 talk, Wojick revealed that there are actually several different configurations in which this piece can be assembled.
Among, 2008, Polystyrene and Paint
The potential for reconfiguration and reinterpretation is meant to represent that, as life goes on, we may never face the exact same struggle again, but eventually the accompanying unsettling feelings become familiar and recognizable within ourselves.
Wojick also has only recently delved into painting, yet her unique artistic style is cohesive across all mediums. Her affinity for irregularly made rectangles, boxes, circles, and stacked shapes is easily recognizable in her paintings too. Rows and columns of shapes march across her canvases, some monochromatic while others are a medley of curated color. Several of her works on paper look almost like 2D versions of her sculptures. Both mediums complement each other yet easily stand alone as well.
Night Owl, 2015, paint, paper, canvas, wood
Wojick’s “voice” as an artist is a strong one and she continues to inspire her students and the public alike with her unmistakable and meaningful art.
By Bailey Pryor, Halsey Institute Intern
What is your medium of choice? | Thu. Mar. 3, 2016
Around the turn of the 20th century, it was as though a switch flipped in creative minds that triggered a revolution of style and media. Though, assuredly, the migration from traditional techniques is much more complex, the distanced view of history allows us to recognize a clear distinction at this time – the introduction of Modernism. This use of the term ‘modern’ is amusing to me. There has never been a more modern moment than the moment you are reading this now – however, the booming period of industry, innovation, and progression in the first half of the 20th century is most deserving of the title for the massive leaps made and risks taken which continue to inspire us today. It was in this period of Modernism that artists collectively strayed from conventional concepts of art. This new philosophy and approach appeared not only in the imagery of their creations, but in the materials they selected.
This organic movement to unconventional materials is best seen in Cubism and the works of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque from the 1910s. First, the analytic period pronounced the style which skewed perspective by converging planes and creating a dialogue among back- and foregrounds. Then the synthetic period introduced collage of non-traditional media including newspaper and wood veneer, allowing the materials to speak for themselves. This use of found materials in two-dimensional collage ultimately gave way to its three-dimensional cousin, assemblage.
In 1913, Marcel Duchamp upped the non-traditional media game with his anti-art readymades – essentially unaltered everyday objects labeled as art. His materials included a bicycle wheel, bottle rack, and urinal among others. These notions of challenging traditional assumptions about art and life were only heightened by the onset of World War I, and thus by 1916 Dada was born. Dadaism, as an art movement, challenged perceived logic by welcoming chaotic curiosities and Dada artists such as Duchamp, Man Ray, Hannah Höch and Francis Picabia among many others utilized a wide variety of materials and approaches.
< Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany, Collage of pasted papers
Hannah Höch, Dada, 1919
Fast forward to the mid-twentieth century – the generally accepted starting point of Contemporary Art. Artists continued the endless fight for originality and social activism, heavily influenced by the pioneers who came before them. No longer was there a simple response to the question, “What is your medium of choice?” Art was everything and nothing all at once. Robert Rauschenberg, a key member in the revival of Dadaism in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, said: “You can’t make either life or art; you have to work in the hole in between, which is undefined. That’s what makes the adventure of painting.” Rauschenberg blurred the lines of collage and assemblage in works he called ‘combines,’ where found objects protrude from an otherwise two dimensional work.
< Canyon
Oil, pencil, paper, metal, photograph, fabric, wood, canvas, buttons, mirror, taxidermied eagle, cardboard, pillow, paint tube and other materials
Robert Rauschenberg, 1959
Museum of Modern Art
Derived from Duchamp conceptualism and Dada anti-authoritarianism, the Fluxus movement emerged in the 1960s. There is no single definition of the types of artists who embodied the movement – the point was to disband elitism in art and prove that art could be made and appreciated by anyone at any time. Yoko Ono, one of the more well-known Fluxus practitioners created a book of instructions called “Grapefruit” in 1960 which included this title and instruction: “PAINTING TO BE STEPPED ON, Leave a piece of canvas or finished painting on the floor or in the street.”
< Fluxus Manifesto, George Maciunas, 1963
All of these moments in art history provide a sort of artistic ancestry for the work in the Halsey Institute exhibition, Correspondence Art: Words, Objects, and Images by Ray Johnson, Richard C., and Bob Ray. Ray Johnson is sometimes linked to the Fluxus movement and particularly recognized as the first mail artist. Mail art is a populist artist’s dream – there is no monetary motivation, few limitations, and is easily accessible by the masses. The presentation of the work of these three prominent mail artists side-by-side reflects the breadth of the movement, as well as the century long migration from traditional concepts and materials throughout modern and contemporary art.
Prior to the 20th century, works of art were reasonably consistent in material – oil and canvas, ceramic, bronze, etc. – but after, anything within an artist’s grasp could be transformed as art. The use of found objects is often without knowledge of their true origin, and after World War II, synthetic chemicals provided a new source of manufactured media including acrylic paints, adhesives, and polyester resins. The visible materials used in the correspondence art show include ink, postcards, commercial food packaging, hotel stationery, masking tape, and magazine clippings. These items generally are not randomly selected but come from contemplated intention as the material itself sends a message. The use of new media in modern and contemporary art may lead to complications in the care, handling, and aging of the art. While these issues are considered by museum and gallery managers no matter the period of origin, art of the past century has become increasingly fragile, even intentionally challenging the laws of degradation.
What do you do when the materials fall apart? Because of the anything-that-works mentality of many of the artistic movements of the past century, there is a growing demand for conservation of modern and contemporary art. Each individual material must be considered alone first, and then together. Conservators must know, or learn, everything about the materials – down to their chemical structures and back up to how they were re-enforced in the work. While museum greats such as MoMA and the Guggenheim have accompanying conservation departments, most museums, galleries, and collectors rely on the contracted work of the private industry. There are few firms devoted to the conservation of contemporary art in the United States, though Contemporary Conservation, Ltd. founded by Christian Scheidemann in New York City in 2002 is one. His practice is the subject of many articles discussing the ethics, challenges, and execution of conserving art made from unconventional media. The context of the material, the way it interacts with other materials in a work, and the artist’s original intent are all important factors to consider in conservation.
Now, contemplate the correspondence art show from the eye of a conservator. The first step is to consult with the owner. Contemporary art can also provide a unique opportunity to work directly with the artists, something quite foreign to conservators of the traditional arts. You would speak about the methods used to create the work (types of adhesives, paints, pens, etc.), the post office it was processed in (for an evaluation of postmark ink), and whether or not the work should be conserved at all. The inimitable context of correspondence art is personal, set off into the world for its labeled destination. I do think there is value in conserving these works because of their innate documentation of the cultural climate, but ultimately, it’s the artist’s or owner’s decision. In this case, the experience of sending an object through the mail is part of the creation, even if damage is incurred. Once the ethics of the conceptual side are settled, the conservator moves forward by investigating the materials and creating a plan. The plan should be explicitly shared with the artist, usually in the form of a conservation contract also explaining the risks in execution. Sometimes the plan may simply include a light cleaning to prevent further deterioration, other times it may be to reapply materials to the surface. The goal of the conservator is to use the fewest means possible in ways that can be reversed without causing additional damage to the art.
These are just a few of the issues being addressed in conservation of modern and contemporary art. The field is new and complex, in the midst of standardization even when there isn’t necessarily a standard. It calls for creative minds, unafraid of questions that haven’t been answered. Next time you visit the Halsey Institute, let your mind ponder the journey of the materials. Continued research and collaboration is imperative to allow the display and study of works of unconventional media to live on into the future.
By Kaylee Lass,