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| Bronze Sculpture |
Title: Painted Bronze
Year: 1960
Material: Painted bronze
Creator: Jasper Johns
Collection: On loan from the collection of the artist
I've always been drawn to objects that have the ability to surprise; at first glance, an object may look like one thing, but upon closer inspection, it is something completely different, or something more. While it is actually a bronze sculpture, this week's object appears to be a Savarin Coffee can filled with well-used paintbrushes of various shapes and sizes. It is important to audiences who appreciate or want to better understand contemporary art, smaller artistic movements like Neo-Dadaism and most specifically, the work and life of American artist Jasper Johns.
Bronze Sculpture, along with the
other pieces throughout the gallery where it is displayed at the PMA, embodies the work of an artist that has made
a meaningful impact on contemporary art. The artwork provides insight into Jasper
Johns, his intents, interests, and inspirations. As its accompanying text panel
(which is presented in a narrative museum voice) describes, Johns uses conventional
artistic practices, such as casting and painting, to recreate everyday objects.
He is interested in how viewers might perceive everyday objects as works of
art, and vice versa. Studying the object, I asked myself, 'Am I looking at a bunch of dirty brushes in a can or a sculpture?' I like when an artwork elicits this sort of inquiry and engagement.
Like all of the
artworks in the room, this sculpture is on loan from the collection of the
artist. While this is conjecture, I would think that all of the objects were
loaned to the museum at the same time, for the same length of time. The PMA
does have at least five other Johns works in their permanent collection, none of
which are currently on view.
The object is encased in a glass box atop a rectangular white
pedestal that is about three feet tall. The pedestal is positioned several feet
away from a wall so that visitors can walk 360 degrees around the sculpture. In the
Studio and Fall, both large encaustic
works, hang on the wall to the right and left of the sculpture. Across the
room, two additional cases of a similar size display sculptures of everyday
objects, including a flashlight and light bulbs.
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| Painting with Two Balls |
Large scale canvases hang on
each wall of the space, including my personal favorite Johns piece, Painting with Two Balls. These works
help to give viewers a more comprehensive view of Johns as an artist, and showcase
other materials and techniques he utilizes in his work, including encaustic,
collage and plaster relief.
To enrich my understanding of Bronze Sculpture, I could pick up a book about the life and art of Jasper Johns, and delve into contemporary art movements such as Abstract Impressionism, Pop
Art, and Neo-Dadaism through books, online resources, and documentaries.
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| More info here |
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| More info here |
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| More info here |
Individuals who do not appreciate contemporary art would not
be interested in this object, nor likely any of Jasper Johns’ work. One might argue that there is nothing artistic or
creative about replicating everyday objects (although tell that to the European
Masters painters and their bowls of fruit). Critics could assert that this work
has no meaning or value, that it is not more significant than an actual coffee
can full of paintbrushes. But what is
significance and who or what determines it? These are the types
of questions I think Jasper Johns poses to his viewers.
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| Bicycle Wheel by Marcel Duchamp |
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| Campbell's Soup Cans by Andy Warhol |
When first seeing this object I immediately had a connection with it. I keep my paint brushes in a coffee can on a bookshelf in my bedroom similarly to the object. I appreciate Jasper Johns use of an everyday object as an art piece. An interesting program the PMA could do is to have participants bring in an everyday object from home to display on a pedestal and observe and critique it as an art object. This could be done in a similar fashion to how our class looked at the Gross Clinic. I think by people participating in a program like this would allow them to have a greater personal connection with pieces such as these.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this piece makes me think a lot as well. The artist has created a piece of art that looks like the tools used by painters to create art, and even could be a replica of Johns' own brushes used to paint the bronze. I particularly enjoy that, without any provenance on artist, date, or location, the fact that Johns created a sculpture of a coffee can and painted the label, to learn more one could research the coffee brand, Savarin!
ReplyDeleteI like that you brought up the question of significance, and what that means. I am generally one of those people that does not understand why common objects are painted or sculpted. However, after reading Megan's comment, I understand how the significance can be constructed by an experience or memory. If someone looked at my possessions, they may wonder why I have a pinecone displayed on my shelf; it is common, easily found, not rare. But it holds "significance" for me, symbolizing a place and happy memories there. So though this sculpture does not hold much significance for me, I understand why it does for others.
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up a good point, Julie, that some critics might assert that the work has no meaning or value. As someone who has little to no knowledge of contemporary art, I could see how their point makes sense. However, I love the idea of "what is significant and who or what determines it?" It reminds me of the video "This is not a chair" where we can think about how we look at and think about different objects and what they could mean to different people.
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