Saturday, May 7, 2011

Richard Serra’s piece Tilted Arc was a piece of much debate. Due to it’s large size and inconvenient location, the GSA and many of the workers that had to go through the square in which it is located argued that it was in the way and “interfered with public use of the plaza,” while Serra and many people of the art world claimed that this was the point. Serra quoted "The viewer becomes aware of himself and of his movement through the plaza. As he moves, the sculpture changes. Contraction and expansion of the sculpture result from the viewer's movement. Step by step the perception not only of the sculpture but of the entire environment changes."
In this situation, I must agree with the GSA. I believe that the intentions of the piece are great, but not appropriate in the setting. As much as I enjoy the piece and would love to see it, a different location, such as a gallery or a well-known park, would be required for it to be greater appreciated. I think Serra did not handle the situation in a logical manner. Yes, the sculpture was designed especially for that area and would look best in that location, however, he could have made modifications to it so it could better fit in a new location.
I think the piece was taken down at night in order to not contradict their original claim of the piece being in the way. If they would have done it during the day, they would have been in the workers’ way, thus being an inconvenience to the general public. Another reason this might have been done is because of the people against the tearing down of the project. They, perhaps, could have protested and, thus, causing more commotion than necessary.
I believe that artists have the right to make people uncomfortable if it is executed in the appropriate settings. Sometimes, making a piece uncomfortable makes the purpose of it better expressed. In this case, it is inappropriate because of its being located in a working space. In-the-way pieces are nice for galleries or social locations, however, this is not suitable for a professional environment.
In conclusion, Tilted Arc was a great contribution to the art world and its purpose was successfully executed, but unfortunately, its location was inappropriate for its purpose and would have been better if located in a populated location that is not intended as part of a working space.