Besides having a bangin' name, Lars Bang Larsen had some cool ideas. Here's my thoughts on his 1999 essay, "Social Aesthetics."
art as activism
uses of art-institutional space
ephemeral art
social aesthetic activity
social interaction + observation of its effects without conceptual rigidity -- without pretension!
utilitarian/practical aspect
purpose and direct involvement
not convoluted
"The social aesthetic involves a utilitarian or practical aspect that gives a sense of purpose and direct involvement; in the construction of the subject's interaction with culture it could be said that social aesthetics discusses a notion of the lasting phenomenon which substantiates a critical cultural analysis, a reason for one's existence."
I think the utilitarian or practical aspect of this type of art that Larsen is describing is critical in making the artwork accessible to anyone. There's a lot of art that "non-art" people ask to it: "Why did you do this? I don't get it." Larsen cites a project by Palle Nielsen that involved building a playground in a place where one was much needed. There is a utilitarian and practical purpose right there. So what makes it art? I am tired of this question, but I need to answer it for myself. It's art because Nielsen used his artistic license, his position in society, to address the residents of the neighborhood personally and build a playground with them. As an artist, you can do whatever you want. He builds one playground, that doesn't make him a contractor who builds playgrounds until he dies or wants to choose a different career.
There's a lot of different kinds of art, but for my purposes, do do what I think is important and meaningful for myself, I need to communicate clearly with other people. And when doing something like an action with strangers as art, stating a utilitarian or practical purpose to work towards allows the action to happen. It makes the interactions possible because it lays a common ground of understanding, a context to interact within. Then you get the experience with the other person, hear who they are and how they perceive. That is the juice that I'm after. Part of it anyway.
So, art-making for me then is a practice in which I address my present questions and interests, obsessions and frustrations through methods that vary from drawings, comic strips/books, painting, collage, interviews, actions,writing. Would it be ideal for my whole lifestyle to be in an effort to address my most recent ideas, questions, etc. Because those ideas, questions, etc. have the purpose of allowing me to learn and grow, be spiritually/emotionally/intellectually freer. Building, building, building with no end til death and then what. . .
Anyway, Palle Nielsen--he made a playground after informing the residents with the plan. They participated. They did not expect this to happen. I like surprising people and I like to be surprised. These were non-artists making art. The term "non-artists" is problematic to me. Yes, I identify myself as an artist and others do not, but I have this optimistic idea that anyone can make art. Make art? That's a problematic phrase. I just don't like feeling that other people think art is alien to them. And I don't mean Picasso. I mean, other people feel like they can't even try to draw or paint or do something unusual because, that's just the way it is, that kind of this is reserved for other people to do.
Nielsen's playground in the museum, Model for a Qualitative Society, relates to my concern by changing role of the museum goer and of the institution. Daddytypes blog says it well: "It was a time when the authority museums were being challenged. In his press release, Nielsen questioned the viewers' assumptions of what a museum--and, by extension, art--is: "There is no exhibition. This is only an art show because the children are playing inside an art museum. This is only an exhibition for those who are not playing."source
This catches my attention because I'm hesitant to support the "white cube" way, but maybe I could take advantage of it. n55 spaceframe
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