I believe art is an expression of one’s skill, creativity, imagination and emotion. If one calls a piece of work “art”, it is a reflection of their expression, and therefore, it is art. I believe art is very subjective; the commodification of “art” in today’s era detracts from the value of this subjective expression. Artists need to sell their “art”, and thus, it has to be appealing to others. In an ideal world, an artist would be free to express himself or herself as he or she wishes, as they should be.
At the Rennie Collection, the piece of work I liked best was the Oak Tree Red Bluff by Rodney Graham. This was a collection of eight black and white photographs of upside-down Oak trees. The roots of these trees reached “skywards”, and their branches spread out vastly “underground”. I liked these photographs, firstly because it was looking at something ordinary and making it extraordinary. Secondly, the beauty and symmetry of nature is evident even in this orientation. And finally, because it makes me feel that everyone has the ability to reach out and grow, and achieve what each of us needs to flourish. Whether we are roots or branches, we can spread out, we can grow, whatever the conditions we are placed in.
The piece that did not resonate well with me, however, is the Donald Judd, 1994. This piece showed an anodized aluminum shelf enclosing a book, placed very high up the wall. The curator informed us that it is intended to be out of reach, just when you think you are closer to understanding, you realize you still have a lot further to go. I think she meant this in relationship to understanding Freudian theories. Personally, I do not like the idea that knowledge can be so out of reach that no matter how hard you try, you will never achieve it. I like to think that when you try hard enough, you will achieve it. I would place a step ladder near the shelf to show that yes, you have to make an effort, and when you do, you will get what you worked for.