ART AS CREATIVE THERAPY

by Paul Henrickson, Ph.D. 2!

Jan-Erik Andersson, A Finnish architect and installation artist, reported: I have used art as a way to deal
with my personal life. his concerns the art I made in the !"s that mi#ed the art and ideas of the
international art stars with my own personal life. $hen I stopped drinkin% and cleaned up my life, which I
did throu%h my art, &y cleanin% an empty %allery for three weeks every day from nine to five. I kind of %ot
happier and more rela#ed and ready for a more socially oriented path for my art. I started to think over the
fact that the surroundin%s and &uildin%s where people spend most of their lives in %eneral are very
unima%inative and un-stimulatin%. he art element has &een taken away from architecture since the
&e%innin% of modernism and this had in a way led art into a position of commentin% and deconstructin%
the society, not so much &ein% involved in developin% it into new more stimulatin% environments. his was
when I started to make pu&lic works, which were incorporated in the &uildin%'s structure, like floors,
ceilin%s and walls, tryin% to create spaces where people would feel they are in some kind of tale. (o the
art wouldn)t &e works to &e hun% afterward in the space, &ut or%anic parts of the &uildin%. I also wrote
stories myself which influenced how the installations turned out, and of course my personal life history
could &e seen in these, &ut not as directly as &efore.
(tudents at (ikkula school in urku Finland.
"an#Erik An$ersson, %innish archi&ec&
Sha'n Decker, "an#Erik An$ersson an$ Dr.Richar$ San$ler collabora&e$ on 'ha&
(i)h& a$e*ua&ely be calle$ a li+e (i,e$ (e$ia -resen&a&ion
Theoo( con&aine$ &he a--le ea&in) soun$s, an$ &he .irs& -er.or(ance se)(en&
consis&e$ o. &he sa(e -er.or(ance as )i+en in Chica)o. The secon$ roo( con&aine$
/cul&ural/ soun$s o. ea&in)0 recor$in)s o. res&raun&s, ou&$oor ca.es, e&c. In &his
roo(, "an#Erik $i$ a -er.or(ance in+ol+in) s&u&&erin) # so(e&hin) &ha& he na&urally
$oes, an$ 'hich is +ery (uch in.luence$ by social si&ua&ions. %inally, &he &hir$ roo(
concen&ra&e$ on $i)es&i+e soun$s. %or &his, 'e o'e s-ecial &hanks &o Dr. Richar$
San$ler, a& 1or&h'es&ern 2e(orial Hos-i&al, 'ho as a researcher o. in&ernal bo$y
soun$s 'as able &o su--ly (e 'i&h s-ecial e*ui-(en& .or (oni&orin) &he bo$y3s
in&ernal $i)es&i+e soun$s. In &his roo( &he -er.or(ance consis&e$ o. (oni&orin) "an#
Erik3s s&o(ach as i& 'orke$ on &he a--le he ha$ 4us& ea&en se+eral (inu&es be.ore.
Throu)hou& &he -iece, &he soun$s o. ea&in), social /$inner con+ersa&ion/, an$
$i)es&ion in&er(in)le$ &hrou)hou& &he )allery.
I. (y hy-o&hesis is correc& &hese con&e(-orary e..or&s &o e,-an$ &he (e$ia o.
ar&is&ic 5aes&he&ic6 e,-ression ha+e a roo& cause i& (i)h& 'ell be in &he hu(an
bein)7s e..or& &o brin) all his e,-eriences in&o conce-&ual balance so &ha&, in &he
(i$s& o. all &his chao&ic s&i(ula&e, &hee in$i+i$ual be)ins &o kno' 'here he is. 8y
'ay o. analo)y, i. &he rea$er recalls &he se*uence o. his e,-erience .ro( &he &i(e
he le.& &he 9ou&si$e 'orl$: an$ en&ere$ a 9.un house9 an$ la&er e,i&e$, in 'ha&
'ays ha$ he been a chan)e$ -erson;
ET SATA1 C<1D=IT >E 8A> by Paul
Henrickson, 2!

"e.. ?oons0 HA1@I1@ HEART
Increasin)ly, i& see(s, o+er &he -as& se+eral $eca$es, ne's i&e(s,
es-ecially ou& o. &he =ni&e$ S&a&es, ha+e .ocuse$ on &he biAarre,
&ha& is, &he 4oinin) o. one i(a)e &o ano&her one 'hich lo)ical
connec&ion see(e$, &o say &he leas&, 'as obscure. The sale a&
auc&ion o. "e.. ?oon7s 9Han)in) Hear&: 'hich sol$ .or
B2C,D,. (i)h& be consi$ere$ such a biAarre e+en&. Cer&ainly
i. &ha& kin$ o. (oney ca(e in&o (y li.e I 'oul$ consi$er i& a
biAarre e+en&.
1o', ha+in) sai$ &ha&, I recall ha+in) been ins&ruc&e$ by a ED
year#ol$, &'en&y#.i+e years (y 4unior, &ha& ha+in) been s&uck by a
-oisonous Cro'n o. Thorns S&ar %ish one si(-ly, an$ beau&i.ully,
re+erses &he -rocess an$ &urns &he ani(al u-si$e $o'n an$
allo's &he s&ar.ish &o suck ou& &he -oison. The use o. &he source o.
a &hrea& as &he cure .or &he sa(e &hrea& also see(s ra&her biAarre,
bu& &ha& is &he 'ay i& 'as. <n &he o&her han$, an$ .ro( ano&her
-oin& o. +ie', i& (i)h& a--ear &o be a -ar& o. a nor(al or)anic
-rocess such as our uses .or sal&, one as a -reser+a&i+e o. $ea$
(ea& an$, &'o, in s(aller a(oun&s, as an enhancer o. &as&e.
A Cro'n o. Thorns S&ar.ish. These (easure
EF: so(e&i(es
2y )oshG, bu& &ha& e,-lana&ion, &ha& $e(ons&ra&ion o. an or)anic
-rocess 'i&h &he s&ar .ish 'as a re+ela&ion. This 2icronesian
si,&een year#ol$ also cal(e$ (y .ears 'hen, )rea&ly s&ar&le$, I
'arne$ hi( o. a shark no& E .ee& .ro( 'here &he boy s&oo$
'ais& $ee- in 'a&er co+erin) &he ree.. He 'as no& concerne$ .or
he &ol$ (e 9Tha& one is a.rai$ o. -eo-le.: 9<h:, I re-lie$, 9I ho-e
&he shark kno's &ha&:. I $i$ no& -ursue &he (a&&er .ur&her &o ask
&ha& i. he is a.rai$ o. -eo-le 'ha& is &he shark 'as $oin) so close
&o &'o o. &he(;
I really a( a& a loss &o e,-lain 'ha& &hese e,a(-les (i)h& ha+e &o
$o 'i&h one Ti(o&hy 2cVei)h, ou& o. -ro&es& .or &he (ur$ers o.
.e&uses bo(bs an abor&ion clinic. As i. his 9conce-&ual s&a&e(en&:
in$ica&e$ &ha& killin) o&her hu(an bein)s is ba$ be.ore &he bir&h
o. &he in$i+i$ual, bu& acce-&able 'hen he $oes i& a.&er &hey ha+e
been born in&o &his 'orl$. I $o no& kno' ho' &he &heory o. or)anic
-rocesses (i)h& 'ork in &his connec&ion.
8u& I a( able &o &urn &he $iscussion in &he $irec&ion o. su))es&in)
&ha& a 'ork o. ar& (i)h& also bear so(e social res-onsibili&ies
There is so(e&hin) 1<T acce-&able 'i&h &he no&ion &ha& because
a 'ork is labele$ a 'ork o. ar& i& is, &hereby, e,e(-& .ro( any
(oral obli)a&ions. I once kne' a -erennial 1e' York sociali&e 'ho,
.or reasons I a( unable &o e,-lain unAi--e$ his .ly a& &able as an
e,a(-le o. a 9conce-&ual e+en&: an$ -ee$ on&o &he -la&&er o.
as-ara)us. I& has .ore+er al&ere$ (y +ision o. as-ara)us. Perha-s
he 'an&e$ &hose asse(ble$ a& &able in &his .i.&h a+enue
a-ar&(en& &o realiAe &here 'as a si(ilari&y be&'een a ro$ o.
as-ara)us an$ his se(i#occul& a--en$a)e. So(e a$$i&ionally
$isci-line$ in&ellec&ual analysis nee$s $oin). <. course &here is
&he e,a(-le o. @an$hi ha+in) $runk his o'n urine, bu& &ha& 'as
his o'n an$ &he or)anic rela&ionshi- see(e$ so(e'ha& (ore in
e+i$ence &han 'i&h (y .rien$ an$ &he -la&&er o. as-ara)us.
Except! returning now to the question of an organic relationship between
Timothy and the bombthere may be a clarifying factor if some how, one wonders
why there weretwo other unexploded bombs fond in the building after the one
McVeigh delivered went off and caused the deaths of !" people# $ur current
society seems content not to have the existence of those other two
bombs explained preferring to avoid having to consider the morality of
an off%balanced individual having been trained by our efficient armed
services into being a previously prepared and ready explanation for the
event# &omething not unli'e (The Manchurian )andidate*#
h&&-0HH'''.you&ube.co(H'a&ch;+I=J&Yb@b&TI
There are &i(es 'hen ar& (ay be (ore e..ec&i+e in
e,-lainin) e+en&s &han reason an$ a& &his &i(e I bo' &o
To( >ehrer 'ho ha$ sho'n hi(sel. &o be e,&re(ely
cle+er a& &his.
h&&-0HH'''.you&ube.co(H'a&ch;+I-klr=DJeSo This lin' is for a musical ditty
composed, arranged and sung by the +arvard mathematician ,or was it M#-#T./ Tom 0ehrer#
1hile he, too, is poc'ing some serious critical fun at our social values, some four decades ago or
more, there is considerable humor, wry though it may be, and wit, evident in phrase after phrase
verbal and musical and so the entire piece both entertains and instructs us as well as moving us to
a level of helpless concern all responses he successfully elicits from us which, I think, 2eff
3oons does not# That something is# - believe, an arrangement, a composition, a specially focused
organi4ation that ta'es us from one level to another# - have not identified that quality in the wor'
of 2eff 3oons# There is no doubt that the world has given him every opportunity and, in that
process, deprived hundreds of others#
The <klaho(a Ci&y bo(bin) 'as in EJJK an$ 2cVei)h is
no' e,ecu&e$, erase$ .ro( &he na&ional consciousness
an$ absol+e$ o. )uil&, an$ i& 'as, a.&er all, only D years
la&er &ha& ano&her C, -eo-le $ie$ a& &he T'in To'ers
'here i& is also &hou)h& o&her e,-losi+e $e+ices 'ere
-lan&e$ in a$+ance La 4ob (uch be&&er $one an$ 'i&h a
si)ni.ican&ly )rea&er hu(an yiel$ o. cor-sesL.&hus &he
&i&le o. &his -iece Et Satan Conduit La Bal a -hrase
&aken .ro( @ouno$7s o-era 9%aus&: an$, I ho-e, &he
si(ilari&y be&'een &ha& se$uc&ion an$ &ha& o. &he
2anchurian brou)h& &o .ocus.
In &his connec&ion one (i)h& 'ell check ou& &he cul&ural
roo&s o. Saa&chi7s @alleries beha+iors re)ar$in) i&s
o-era&ions 'hich coul$ a--ear &o be &he ac&ions o. a
cul&ural .i.&h colu(n 'ho (i)h& 'ell ha+e &aken a -hrase
ou& o. 8reAn4e+7s obser+a&ion &ha& one shoul$ no&
un$eres&i(a&e &he -o'er o. an i(a)e. 1or, .or &ha&
(a&&er, &he in.luence o. associa&es, an$ &he +alues -lace$
on -ersonali&y $e+elo-(en& by &he (ili&aryLan$ as .or
&he (ili&ary, I shoul$ be +ery in&eres&e$ &o hear Colin
Po'ell7s co((en&s on &he conce-&ual con.lic&s &his
en)en$ere$ in his (in$ 'hen con.ron&e$ 'i&h &he re-or&s
co(in) ou& on El @raib an$ &he subse*uen& e..or&s &o
(ake a heroine ou& o. &ha& .e(ale sol$ier En)lan$ an$
e+en (ore recen&ly in connec&ion 'i&h &he 8lack'a&er
o-era&ions 'here &he Ira*i .a(ilies o. 8lack'a&er
slau)h&er are suin) in &he =ni&e$ S&a&es. All &his (i)h&
(ake i& a--ear as &hou)h our +alue s&ruc&ure has
e,-erience$ a crackLor &'o.
8u&, i& (i)h& be aske$, 'ha& has all &his &o $o 'i&h "e..
?oons; Mell, look a& his 'ork an$ a& 'ho i& is 'ho
su--or&s i& an$ a& 'ha& cos& an$ &hen ask 9Mhy;:
A $eca$e a)o I 'as ac*uain&e$ 'i&h a cou-le 'here &he
(o&her, &hinkin) her son (i)h& be )ay, &hou)h& &he bes&
'ay &o cure hi( 'as &o se$uce hi(. <ne (i)h& 'on$er
'he&her &here 'eren7& (i,e$ (o&i+es in &ha& $ecision. I&
is &hou)h& &ha& 2rs. Pushkin ha$ &he sa(e &hou)h& .or
Ru$ol-h 1ureye+. An$ I, a& 2E, 'as rebuke$ by &he
husban$ o. a 'o(an o. DC .or no& ha+in) ha$ se, 'i&h
her as an earlier associa&e a& &he school ha$ $one.
Tha& beha+ior si(-ly ha$n7& been (y +ie' o. a husban$7s
role. To re-ay (e .or (y in$i..erence she &ol$ &he res& o.
&he &o'n &ha& I 'as )ay an$ &ha& I $i$n7& care 'ho kne'
i&. Mell, a )uy $oesn7& ha+e (uch chance in $enyin) i&, or
no&, $oes he;
I& 4us& )oes &o sho' &he len)&hs &o 'hich so(e la$ies 'ill
)o &o e,-ress &heir $isa--oin&(en&. This, all o. &he abo+e,
is, I belie+e, a -ar& o. 'ha& &he Ho-is call ?<YA1ISNATSIL
a 'orl$ ou& o. 4oin&.
1o' 'e .in$ &ha& ei)h& an$ nine year#ol$s are accuse$ o.
ra-e by an ele+en year ol$Lan$ &he arres&in) o..icers
belie+e i&G I& see(s &ha& one is $a(ne$ i. one $oes an$
$a(ne$ i. one $oesn7&. An$ li+in) in a con+en& or
(onas&ery is no securi&y &hese $ays ei&her.
I& has been sai$ &ha& ar& re.lec&s &he &i(e .ro( 'hich i&
e(er)es, a conce-& 'hich cer&ainly raises in&eres&in)
*ues&ions as &o 'ha& o&her ar& (ay ha+e been -ro$uce$
$urin) any o. &he -erio$ one has &ra$i&ionally s&u$ie$ .or
i& is ob+ious &o nearly all &o$ay &ha& no& all &y-es o.
aes&he&ic -ro$uc&ion reach &he le+el o. a (illion $ollar
a--ro+al. <ne 'on$ers 'ha& such o..#bea& Rococo no&ions
(ay ha+e beenL 2y, (yGG A &o&ally ne' .iel$ .or
econo(ic e,-loi&a&ionG
<ne co((en& -ublishe$ re)ar$in) &he sale o. ?oon7s
5blee$in)6 hear& in$ica&e$ &ha& &he 'ri&er &hou)h& &he
'ork in 9ba$ &as&e:, a heuris&ic co((en& i. &here e+er
'as oneLo-enin) u- a 'hole ran)e o. a$$i&ional
co((en&s. In )eneral, (a&&ers o. 9&as&e: are (a&&ers o.
social -re.erence an$, in )eneral, &he e,-ression o. 9)oo$
&as&e: is a (a&&er o. social a)ree(en&. In &he area o. 'ha&
are )enerally consi$ere$ &he 9crea&i+e: ar&s &he
si)ni.ican& 'orks are 1<T &he 'orks &ha& abi$e by &he
-re+ailin) con&e(-orary &as&e.
9@oo$ &as&e: in (i$ EJ
&h
Cen&ury %rance $i$ no& inclu$e
&he e..or&s o. E$uar$ 2one& an$ &his con$e(na&ion 'as
$ully re.lec&e$ in (any cri&ical co((en&s -ublishe$ a&
&he &i(e. 9@oo$ &as&e: (i)h& be $e&ec&e$ a cen&ury la&er
'hen &he 'orks o. Dane Clark (i)h& be -lace$ besi$e
2one&7s 'ork 'hen &he obser+er (i)h& also learn
so(e&hin) abou& &he $i..erence be&'een 9)oo$ &as&e:
an$ aes&he&ic -erce-&ion.
Dane Clark0 9S-rin) in San&a %e:
Dane Clark 9Park:
Clau$e 2one&0 I(-ression
Phili- @us&on0 un&i&le$
In shor&, &here is so(e&hin) 4us& a li&&le $is&urbin), 9o..#
cen&er:, 9no& *ui&e ri)h&:, or 9*ues&ionable: abou& &ruly
crea&i+e 'orks o. ar&. They see( &o 'ork -ro+oca&i+ely on
our sensibili&ies. I. &here is crea&i+i&y in+ol+e$ i& is likely
&ha&, as obser+ers, 'e are no& bore$. <. course, &ha& (ay
all $e-en$ u-on &he le+el an$ sor& o. e,-ec&a&ion resi$in)
in &he obser+er.
Me (i)h& )enera&e a &hou)h& by consi$erin) &he
-ro-osi&ion &ha& &he use o. (e&a-hor, a +isual (e&a-hor,
see(s &o -ro)ressi+ely $isa--ear .ro( &he Clark 'here
&he (e&a-hor see(s &o be 9s-rin) blosso(s are -re&&y:
&o &he @us&on 'here &he (e&a-hor see(s &o be 9ho'
shoul$ I or)aniAe &hese s)ui))les:. an$ all o. &his (i)h&
raise &he *ues&ion as &o &he role o. (e&a-hor in +isual ar&,
or, .or &ha& (a&&er, in &hea&re.
@re&a @abo 'i&h 2unch7s 9Screa(: 5is &here a (e&a-hor here;6
I su--ose so(e&hin) (i)h& be sai$ .or ?oons in &ha& he
see(s &o rein&ro$uce (e&a-hor in&o &he +isual ar& .or(a&,
ho'e+er, $ebase$ &ha& rein&ro$uc&ion (i)h& be.
- su pp ose, at t he very most it mi ght b e sa i d of 3oo ns -+ ow +o
Ho' -oin&e$ly an$ ho' o.&en (i)h& i& be necessary &o
sho' us ho' +ery in&ellec&ually an$ aes&he&ically
co((on-lace &he A(erican bour)eois cul&ure (ay be a
(a&&er .or $eba&e. 8u& such a $eba&e, I &hink, 'oul$ en$
u- a& leas& 'i&h &he a)ree(en& &ha& all such a&&e(-&s ha$
been .u&ile because &here ha$ been no challen)in)
al&erna&i+e in &he o..in).
The na&ional consensus see(s &o be &ha& &he e+ery$ay
ar& re+ie's a--earin) in &he ne's-a-ers as 'ell as in
so(e ar& 4ournals belon) in &he sa(e sec&ion as
en&er&ain(en&. @ran&e$, &ha& consi$erin) &he co(-le,i&y
o. so(e o. &he i$eas un$er $iscussion, an$ in+ol+e$ in ar&
cri&icis(, &he $aily or 'eekly ne's-a-er can har$ly
-ro+i$e a -la&.or( .or &he e,ercise o. sub&le&y. 1e's-a-er
e$i&ors are )enerally +ery s&o$)y an$ $o no& &olera&e a
$i..erence o. o-inion re)ar$in) &he na&ure o. &heir
rea$ershi- an$ -ro&ec& &heir sel.#i(a)e 'i&h rea$y
asser&ions o. )enerosi&y an$ -a&ience 'here &he (ore
correc& $escri-&ion 'oul$ be &i(i$i&y an$ i)norance.
Moul$ i& be &oo risky &o s&a&e &ha& ?oons O 'ork is banal; I&
is &here, in -lace 5an$ (us& be no&ice$5;6,bu& so 'ha&;
Alon) &he sa(e lines, is i& i(-or&an& &ha& 'e no' kno'
?oons is circu(cise$;
"e.. ?oons an$ 'i.e.
As for economic reality and what passes for art world event we are
informed that:
Consumer confidence is at a two-year low, oil prices at an all-time high, a million or more sub-prime
mortgagees are facing eviction from their homes in the coming year, and banks, brokerages, and
bond-rating companies are sinking under a flood of bad debt.
But in the art world, the party's ust getting started -- and this could be the year the market breaks
the !" billion mark.
#y comment is: and ust what, $ ask, does all this interest mean in terms of the %ualities
of the work involved& 'he #anchurian (atan seems to be at it again)
*+anging +eart, is ust a gig shiny red metal heart-shaped form with a gold bow
attached-does it, perhaps, have some relationship with the fate of a two year-old girl
who was cruelly treated and whose body was stuffed in a blue plastic container set adrift
in .alveston Bay& /o relationship that we think we might draw with any certainty, yet,
if $ apply the criterion for art criticism that $ have applied elsewhere $ might try to say
that 0oons is purposefully trying to get the rest of us to understand is that the things we
cherish, or tell each other we cherish, e1ist only in certain realities that are outside of
ourselves. 'he ideal of the concept does not flourish within. Caring is reduced to a paper
greeting card and my *blue diamond is bigger than yours,. 'o the e1tent that 0oons may
be revealing to us how utterly and cynically empty he is,and the rest of us as a result, we
need only to appraise his work. 2hat can be said for sure is that finding evidence of a
creative use and manipulation of material does not e1ist in his realm of operation and
his conceptual realm is bankrupt despite the 345,666,666 some strange person, whose
ego needed some artificial assistance, paid for it, or there was another social goal.
?oons is no& alone, &here is Henk Ho.s&ra in &he
1e&herlan$s -ain&in) a roa$ blue in (e&a-horic (e(ory
o. 'ha& once 'as a canal, or so &hey &ell us. The Ar&s
"ournal announce(en& &ha& -ublishe$ &his -ho&o)ra-h
also re.erre$ &o &he role o. (e&a-hor. 1o', i& 'oul$ see(,
i& is re*uire$ &o $e&er(ine &he *uali&y o. &he (e&a-hor. I
su--ose, in &he case o. 9The 8lue Roa$: i& is i(-or&an& &o
kno' &ha& i& re*uire$ EF, li&res o. -ain& &o acco(-lish
i&. Mha& o&her ar&is& 'oul$ coun& &he ounces i& re*uire$ &o
acco(-lish a &ask; L.or &ha& one
(i)h& e+en consi$er i& a 9&ask:;
Featuring 1000 metres of road painted blue
and the phrase "Water is Life" written in eight-
metre-high letters across it, the Blue Road is
reminiscent of the waterwa that used to be
where the road is now! "t#s a memorial to
nature, but it#s also $ust plain awe-inspiring!
%here#s e&en a few cool tidbits along the road,
li'e a sin'ing car!(
)from the *rts
+ournal announcement,-
This is 'i&hou& $oub& an 9a'e#ins-irin): use o. rhe&oric &o
un$erscore $e)enera&ion an$ &he i(-o+erish(en& o., &o
use a -o-ular con&e(-orary 'or$, 9conce-&:. Me are no&
&ol$ 'here &he o&her hal. o. &he !K, euros ca(e .ro(
&ha& &his -ro4ec& cos&, -erha-s i& 'as Ho.s&ra7s in+es&(en&
in his o'n career, in 'hich case so(e serious *ues&ions
au)h& &o be ans'ere$ as &o 'hy &he 2unici-ali&y 'oul$
au&horiAe such a $e+as&a&in) subsi$y a& a &i(e 'hen
&here are areas in &he 'orl$ 'here &here is no 'a&er an$
!K, Euros (i)h& ha+e -ro+i$e$ so(e .or -ar&s o.
A.rica. Tha& (i)h& ha+e been a 'or&hy conce-& &o
subsi$iAe. >e& us hear .ro( &hose a'e$#in$i+i$uals on &he
2unici-al 8oar$ 'ho +o&e$ .or &his -ro4ec&.
8ack &o Dane Clark. I& is no& (y in&en&ion &o $e)ra$e
Dane Clark7s aes&he&ic .ocus. 2y in&en&ion is &o -oin& ou&
&ha& his .ocus is $i..eren& .ro( &ha& 'hich 2one& $is-lays
in &he 'ork abo+e. Clark7s in&en&ion 'as &o -lease, &i&ila&e
an$ &o se$uce, 2one& 'as &eachin) us so(e&hin) like
ho' &o see 'ha& 'e (i)h& be lookin) a&. To &ry &o (ake
&he -oin& e+en clearer i& (i)h& no& be $i..icul& .or &he
rea$er &o (ake &he aes&he&ic 4u(-, .ro( &he 2one& &o &he
@us&on 'orkLan$ .ro( &here &o o&hers. Ha+in) (a$e &his
lea-, &hen, 'ill -robably (ean &ha& &he obser+er has seen
&ha& &he Clarks $eal 'i&h a (ore $ecora&i+e 5socially
acce-&able;6 +ie' o. &he ou&si$e 'orl$ an$ 2one& an$
@us&on are $ealin) (ore $irec&ly 'i&h &he (a&erial
-i)(en& in han$ 'hich are crea&i+e ar&is&ic concernsLno&
social, no& -oli&e, no& e(-&y o. in&elli)en& analysis.
.irst#s /ew 0or' show is a spectacular success! Hymn, one of the pieces in
the show, is bought b 1harles 2aatchi for 31 million! But .umbrol, a to
firm based in .ull, considers legal action o&er the piece, which it claims is a
replica on a larger scale of its 0oung 2cientist *natom 2et, which sells for 3
14!55! %o fend off legal action, .irst ma'es a #goodwill# pament to the
commercial sculptor who designed the set!
Da(ien Hirs& 0 9Hy(n:
Mhile I belie+e, &he (a&erials are (uch alike, -las&ic, &ha& is, &he
conce-&s are +ery $i..eren& be&'een &he Hirs& an$ &he "i(eneA bu&
I 'ill nee$ &o &i(e &o )en&ly .i)ure ou& 'ha& &hey are.
5ote6
0uis 2imene4, !7, a successful but often controversial 5ew Mexican sculptor whose wor' has
been displayed at the &mithsonian and the Museum of Modern 8rt in 5ew 9or', died 2une : in
what authorities are calling an industrial accident at his studio in +ondo, 5#M#
;art of a sculpture was being moved with a hoist when it came loose and struc' the artist,
pinning him against a steel support, said the 0incoln )ounty &heriff<s =epartment# +e was ta'en
to the 0incoln )ounty Medical )enter, where he was later pronounced dead#
.
+imene678ieta( the to
Hirs&0 Valiu(
Ishihara0 &es&
.or color blin$ness
5ow, - have to admit that there are more visual experiences in the offing in the
+irst than in the -shihara, and both -shihara and +irst were probably aware of what
they themselves were doing the main difference here in these wor's being brought
together is to further demonstrate the importance of recogni4ing the (why* of
something>s existence# The -shihara had a closely defined purpose in its attempt to
measure the tolerances in human vision# The +irst was simply interested in
providing a stimulous for a visual experiencea roller coaster ride, as it were,
breathta'ing ,loo' closely at (Valium*/ at the time and thrilling in remembrance#
The one is science, the other is art# +irst is, regrettably, an inconstant lover and
seems to prefer si4e ,mine is bigger than yours/ over the quality of the concept##
Marhol0 O@reen Car
Crash: a syco-han& Marhol 'as no&, -erha-s, a hi)hly -ai$ cour&
4es&er -robably. Ei&her 'ay is he 'or&h !E#!2(illion;

Tracey E(in7s 9The =n(a$e
8e$: re-or&e$ly her o'n be$ &o)e&her 'i&h all &he accu(ula&ion o.
hu(an $e&ri&us.
wo art students have caused a stir at the controversial urner *ri+e show
in ,ondon &y sta%in% a semi-naked pillow fi%ht on one of the e#hi&its and
pourin% vodka over it.
Jian Jun -i, ./, and 0uan 1ai, 2., said they were 3visual artists3 attemptin%
to make racey Emin)s work more interestin%
. racey Emin out of her &ed, &ut lookin% like she mi%ht %o &ack in.
4ow, if it is conceptual art one is considerin%, it would seem that at some
point distinctions mi%ht have to &e drawn5if only to &e a&le to determine
where one's thou%hts really were.
8ll in all, then, what - am attempting to describe is a scene not unli'e
that described in ?ounod>s opera (@aust* where (the father of lies* has
stirred up the unthin'ing passionate masses into a fren4y# This is the best
stage direction and acting - have seen of that scene and was performed
by Aryn Terfel a video clip which - include here for those who would
enBoy a conceptual elaboration of the ideas ,concepts./ the expressive
arts have been able to engender# Ho-e.ully, &he rea$er 'ill be
able &o &rans.er so(e o. &he aes&he&ic e,-erience .ro(
&he +i$eo cli- &o &he -rocess he uses &o un$ers&an$ o&her
-las&ic ar&s.
h&&-0HH'''.you&ube.co(H'a&ch;+I&FICob+MAFc Aryn
Terfel
1onceptual art re6uires 6uite a different mode of thinkin% . one &etter
ac6uainted with the art of punnin%, a kind of secret, o&scure and scurrilous
lan%ua%e, of %reat interest to the &arely educated and one that is %enerally
unrewardin% to those accustomed to a disciplined thou%ht process. 0et,
there is value in it, a value that is often undetected &y its practitioners or
their admirers, &ut one that is there none the less and the mental e#ercise
that is re6uired to unearth this material can &e rewardin%. (uch a one is, I
&elieve, 7oris 1ross.
7oris represents, at least from my point of view, a mind which, when left in
a state of a&eyance, remains open to information not otherwise availa&le. It
is, perhaps, similar to that state which some refer to as re%ression8. I tend
to think of it in that li%ht. In any event. 7oris has descri&ed her work
process in that way and the results often su%%est that information, not
otherwise directed comes throu%h a&out which she claims to have known
nothin%, such as 9reek mytholo%y and medieval defenses. I &elieve she
didn't know anythin% a&out them. $hy such information appears to have
emer%ed in her work throu%h the techni6ue of mind a&senteeism I do not
know. *erhaps such interpretations are all merely a factor of the o&server's
mental work, or, as some have &elieved in the past, it is the way the 9ods
communicate with man.
In any event her efforts are not unlike those of the Essenesin her
attemptin% to take an e#istin% lan%ua%e and employin% it unconventionally
:and destructive of the intent of the ori%inal lan%ua%e; to say somethin%
other than what it had said &efore.
<edefinin% the uses to which material can &e put seems to me to &e very much a
part of the creative artist's function. 7oris may have fallen into such a course &y
accident throu%h her havin% felt incapa&le of achievement in the more
traditionally defined ways and the fact that she %enerally had difficulty, &oth
mechanical :anatomical; and psycholo%ical, in communicatin% ver&ally
her process of destroyin% the structure of voca&ulary and meanin%
may have &een, for her, a therapeutic if not also a retri&utional action.
$hatever its ori%in we now have a new thou%ht item5an item that
does re6uire us to think a&out its appearance in our world.
his demand upon us is not made &y the work of <afael ,a&ro, or, if it is, I
have not &een a&le to detect what it mi%ht &e, e#cept he is, for me, a fake.
=e can make an appeal only to the i%norant and the corrupt which may &e
the reason he %ained the support of &oth &usinesses and politicians.
This piece, below, is a work by the French "artist"
Raphael Labro, now exhibiting in Malta, who got the
President of Malta, other politicians and church people
to come to the opening There were also about !" # !$
businesses which sponsored him % couldn&t e'en get my
bank to do that % feel sorry for Malta, but then, it
is following the rest of the world, and, if one can(t
be real, one can, at least, be
fashionable% will lea'e the reader to suppose what %
think of this effort )et, we are urged to disco'er
what the organic roots for this monstrous obscenity
might be
CC
8 p ainti ng b ythe @re nch 8 rtist Ca ph gael 0a bro
* painting by the French *rtist Raphael Labro, presently appearing to
create a stir on this Mediterranean island
+hen % was in ,anta Fe and asked the director of the
-o'ernor&s -allery .a gallery out side the go'ernor&s
office which had a good space if % might ha'e a show
there /e came to my house to see my work .and later
congratulated himself on that generosity for as
0irector of the -o'ernor&s -allery he felt % should
ha'e gone to him1 and as the inter'iew went % asked him
how works for exhibition were selected /e said there
was a committee of three .That sounds like a real
democratic procedure1 when % asked who they were he
told me he was one, the secretary to the go'ernor&s
wife, and the third was the go'ernor&s wife % asked
what their art 2ualifications were for making this sort
of decision and he replied he had had a course in *rt
*ppreciation, the secretary had an M3* and the
go'ernor&s wife was the go'ernor&s wife
This shows 4lara
*podaca, the wife of the then -o'ernor 5erry *podaca instructing -eorgia
6(7eeffe This is not the same gubernatorial administration % referred to
abo'e *llan Pearson was the 0irector of the -o'ernor(s -allery at the
time 6(7eeffe exhibited and 5ames Rutherford was the 0irector at the time
% mentioned % am no longer certain who the -o'ernor was at that time %t
may ha'e been the one who used to speed through town on 'ery important
missions /e was Republican, *podaca, of course, a 0emocrat, but in the
8nited ,tates it is increasingly difficult to tell the difference % think
the body language 'ery instructi'e in this image and % hope illustrates
one of the moral distinctions between artists and politicians
I. no&hin) else, &he +alue o. ar& cri&icis( lies in i&s abili&y
&o raise &hou)h& -rocesses in &he rea$er.
A (os& cynical .rien$ o. (ine )ro's -assiona&e o+er &he
useless an$ a'eso(e seriousness 'i&h 'hich &he
-ro.essionsLall o. &he(L are +ie'e$ an$ 9ar&: is
inclu$e$. 2y +ie'-oin& is $i..eren& an$ I sense &ha& 'i&h D
billion inhabi&an&s on ear&h an$ all &ha& -o&en&ial (en&al
ac&i+i&y 'e nee$ &o $e+elo- (ore +enues .or i&s
$issi-a&ion or e,-erience an i(-losion.
This illus&ra&ion co(es .ro( &he Miki-e$ia e,-lana&ion o. 9%un House:. <ne
so(e'ha& asi$e obser+a&ion 0 I Icoul$ no& hel- &o- 'on$er 'ha& &he ins-ira&ion o.
&he onion $o(es (i)h& ha+e been since one, )enerally, associa&es &he( 'i&h a
(os*ue an$, -erha-s, &he .airie &ales o. Isla( 'hich inclu$e so(e +ery .ascina&in)
an$ re'ar$in) charac&ers. The Miki-e$ia $e.ini&ion o. a .unhouse inclu$es,
in&eres&in)ly enou)h &he reco)ni&ion &ha& &he 9.unhouse: e,-erience in+ol+es &he
-ar&ici-a&ion o. &he +isi&or.