PUZZLEMAKERS
It was after going to the ‘New Contempories’ exhibition at the ICA in 2011 that I began to think of the Art as puzzle idea. I came to the conclusion that a factor of the viewers experience and enjoyment of Art lay in the deciphering of the metaphor and meaning of the artwork. Not unlike our natural inclination to want to solve a puzzle if it were placed before us. The gallery experience gives us the quiet space and time to do so with subtle hints and clue like titles conveniently placed beside them. These particular ‘Puzzles’ at the ‘New Contempories’ 2011, looking back I do recall the majority of works after some deciphering often led one into that abstract place resembling a cul-de-sac. The experience left me cold. There was certainly a lack of the spiritual/beauty or innate artistic ability on show at this exhibition. I.e. painting and drawing or ‘dead art’ as it had become to be known. It got me thinking about our relationship with puzzles in our daily lives. The fact that puzzles have pride and place in daily newspapers is testament to their popularity. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why contemporary art/puzzles are so popular on the gallery walls/floors. We all like a puzzle. I envisaged a gallery full of Sudoku’s and crosswords with people deciphering them as they viewed them. As for Arthur Daley, I see this charming rogue as a reflection of artists today. The modern artist I feel has to have all the attributes of a car salesman in order to survive. Good business sense, extreme confidence, perhaps a bit of arrogance. Is this diminishing the quality, sensitivity and the integrity of Art today? Is there too many ‘Arthur Daley’s’ jostling for spaces in the galleries? The Cockneys, ( Daley as archetypal Londoner, being born to the sound of the Bow Bells ) are I hear, slowly disappearing, which is a shame. The wealthy or super rich are pricing them out. 'Where are the Arthur Daley's? They sold them down the river to the home-counties" Times are changing. As for the newsreader losing their papers. This could be a reflection of conventional news channels losing out to the new breed of online news arenas. The populous are not so reliant on them and go to news sources elsewhere. Even the newsreaders are puzzled. Puzzles are everywhere. Facts and news evolve so fast perhaps due to our hyper connected world that old puzzles become new puzzles. Layered conundrums, answers twist and turn and evolve with each day. Really it shouldn’t seem surprising that there are such surprising outcomes, in elections and referendums in recent times. It’s a Joseph Heller catch 22 world, not just reserved for war but has caught on now into our everyday lives.
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AuthorSam Weldon - Artist |