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In my previous article I wrote about the astounding works of the 19th century sculptor Vincenzo Vela. His colossal, beautifully crafted pieces adorn the entire ground level of his spectacular villa.
However, Vincenzo Vela wasn't the only artist to have his sculptures on display in the museum that bears his name. The entire first floor of the villa, which comprises many large and magnificent rooms, was home to an exhibit by the contemporary American artist Lawrence Caroll.
I'm not sure what to make of this. A scrap piece of plywood, poorly cut with a few screw holes and paint stains!
About The Artist
- Born in 1954 in Melbourne Australia he was raised in California.
- He has held many shows worldwide.
- He taught at the IUAV University in Venice from 2004-2013
There Was One Problem With His Exhibit.....Ugly Stuff!
I didn't like his works of art but I'm willing to take the blame for it. In an attempt to broaden my horizons I'd like to raise the following questions:
- Do I need to know more about art in order to appreciate these pieces?
- What about these pieces make them worthy of a place in a gallery?
- Some of these pieces appear to require no ability or talent. Am I wrong about this?
- Do people say that this is good art because of peer pressure?
Here Are Some More Pieces From This Exhibit
The artist worked for 4 years on this exhibit spent in close contact with the space which necessitated several periods of residency. The exhibit's title "I Have Longed to Move Away" is taken from a poem by Dylan Thomas. You can see more pictures here.
Poorly cut discs of composite wood, stacked and haphazardly painted. Those are my glasses to give it scale. The pedestal on which this sculpture sits is about waist high and is placed in the middle of the room!
This "sculpture" consists of tarps which have been neatly folded, stacked and "painted". Again, this sculpture sits in the middle of the floor in room with one large painting. I wasn't sure how long to look at it before I'd begin to appreciate the "art". Apparently I didn't linger long enough! In case it helps you can see the entire room here.
There were many pieced of this nature. An old wooden crate, partially covered in canvass which is held on with staples and then painted. This could grow on you...I guess.
Some patchy canvass stapled onto a wood frame, painted and with 2 paint stained rubber shoes nailed to it. Oh, and the shoe on the left has a couple of textured balls sitting inside it.
To be fair I imagine that these might look "nice" in certain settings.
In Summary
Looking at the exhibit as a whole I can appreciate the use of texture and shading on some of the pieces but in many ways this exhibit recalls to my mind the famous short story by Hans Christian Andersen "The Emperor's New Clothes."
Here Are My Questions Again
- Do I need to know more about art in order to appreciate these pieces?
- What about these pieces make them worthy of a place in a gallery?
- Some of these pieces appear to require no ability or talent. Am I wrong about this?
- Do people say that this is good art because of peer pressure?
I hope that you enjoyed this article about an unusual art exhibit!
Until next time,
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