In this assignment, our professor assigned us to study a few artists who construct environments. The purpose of this assignment was to deepen our understanding of what constructed environment means. Also, this assignment is a great way to get inspired by other artists for the final project.
Rebecca Louise Law – The Womb
The Womb is a part of an exhibition in New York City at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. It examines the sacred relationship between humankind and nature. The artist behind it, Rebecca Louise Law, in her piece wanted to represent the womb as a natural cacoon. The fact that the science behind the womb still remains a mystery, connecting this sacred organ to a cacoon is a brilliant idea. She managed to create this mythical environment where miracles take place using only dried flowers. The use of flowers incorporates the theme of nature with the anatomy of the human body. Even though it seems like nature is the central theme in this work, I think that the theme of rituals also plays a humongous role in it. I support that the ability to create another human being is far from science and more like an enchanted event. I found this work of art particularly similar to my theme and thematic object. Like this piece, I also want to construct an environment using something that originated from nature, which enacts a supernatural event. In my case, it is my rose quartz crystal, which is a true product of nature. But, somehow, people still connect this piece with celestial events and spiritualism, just like childbirth.
James Turrell – DHATU (Ganzfeldz)
James Turrell is famous for his extensive work. It is safe to say that he has a fascination with light that is projected in the way he materialized the concept of light. He is on a mission to manipulate the viewer’s perception and experience by just using light. The fact that he only uses light and the projection technique to create astral portals blows my mind. This whole clean and neat finish of the work made me appreciate its minimalistic nature. I strongly think that this work is directly connected to the theme unconscious. Also, the color choice of this piece is one of the elements of it that I gravitate towards. With the usage of bright purples and pastel pink, this room makes me feel like I am in a state of euphoria. Through my projects in this class, like James Turrell, I used light projection and colors as signifiers. Seeing this work of his inspired and made me think of all the different ways I can incorporate these elements into my final draft.
Do Ho Suh
With this installation, Do Ho Suh constructs a physical manifestation of memory, exploring different cultures and his personal history. In this art piece, he uses fabric to build his former apartments in Seoul, Providence, Berlin, London, and New York. Using the only pieces of fabric and sheets of stainless steel, he replicates all the residences he used to live which conveys the clash of culture between all these different cities. He uses color blocks to insert meaning into every room. One of the most outstanding aspects of this art piece is the fact that it appears transparent. I personally vision it almost like a sketchbook become three dimensional. With the bold outlines and transparent inner portions revealing the frame of the objects, this installation kind of looks like the drawings we did on photoshop. I also want to incorporate this sketchy feeling in my final draft as well. Making the lines visible will make the piece look more authentic and natural than ever.
