Site-specific art is artwork created to exist in a certain place. Typically, the artist takes the location into account while planning and creating the artwork. Site-specific art is produced both by commercial artists, and independently, and can include some instances of work such as sculpture, stencil graffiti, rock balancing, and other art forms. Installations can be in urban areas, remote natural settings, or underwater.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The term "site-specific art" was promoted and refined by Californian artist Robert Irwin[7][8] but it was actually first used in the mid-1970s by young sculptors, such as Patricia Johanson, Dennis Oppenheim, and Athena Tacha, who had started executing public commissions for large urban sites.[9] For Two Jumps for Dead Dog Creek (1970), Oppenheim attempted a series of standing jumps at a selected site in Idaho, where "the width of the creek became a specific goal to which I geared a bodily activity," with his two successful jumps being "dictated by a land form."[10] Site specific environmental art was first described as a movement by architectural critic Catherine Howett and art critic Lucy Lippard.[11] Emerging out of minimalism,[12] site-specific art opposed the Modernist program of subtracting from the artwork all cues that interfere with the fact that it is "art",[13]
Modernist art objects were transportable, nomadic, could only exist in the museum space and were the objects of the market and commodification. Since 1960 the artists were trying to find a way out of this situation, and thus drew attention to the site and the context around this site. The work of art was created in the site and could only exist and in such circumstances - it can not be moved or changed. Site is a current location, which comprises a unique combination of physical elements: depth, length, weight, height, shape, walls, temperature.[14] Works of art began to emerge from the walls of the museum and galleries (Daniel Buren, Within and Beyond the Frame, John Weber Gallery, New York, 1973), were created specifically for the museum and galleries (Michael Asher, untitled installation at Claire Copley Gallery, Los Angeles, 1974, Hans Haacke, Condensation Cube, 1963–65, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Hartford Wash: Washing Tracks, Maintenance Outside, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, 1973), thus criticizing the museum as an institution that sets the rules for artists and viewers.[15]
When the public debate over Tilted Arc (1981) resulted in its removal in 1989, its author Richard Serra reacted with what can be considered a definition of site-specific art: "To move the work is to destroy the work."[17]
Jean-Max Albert, Carlotta's Smile, a trellis construction with a choreography, in collaboration with Michala Marcus and Carlos Zingaro, Lisbon, 1979
Examples
Outdoor site-specific artworks often include landscaping combined with permanently sited sculptural elements; it is sometimes linked with environmental art. Outdoor site-specific artworks can also include danceperformances created especially for the site. More broadly, the term is sometimes used for any work that is more or less permanently attached to a particular location. In this sense, a building with interesting architecture could also be considered a piece of site-specific art.
In Geneva, Switzerland, two Contemporary Art Funds of the city have been looking to integrate art into the architecture and the public space since 1980.[18] The Neons Parallax project initiated in 2007 was conceived specifically for the Plaine de Plainpalais, located in the heart of the city. The challenge of the artists invited was to transpose commercial advertising signs of the harbour into artistic messages.[19]
Site-specific performance art, site-specific visual art and interventions are commissioned for the annual Infecting the City Festival in Cape Town, South Africa. The site-specific nature of the work allows artists to interrogate the contemporary and historic reality of the Central Business District and create work that allows the city's users to engage and interact with public spaces in new and memorable ways.[20]
^TACO, L. A. (2013-11-13). "Interview with Rafael Schacter, Author of the Amazing New Book: The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti". L.A. TACO. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
^Brooks, Raillan (2013-12-06). "Aerosol Art". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
^Kaye, Nick (2000). "Embodying Site: Dennis Oppenheim and Vito Acconci". Site-Specific Art: Performance, Place and Documentation. New York: Routledge. pp. 154. ISBN0-203-13829-5.
^Kwon, Miwon (2002). One Place After Another: Site-Specific Art and Locational Identity. Cambridge (Massachusetts), London: MIT. p. 3. ISBN0-203-13829-5.
^Kaye (citing O'Docherty's Inside the White Cube, 1986), p. 27
^"Missions | Fonds d'art contemporain | Ville de Genève : Sites des institutions". institutions.ville-geneve.ch (in French). Retrieved 2018-01-05.
^"NEON PARALLAX - Département de la culture et du sport - Ville de Genève". www.ville-ge.ch. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
^"Infecting The City - Africa Centre". Africa Centre. 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
External links
Media related to Site-specific art at Wikimedia Commons
January 28, 2023
site, specific, artwork, created, exist, certain, place, typically, artist, takes, location, into, account, while, planning, creating, artwork, produced, both, commercial, artists, independently, include, some, instances, work, such, sculpture, stencil, graffi. Site specific art is artwork created to exist in a certain place Typically the artist takes the location into account while planning and creating the artwork Site specific art is produced both by commercial artists and independently and can include some instances of work such as sculpture stencil graffiti rock balancing and other art forms Installations can be in urban areas remote natural settings or underwater 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dan Flavin Site specific installation 1996 Menil Collection Houston TX USA Nef pour quatorze reines by Rose Marie Goulet a memorial to the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre featuring sculptural elements integrated into a specially landscaped site Montreal Canada Contents 1 History 2 Examples 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditThe term site specific art was promoted and refined by Californian artist Robert Irwin 7 8 but it was actually first used in the mid 1970s by young sculptors such as Patricia Johanson Dennis Oppenheim and Athena Tacha who had started executing public commissions for large urban sites 9 For Two Jumps for Dead Dog Creek 1970 Oppenheim attempted a series of standing jumps at a selected site in Idaho where the width of the creek became a specific goal to which I geared a bodily activity with his two successful jumps being dictated by a land form 10 Site specific environmental art was first described as a movement by architectural critic Catherine Howett and art critic Lucy Lippard 11 Emerging out of minimalism 12 site specific art opposed the Modernist program of subtracting from the artwork all cues that interfere with the fact that it is art 13 Modernist art objects were transportable nomadic could only exist in the museum space and were the objects of the market and commodification Since 1960 the artists were trying to find a way out of this situation and thus drew attention to the site and the context around this site The work of art was created in the site and could only exist and in such circumstances it can not be moved or changed Site is a current location which comprises a unique combination of physical elements depth length weight height shape walls temperature 14 Works of art began to emerge from the walls of the museum and galleries Daniel Buren Within and Beyond the Frame John Weber Gallery New York 1973 were created specifically for the museum and galleries Michael Asher untitled installation at Claire Copley Gallery Los Angeles 1974 Hans Haacke Condensation Cube 1963 65 Mierle Laderman Ukeles Hartford Wash Washing Tracks Maintenance Outside Wadsworth Atheneum Hartford 1973 thus criticizing the museum as an institution that sets the rules for artists and viewers 15 Jean Max Albert created Sculptures Bachelard in Parc de la Villette related to the site or Carlotta s Smile a trellis construction related to Ar Co s architecture Lisbon and to a choreography in collaboration with Michala Marcus and Carlos Zingaro 1979 16 When the public debate over Tilted Arc 1981 resulted in its removal in 1989 its author Richard Serra reacted with what can be considered a definition of site specific art To move the work is to destroy the work 17 Jean Max Albert Carlotta s Smile a trellis construction with a choreography in collaboration with Michala Marcus and Carlos Zingaro Lisbon 1979Examples EditOutdoor site specific artworks often include landscaping combined with permanently sited sculptural elements it is sometimes linked with environmental art Outdoor site specific artworks can also include dance performances created especially for the site More broadly the term is sometimes used for any work that is more or less permanently attached to a particular location In this sense a building with interesting architecture could also be considered a piece of site specific art In Geneva Switzerland two Contemporary Art Funds of the city have been looking to integrate art into the architecture and the public space since 1980 18 The Neons Parallax project initiated in 2007 was conceived specifically for the Plaine de Plainpalais located in the heart of the city The challenge of the artists invited was to transpose commercial advertising signs of the harbour into artistic messages 19 Site specific performance art site specific visual art and interventions are commissioned for the annual Infecting the City Festival in Cape Town South Africa The site specific nature of the work allows artists to interrogate the contemporary and historic reality of the Central Business District and create work that allows the city s users to engage and interact with public spaces in new and memorable ways 20 Gallery Edit Robert Smithson Spiral Jetty from atop Rozel Point 2005 Side effect X Eberhard Bosslet Tias Lanzarote 2008 View of an installation from Strandbad Seedorf Switzerland 2015 A rock balance England 2013 The Globe Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve Scotland 2007 Olafur Eliasson s Waterfalls under the Brooklyn Bridge 2008 Site specific dance by Blue Lapis Light at the Texas State History Museum in Austin Texas 2010 O Die Stimme in der Kunst Klinikverwartung Milton Becerra Germany 1989 See also EditAerial dance Digital art Ecological art Environmental art Environmental sculpture Greenmuseum org online museum of environmental art Independent public art Karriere Bar Land art Land Arts of the American West Lock On art Plop art Rock balancing Street Installations Public art Yarn bombingReferences Edit TACO L A 2013 11 13 Interview with Rafael Schacter Author of the Amazing New Book The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti L A TACO Retrieved 2022 07 22 Brooks Raillan 2013 12 06 Aerosol Art The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 2022 07 22 Silence Shapes Filippo Minelli Studio Retrieved 2022 07 22 Rafael Schacter author of The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti September 2013 ISBN 9780300199420 Rafael Schacter and His World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti Retrieved 2022 07 22 Gravity Glue 2015 retrieved 2022 07 22 Butterfield Jan 1993 The art of light space New York Abbeville ISBN 1558592725 Hankins Evelyn 2016 Robert Irwin All the Rules Will Change Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden ISBN 978 3791355146 Chowdhry Pritika 2021 11 06 Site Specific Art Pritika Chowdhry Art Retrieved 2021 11 06 Kaye Nick 2000 Embodying Site Dennis Oppenheim and Vito Acconci Site Specific Art Performance Place and Documentation New York Routledge pp 154 ISBN 0 203 13829 5 Chowdhry Pritika 2021 11 06 Site Specific Art Pritika Chowdhry Art Retrieved 2021 11 06 Kwon Miwon 2002 One Place After Another Site Specific Art and Locational Identity Cambridge Massachusetts London MIT p 3 ISBN 0 203 13829 5 Kaye citing O Docherty s Inside the White Cube 1986 p 27 Kwon p 3 Kwon p 13 Abecedario AR CO Centro de Arte e Comunicacao Visual www arcoabecedario pt Retrieved 2018 10 26 Kaye p 2 Missions Fonds d art contemporain Ville de Geneve Sites des institutions institutions ville geneve ch in French Retrieved 2018 01 05 NEON PARALLAX Departement de la culture et du sport Ville de Geneve www ville ge ch Retrieved 2022 07 22 Infecting The City Africa Centre Africa Centre 2014 03 28 Retrieved 2018 01 05 External links Edit Media related to Site specific art at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Site specific art amp oldid 1099792458, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
