Project 1: Venues, Spaces and Critical Frameworks

Read pages 19-21, and 39-40 in O’Doherty, B. (2007) Studio and cube: on the relationship between where art is made and where art is displayed. New York: Columbia University. 

“Locate any critical commentaries and essay work that address or touch on relationships of artist studios, acts of exhibition and dissemination from the other Fine Art units you have undertaken.”

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It was a great read, so I read the entire essay. The author investigates the phenomenon of studio as a creative space and evolution of its significations in time.

I agree with his observation: “In the midst of this temporal turbulence, artworks in the studio have an alertness, no matter how casually thrown around, that they don’t take with them when they leave. In the studio, partly as a consequence of this, they are aesthetically unstable. Accompanied only by the artist (and occasional visitors, assistants, other artists), they are vulnerable to a glance or a change in light. They have not yet determined their own value.” (p.19 online on https://monoskop.org/images/a/a2/ODoherty_Brian_Studio_and_Cube_2007.pdf)

This is what I’ve noticed about my artworks as well, when they are in my studio: they’ve a particular state of being, ready for my further work, anxiously and eagerly anticipating it, and hungry for my endless touch-ups. I don’t invite guests to my studio (yet), and I even ban people from entering it, so it is indeed all about me and them. I fully agree that it is only when I expose them to the critical public eye that their value starts to build up. It is not that they don’t have any value when they are immersed into an imtimate realtionship of me and them, but that value they have when they are with me – it is unfinished, it is like a seed, and how and whether this seed will grow into anything larger – depends on public eye and starts from there. It may stay as a tiny seed and even turn into a dead, dried seed, or it can grow into a large tree. Viewers’ perception of my painting differs significantly from my own, and that difference presents a potential for the artwork’s value to grow. It is difficult for me to step into this area; it’s scary, and I’m fearful.

The essay examines the tension between the intimacy of a studio space and the openness and visibility of a gallery space. There is indeed a lot of tension in this relationship, and I feel it as well. For some prominent artists, this conflict was an imperative to change the environment where their artworks were presented to the public. It was interesting to read:

“In 1926, when Brancusi was planning an exhibition in NewYork, he hoped to build or rebuild a room in which his work may be properly seen.” Geist continues with the vital matter of the pedestal, which, as handled by Brancusi, brought the sculpture directly to the floor, making the floor not a utilitarian support but an aesthetic zone, just as Mondrian’s consciousness of the wall contributed to the artification of the vertical plane.” ( p. 37, https://monoskop.org/images/a/a2/ODoherty_Brian_Studio_and_Cube_2007.pdf)

The author, in his essay, places a great deal of emphasis on how various artists sought to address this problem and navigate the complexity arising from the difference in viewers’ perception of their artworks in the studio and public space.

“Geist also explains how Brancusi’s method — to conceal labor, to present the work full-blown, to meditate and then quickly realise — enhanced his idea of the studio as a place for display. It was, in fact, a studio that became a gallery, Brancusi its director. He constantly rearranged his sculptures, mirroring, says Geist, “his concern for the relation between any single piece and the world.” Within that studio, one of the sights of Paris in the 1920s, he could control the dialogues across space between his artworks with the skill of a great preparator, one like 42 René d’Harnoncourt.” (p.38, https://monoskop.org/images/a/a2/ODoherty_Brian_Studio_and_Cube_2007.pdf)

I resonate with the author’s effort to outline that artworks step into complex, multifaceted, and simultaneously multiple relationships with viewers as soon as they leave the artist’s studio space and the fact that most artists feel it so deeply and understand it so clearly. At the end of his essay, he makes the followoing conclusion about the white space as a common canvas galleries use to present artworks:

“So we can now also speak of an anti–white-cube mentality, which has its own erratic history within the grand narrative of modernism, becoming aggressively manifest with postmodernism. As video, film, photography, performance, and installations became certified modes, attracting generations of the young, handmade painting became but one suburb of the
artistic enterprise, to many as quaint as the art of letter-writing, devoured by e-mail and texting. Within the subcultures of contemporary art, each of these media claims precedence, an echo of the hierarchy of genres in Neoclassical art. With the intrusion of installations, video, and the rest, the white cube has become increasingly irrelevant.” (p.40 https://monoskop.org/images/a/a2/ODoherty_Brian_Studio_and_Cube_2007.pdf

It was interesting to me that the author explored the theme of the “white cube” in general, because I have always wondered why the white wall is so prevalent in the gallery world. I don’t entirely agree with the author’s conclusion that this white ambience has become irrelevant. As a colour, it works well with many paintings, perhaps not in the best way with everyone, but it is muted enough to help any painting stand out. However, I accept the idea that white should not be treated as the default background that works perfectly for every type of visual art. I didn’t find a good explanation from the author as to why the “white cube” has become irrelevant, even though he mentions that this was triggered by “…With the intrusion of installations, video, and the rest, the white cube has become increasingly irrelevant.” But the author doesn’t explain why these “subcultures of contemporary art” can not be satisfied with a white cube environment.

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“Make reflective notes on relations between your making space and your potential showing space. Check your practice statement and practical plans and use these to help you to identify a ‘space’ to show your work in. Make a fresh page of notes and diagram relating to your practical decisions to your critical and theoretical ideas and references.”

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I began to think in this direction while completing the Part Three exercise, preparing encounters with my art, and searching for a venue as one of the essential decisions in the entire curation process. After visiting the first venue, the gallery “Espace XX”, I clearly understood that I needed an environment that wouldn’t dominate my works and wouldn’t create significant noise around my paintings, interfering with my viewers’ perception and reflection process, in some sense, contaminating it. After reading the essay for this exercise, I now understand that the idea of managing your viewers’ visual, sensorial, and intellectual experience during your event, and the idea of bringing more control into that process, is natural and universal for all visual artists. Moreover, this knowledge gives me confidence and assurance that the creation process is a natural part of my main creative activity, so when the painting leaves my studio, I am the one who is responsible for the impulse to be ready, and it needs to meet the encounters.

Project 1: Venues, Spaces and Critical Frameworks

Exercises 1,2, 3: Beginning, 3D plans and Scoping Venues

I began to engage in these activities in Part Three when I searched for a venue. I find these exercises are more relevant to part three; thus, my post for Curate and Prepare Encounters with Your Work answers the questions in this exercise. However, I can add the following:

1. I will need the help of others to upload and unload my artworks from the vehicle and transfer them to the designated space, which is the venue I am renting. One person’s help would be sufficient for this task, as I have only 10 pieces to exhibit, and they are not very heavy. I will need the help of my daughter to document myself engaged in the entire process of exhibition preparation, including encountering, meeting, and interacting with visitors. Thus, I will need 2 people.
2. Regarding 3D plans, I don’t think I need to create this sketch since I’m not conducting a simulation for my showcase event. I opted for the venue I am renting because I conducted the scoping and sizing during my visit to the available venues. The space I am renting has high ceilings and good spatial dimensions: my 10 artworks won’t be lost in this space, and at the same time, I have enough room to make a good display for each of them.

I answer the questions for the “scoping venues” part below; my answers are in red ink.

• What is the relationship between the venue (spatially, architecturally, historically, geographically) and your work? I agree that my curating and venue selection process was primarily about establishing/understanding the kind of relationships my artworks would enter into with the selected venue. I tried to imagine the dialogue they might have with the environment I chose for them to meet in for their first encounter. In terms of spatiality, the venue I booked is ideal for my 10 items. Regarding the architectural and geographical location, I find the venue cohesive with the building, which is an old, traditional building with classical interiors. I wouldn’t say that this kind of interview is ideal, but they are not bad at the same time. My artworks would “talk” and reveal themselves well in most interiors, from modern and contemporary to classical. It is an interesting aspect to reflect on, and I see that these showcase items would be great in any modern, minimalistic interior; however, they probably won’t work well in a space with a strong folklore background, such as a wooden house interior. As I mentioned in my earlier posts for part three, the venue is geographically perfect, as it is located in the area where I draw my inspiration – the French Riviera’s flora. Historically, the context of my event and the selected space are also appropriate, as I continue the rich tradition of a visual artist creating in France. The venue is a historic building, built in 1896 in the Belle Époque style by 1890 architect Jean Marquet (né a 1853), with the participation of Gustave Eiffel.
• What is the scale of the venue? How will your work physically fill the venue, or how will you work with scale to favourably impact your work? I will answer this question in a separate post, since it requires some work on site and photo materials.
• What services are available (electricity, running water, etc.)? How will the lighting of the space affect how your work appears in the space? The space is very convenient since it is part of a good, well-managed hotel.
• What are the sound qualities of the space? The sound qualities are perfect. There is no unpleasant industrial noise.
• Bigger isn’t always better. Thoughtful use of a more intimate space can be more effective than installing in a more impressive venue for its own sake. The space is 80 square meters and has very balanced proportions, ideal for the number of my works I will showcase.
• Are there any particular architectural details, such as niches, alcoves, etc. that can be used to incorporate your work?
• Are there atmospheres, natural features that connect to your work and ideas?
• How can you manage the space and how the audience moves through it? Is there an order to how the work should be seen and how can you control this pattern? The venue features a large terrace with lush greenery overlooking a quiet courtyard. I plan to open the large French windows/doors so the viewers will be able to move freely between the main salon and the terrace. The overall ambience has a vibe of a classical, refined, peaceful, cosy and very French mansion.
• Who is legally responsible for the space? Do you need public liability insurance in case anyone is injured at your exhibition? Do you require any other permissions to place work in a location? I have signed a rental contract with the venue, which entails numerous responsibilities. I have civil liability insurance.
• How accessible is the venue? E.g. for disabled visitors. How can you maximise audience attendance, for example by coinciding your show with another event, activity or festival? The venue has an advantageous location easily accessible to my invitees, as well as any walk-in visitors. The location factor was also essential to me.
• How can you communicate the theories and ideas of your work? Will you need signage or is the work self-explanatory? Are there other, subtler ways to help your audience understand what your work is about, such as juxtaposition of other things? I will have floor-standing signage starting from the hotel’s reception area, which will be provided by the hotel. I have to come with the text for the signage, which is in process.
• How does the venue and your intention for your work coincide? The venue’s overall agenda is well-aligned with my goals, as the venue is always interested in hosting original cultural events for its guests and supports all kinds of elegant activities that help increase traffic to the hotel and create long-lasting, positive memories for its guests and visitors.
• How attainable is the venue and how realistic are your ideas?
• What risk assessment, health and safety considerations are there?
• Will you need to work with professionals who are part of the management of a space, e.g. curators, security staff, technicians or neighbours?
• What are the anticipated costs – personally, financially and temporally? The expenses are within the budget I planned. They are very reasonable for all the advantages I get from securing this venue.
• Are there any anticipated, or potentially ‘unforeseen’ costs, what budget do you have / need or have to seek funding for?