Comments on: doris salcedo

By: Right Brain Resource Blog » Blog Archive » Doris Salcedo’s Chair Art in Istanbul.

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:01:42 +0000

[...] biennale in 2003 and included over 1550 chairs stacked between two city buildings. Found via: designspongeonline.com Posted by Dan Filed in [...]

By: Spudart

Spudart — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:27:00 +0000

This is a great work of art. In response to the comments left earlier, great art should evoke something in the viewer or coummunicate something. I'm not a fan of artwork that requires you read something to get something out of the art. Great art should be able to communicate on its own.

Now it's alright for captions or something that enhances your understanding of art, because the end goal is enlightening the viewer. But if the art requires a caption, then IMHO the artwork by itself isn't as strong.

With this particular artwork, it's captivating for many reasons (and I didn't read what the artist said). It's up the viewer to determine those reasons. And this artwork is really full of potential. For instance, here's what I see.

1) Chairs are meant to be occupied by humans
To see these chairs so compacted against one another takes away the space normally occupied by humans. And the chairs are fit in between two buildings, occupying the space normally taken up by architecture. Or one could even argue (as in a previous comment) that these chairs are taking up the space of where humans could be. So there's a reversal of roles here. The chairs which normally hold humans, are now filling a space that humans normally occupy. So within this interpretation, there's the meanings of occupying a space, and the meaning of volume.

2) Then there's the interpretation of color
When you mix together yellow and purple pigments, the result is brown. Even though the colors used here are primarily purple, I still get a feeling of brown. Perhaps it's the context, but there's something very brown about this.

3) Then there's the analysis using feelings
This piece makes you feel overwhelmed and afraid.

4) Yet it's also intellectually intriguing
It can make one wonder how all these chairs are fitting together. How this was accomplished.

My point being that this artwork evokes many different ideas and interpretations. It is simply a great work of art.

I posted this artwork on my blog with five more interpretations. You can read them at: http://www.spudart.org/blogs/randomthoughts_comments/4011_0_3_0_C/

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:23:00 +0000

Carefully looking at the photos of other works by Salcedo brought a head-smacking “duh” to this artist/critic; the influence of arte povera, use of pedestrian objects, and reference to socio-political events/conditions in her native Hemisphere-most of which were dated in the early-mid ’90’s, tells a bit more about her than a cursory glance at a “pile of chairs”. Tells a lot about an obviously well-versed sculptor continuing a century-old narrative. Look. Both eyes.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 14:05:00 +0000

this is the coolest thing I have ever seen — what an impact!
It is terrifying and beautiful all at once. see more of doris’ work here: http://www.alexanderandbonin.com/artists/salcedo/salcedo.html

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 04:38:00 +0000

Doris Salcedo’s work is not about furniture. The furniture (often combined with hair, bones, animal skin, clothing, etc.) is a vehicle for her largely political work in a country (Columbia) where tens of thousands of people have disappeared. Please, all, take the time to read a bit about her haunting work before making further uninformed comments.

By: artificialj

artificialj — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 23:42:00 +0000

Coral – “The cutlery has been done and has gained worldwide accolades for its ingenuity. Try doing your cultural research.” Nice attempt to retreat from your original comment that was an attack on the piece for being “drab.” Cultural research? Are you kidding? I was attacking you for having horrible (as in gross) aesthetic judgement.

By: sfgirlbybay

sfgirlbybay — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 03:25:00 +0000

wow, drama. because this is a democracy we all get to say what we like and dislike. yeah for america!

i think it's really cool, and while it is precarious and a bit frightful, perhaps that was its purpose. i think most art is meant to evoke whatever response may come from the viewer. it doesn't have to mean anything. it's just about what it means to you.

thanks for sharing grace!