Thursday, March 6, 2008
Have you ever wandered if your artwork was 'offering' or 'Demanding'? No?! You should definitely!! And if you have no idea of what I am talking about, I would suggest you to read these few lines that may enrich your artistic argumentation or help you to reflect on this ... 'stuff' that stands in front of you at the next exhibition (lol)!
I am going to focus on how the ‘position of the viewer’ may influence the understanding of the artwork in two different posts. The first, here, will be a kind of introduction, will give you a key concept to understand the second one which will specifically focus on cultural differences. Have a good reading!
Considering the artwork as a channel of communication, we can distinguish two different ways in which the viewer can be addressed. Represented elements can be ‘Offering’ to the viewer or being source of a ‘demand’.
The ‘demanding’ elements tend to involve the viewer in the artwork. This involvement can be ‘demanded’ through the gaze of a figure looking directly at the viewer or by asking the viewer to be part of an experiment in which the created meaning or resultant feelings are part of the message mediated through the artwork for example. 
Paul Klee - Ancient sound
The idea of interacting with the work of art is not new and has particularly be enhanced by Paul Klee in the 1920’s when using the concept of ‘space in between’ also called third space. Hannula in -Space: a merry-go-round of opportunity an article from Kiasma magazine, argues that the 3rd space is, "the space, situation and opportunity, which can open up between two persons, or, for instance, a viewer and an object. It is, most of all, a question of encounter, which possibly creates the third space. An event, which simultaneously belongs to both parties”.
Therefore the ‘encounter’ is viewed as a starting point for an act of mutual influence between the participants, an interaction that connects both parties (here the viewer and the artwork).
Hannula describes the creation of such encounter and the creation of the third space as a strictly empathic individual experience that has no rules except trying to be open to other views and to give opportunity for self-expression.
Hannula says here, that entering the third space leads to the creation of an area where “the content of concepts and statements is hotly debated. In the best case, it creates opportunities which promote something different, new and previously unidentified”.
A view through the peephole in the door of Marcel Duchamp's Etant donné (1946-66)
Alternative ways of reflection on identity, position, environment and goals arise out of the collaboration of two parties with their own culture, language and personal history that can lead to the alteration of assumptions and prejudices and might animate to call the validity of stereotypes into question.
An example of the appearance of such ‘third space’ could be illustrated by a performance which consisted of measuring people at the entrance of the gallery, and giving them shoes with adapted heels that completed their height to exactly 200cm (If you find the name of the artist and the performance please do not hesitate to comment this post).
His idea was to let people enter in an almost empty gallery enabling them to look each other in the eyes at the same level. In this way he created a third space between the participants who themselves became a part of the artwork for a moment.
Paul Cezanne - Nature morte au crane
By contrast, ‘Offering’ elements such as still lifes which depict inanimated objects (a basket of fruits for example) are descriptive and do not ask for the viewer’s involvement.
Sacks in 'Lecture on conversation', highlights that communicative power or ‘entitlement’ issues are resulting in the everyday use of communication due to viewer’s position: “Not everyone may address the viewer directly. Some may be looked at, other may themselves be the bearers of the look”. In other words, the issue of the viewer’s positionment recalls culturally embedded eye-contact, that will be the subject of a next post.
Sacks in 'Lecture on conversation', highlights that communicative power or ‘entitlement’ issues are resulting in the everyday use of communication due to viewer’s position: “Not everyone may address the viewer directly. Some may be looked at, other may themselves be the bearers of the look”. In other words, the issue of the viewer’s positionment recalls culturally embedded eye-contact, that will be the subject of a next post.
Know that you know about offer and demand, would you have mesmerizing examples of offering or demanding artwork to share with us?
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