Comedian” implying that the artist doesn’t take this concept to seriously. Due to the nature of the material used in the artwork (it is a real banana), the certificate of authenticity allows for the buyer to recreate the “Comedian” with replacement bananas and duct tape and that the certificate recognizes each replacement as an original Comedian.
While these concepts may be shocking, strange conceptual art is not new. I remember quite vividly in Grade 13 when my art teacher told us about an artwork that was essentially a can of poo. The artwork titled “Artist’s Shit” by Piero Manzoni was an anti-artwork from 1961 that consisted of 90 tin cans reportedly filled with feces. The classroom discussion around this artwork and others like it was to assess what is art and who decides if something is art.
I think the reason the “Comedian” and “lo sono” are shocking today is because they also push against what is considered art. Is art considered art if it has a strong concept? Or is art considered art if it makes you feel something? Or is art considered art if it is visually appealing?
I would argue it is all of the above. While conceptual art is not really my thing (I mean I have trouble trying to figure out a title for most of my artworks) I can appreciate the thought and research that can go into conceptual art. I also like to push my ideas of what good art is. It is really easy to say something that is beautiful and interesting good art, but the challenge is to find appreciation for art that may not immediately make your heart go pitter patter.
This is one of the things I like to do when I take my son to the art gallery. I love to go up to different pieces and ask him “do you like it?” No matter how he answers that question, I immediately follow up with “why?” and sometimes a “what if you knew this about the artwork, would it make you feel differently?” I am fascinated to hear his answers and have the discussion about why he does or does not like a work of art. It is also fun to see his tastes develop and to be surprised by his answer sometimes. This is something we have been doing since his was very young, so overtime he has developed a strong sense of what he thinks good art looks like.
For me, I often connect with artwork through the colours and textures that are used. And just like when I create art, there is quite a lot of leeway in what I love in terms of textures and colours. Sometimes I am drawn to soft muted colours with smooth and gentle surfaces. Other times, I am drawn to bright vibrant colours with lots of visual textures and movement.
What do you think makes good art? I would love to hear your opinion! Please feel free to leave a comment and we can start the conversation.
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On my bookshelf:
I recently visited The Witches Fix on Locke Street in Hamilton where I picked up a few new books.
Plants That Kill, A Natural History of the World’s Most Poisonous Plants by Elizabeth A. Dauncy and Sonny Larsson
This book provides detailed information about the plants and why they are poisonous, but what I find particularly interesting is the historical stories about the plants. One of the stories describes Vincent Van Gogh taking a medicine made from foxgloves that has a side effect of xanthopsia or yellow tinted vision. It is hypothesized that this condition may have been a contributing factor to the vivid colours he used in his paintings. There are many other interesting stores like this one and this a great coffee table book for your collection.
Floriography, An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers by Jessica Roux
This beautifully illustrated book discusses the meanings applied to flowers and the origins of these meanings. The book also suggests parings for the flowers and what a bouquet of flowers with special meanings might comprise of. For instance a bouquet of new beginnings would consist of
Crocus for youthful glee
Daisy for innocence and childhood purity
Lilac for first love
Baby’s breath for purity and innocence
Wheat for riches
I am looking forward to making some paintings in the future with the meanings that I discover from this book.
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Currently streaming:
I have been really enjoying the Netflix series Best in Miniature and it has created a bit of an obsession for me that I didn’t know I was looking for. In the series contestants compete to build miniature dollhouses from scratch including all of the furniture and furnishings. It is fascinating to see the creativity and challenge that goes into creating miniatures at a 1:12 scale. It’s pretty inspiring and has me thinking how I would make my own miniature house if I was competing.
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In my ears:
The newest podcast I have been listening to is House of Maher featuring the Maher sisters, Ilona, Olivia and Adrianna. Ilona is an Olympic rugby athlete who also competed on Dancing with the Stars. On the podcast Ilona and her sisters talk about what is going on in their lives, share humorous stories and their penchant for romance novels. It’s a little spicy and a little sweet and it’s like listening in on a conversation with your close friends.
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Coming up:
I am planning on releasing new paintings on this website. I will be working on my shop over the summer with plan to go live in the fall. I still have some paintings and prints available now on Etsy, to see what is available for sale, please click here.
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Until next time, I hope that you have a chance to enjoy a little moment of creativity in your week.
All the best,
Laura