Week two resoponse
Throughout the first part of this weeks reading I found my self constantly thinking about what makes alot of the featured pieces an installation art piece and not just the presentation of an art piece. Many of the pieces, I thought, could stand alone as an art piece and not require the presence of an audience. I found it to be very odd that all of our readings thus far had said that an instillation art piece needs to incorporate the interaction of the audience in some way and I thought that although most pieces needed to be actually viewed in person to be fully understood and experienced I felt that they could have easily been considere more of a sculpture that can be viewed and that every time you view the piece the experience will be the same.
I also thought about the role photographs play in the documentation of instillation art. Instillation pieces are ment to be viewed first hand and in person. I don't think that anyone can talk about an instillation if they did not actually go and experience it. Photographs are a great way to preserve a piece but they really only mean something to the people who actually saw and experienced the piece. they provoke memories and emotions that allow them to reflect on the piece but for a person who never experienced the piece it will do nothing. All they can do is say "Wow, i wish i could have seen that."
The second chapter fits better to the diefinition of what I have read and understand to be instillation art. The audience is asked to interact with the piece and to not interact means to not fully unerstand and experience the piece. You can not get the same experience by looking at a series of pictures of the piece.
I think it is interesting how much a piece changes when you move it to a new location or try to make it work in a gallery rather than in the public space in which it was designed for. In alot of the cases the affects on the piece are not so much physical adaptations to the new location but the views of the piece from the new audiece. It is amazing to think that the final outcome and success of a piece is almost as dependent on the viewers as it is on the artist.
