I’m sure most of us have seen a piece of art and thought “…This…is…art?” There seems to be a fine line between a deep, symbolic and emotional piece and, well, a blank white canvas. It’s hard for people like me who are unfamiliar with art, to see the “essence” of a piece; which is why I really enjoy Sam Noble and Sue Webster’s work.
http://www.thisismarvelous.com/i/4-Amazing-Shadow-Sculptures-by-Tim-Noble-and-Sue-Webster
The two artists take trash (literally: dead birds, cigarettes, metal, wood) and arrange it in a way where if a light is projected onto it, the shadow on the back wall will be a silhouette of people. I love their work because when I first looked at the pictures, I only saw the “trash” side. I thought it would be one of those extremely abstract pieces that only very intelligent people would appreciate. Then I saw the shadow and was shocked. The amount of skill and technique needed to precisely arrange the objects in order to form such accurate silhouettes is amazing. The work was both visually appealing enough to grab my attention, and abstract enough to leave an impression on me.
These sculptures are absolutely amazing! I love the entire concept of utilizing trash to create these unbelievably realistic shadows. This reminds me of the sculptures that we saw in the Lyons Wier Gallery in Chelsea earlier in the semester, without the shadows of course. It was a jumble of garbage messily put together that represented the corruption of America as a whole. I distinctly remember a map of the US that was completely composed of prescription drug bottles, pills, and needles poking out in random directions. I love art that breaks out of the ordinary for the simple fact that it’s more exciting to observe rather than the standard painting of a flower or a scene of people. I’m glad the contemporary world is embracing abstract art more and more. Just when we think every form of art has already been discovered, some creative soul breaks out of the pack and tries something new.