Art in the Urban Environment: Case Study Analysis

art in the Urban touchs Case Study AnalysisHistorical ContextIn the recently eighteenth century, the establishment of the museum transmutationised the nonion that imposture had to be exclusive. Paintings and engraves, objects previously housed in private collections and viewed by a typic completely(prenominal)y bourgeois earreach, were propelled into the wider cosmos arna. Although originating as national institutions, as popularity for this current cultural threadion grew, further blind museums were required on a regional and local basis and invariablyyplace the centuries this trend culminated in the formation of the contemporary guile impulsion.The technological revolution of the 1960s, then, brought with it an increase in available leisure time for the general public, branch line a continued and un premissnted growth in the rate at which device galleries were construct. Alongside the introduction of modernistic media techniques, this combination one time over again succeeded in bringing fraud to an increasingly large and diverse audience.This progression, however, brought some a fundamental change in the actual production, format and divulge of the prowess pieces themselves. Artists and curators alike, were required to respond to the changing perceptions of a broader, multi-cultural and modern twenty-four hour percentage point audience. To retain an appeal, to a greater extent(prenominal) experimental forms of nontextual matter and methods of present were introduced. Art was no longer restricted to organism hung on a wall, mounted on a plinth or digited to suit a electr wizutral subscribedrop. The aff spread of the spectator no longer had to be purely passive. everyplace the early(prenominal) fifty years, the practice of art and its reliance on the modern drift setting, that of the conventional white cube, which seeks to transcend specificity of time and location (Ault, J., 2003, in Dernie, 2006, p.9) has been conf ronted. unitary outcome is that we have witnessed emerging practices of art that extend past the architectural confines of the traditionalistic bearing seat and into the foreign urban fabric. prevalent art in the urban context, in its broadest definition, is not new in concept. As a work of art or determination that is created by an artist specifically to be sited in a public space, (The refreshfulport News Public Art Foundation) monuments, memorials and architectural ornamentation are all valid examples. It was again in the 1960s, however, that public art became a cultivate in its own right, forming new sub-genres including purlieual, land, site-specific, community-based and street art. By testing ideas of display by means of actively engaging the public in a more natural environment, art has formed a much great exposit in ordinary life.That is not to say, that public art need be unwashedly exclusive of the contemporary art gallery. Historically art forms more closely linked to areas of everyday life have been marginalized by the art establishments as lacking aesthetic quality. (Gastil, 1997, p.85) With its gradual acceptance as a compelling art form, however, thither are now many examples where an arrangement of public art, has been divided among ii the urban environment and the indoor gallery setting. In some baptistrys, the whole kit and boodle of art in the urban context, are physically linked to a gallery or merely act as an extension to the main internal exhibition. In opposite examples, the gallery takes a lesser role, providing a framework of background knowledge, playing as an interpretive vowelize or a financial assistant for a display primarily located elsewhere. The internal and external events whitethorn run in parallel, or the gallery exhibition may precede or follow the external display by a hardly a(prenominal) days, weeks or even years.Public Art in the 21st deoxycytidine monophosphateIn the first decade of the 2 1st century, thither is a greater demand for art in the urban context, however the popularity and proliferation of this public art, has in turn, led to the danger of it becoming generic/gentrified and having a lesser meet. flat no longer a novel concept, artists in their desire to attract an audience, once again have to strive much harder. In the urban environment, unlike the contained gallery setting, there is not always an expectant observer, here there is a much larger audience that simply happens upon the pic/location and they need to be necessitated if the work is to be get successfully.Works of contemporary art in public spaces are encountered by diverse publics who have, to a large extent, no contact with art in galleries, though they may be adept at reading the codes of good deal culture. (Gastil, 1997, p.14)More problematically, art in general, to a fault needs to compete with a vigorous leisure industry and an overly cinematic modern world. The built environment h as become increasingly globalised and homogenous. As a society already bombarded with spectacular imagery and simulated environments (Dernie, 2006, p.14) through the daily onslaught of visual stimulation, (advertisements, graphics and digital media) we also require added stimulation of our other senses, to charter with our surroundings and create a rich, memorable experience.Within the contemporary art gallery it is apparent what is now fundamental to contemporary exhibition design is the creation of an experience that is engaging, multi-sensorial and rewarding. (ibid., p.13) This experience relies on a mixture of digital technology, graphical design, sound, performance and virtual reality, to build up the blank beg of the internal space and create an immersive environment.In contrast, back inside the external context, this diverse layering of attributes is a pre-defined condition. The built environment provides the experience, the context, sights, sounds, and smells that are o nly(prenominal) ever fabricated within the purpose built gallery. Naturally occurring phenomena, the layering of human use and habitation, social, economic and political factors, environmental factors, historical and cultural backgrounds, all trustfulness organically to form a stimulating environment. It is interesting therefore that, often, it is the everyday environment that is over bearinged.Many people appear so oblivious to their surroundings, or so insulated from the incursions of modern life, that they really do need some peerless to impasse in front ofthem, signaling wildly, before they raise their eyeball and look up. (Searle, 2007)In the current climate, it is evident that for public art to succeed in such a hostile environment, it needs to have either an impact or a resonance, to make a lasting impression.Exploration through ExampleTo look at how some artists have tackled this idea, this paper focuses on three specific advises of external public art, that not only no te-worthy for their ripe approach, have also have risen to the challenges of a modern society, and are projects that deliberately provoke geographic expedition of public spaces eliciting fresh thinking nigh long-familiar sites and contexts. (Gastil, 2004, p.99) These are projects that due either to their scale, spontaneity or purpose, could not have occurred within the confines of an art gallery. It is important to note, however, each outcome hit the books did have a direct link with the conventional gallery setting, showing an interesting interdependence. This affinity freighter be seen to differ between the examples, certified on the requirements of the specific project.In examining the three instance studies, I intend to explore more specifically the differing methods employed by the artists to engage the viewer the context of urban art and how it affects its purpose, meaning, and observe, and whether the relationship these projects had with conventional art gallery, strengthened the work itself.GormleyThe first project, shell Horizon, was a large-scale sculpture project by Antony Gormley, centered around the Hayward Gallery on the southerly bank of the Thames in 2007. As one of capital of the United Kingdoms most ambitious public art commissions, 31 life size of it replicas of the artists naked body were fragmented within a two kilometer proximity of this central London site.4 of these 31 statues were made from cast iron and located at street level. By temporarily placing them in the direct pathway of the public, tangibly interrupting the course of daily life, (www.antonygormley.com, 2009), the artist orchestrated an engagement through a series of confrontations. The unsuspecting passer-by was challenged to make a decision. Whether tourist, resident or daily commuter, the passer-by was forced to choose either to walk by head down, to pause to take in the sight, or to stop and cash in ones chips out to touch this alien figure.The remaining 27 figures, were alternatively determined overhead, on the rooftops of prominent edifices. The unexpected sighting of a human silhouette inhabiting the skyline, evoked intrigue and astonishment (and in some more polemical congresswomans, a phone call to the emergency services). In either encounter, the installation achieved its preliminary goal in forming an initial dialogue between itself and the passer-by. in spite of beness extended over this two kilometer site, the canvassed placement of the statues, ensured that more than one would always be apparent in the peripheral flock of the spectator, widening the scale of the work. Whilst some were clearly visible and others a mere speck on the horizon, there became an ambiguity to how many more of these figures there were displace around the city.The work connects the palpable, perceptual and conceptual, and implicates the viewer in a field condition. (www.antonygormley.com, 2009)Through an implied interrelationship between the figures and their various locations, the existing built environment became the larger stage on which the display was set.The spectator was distanced from the works on the horizon, but the implication was that they themselves, by standing within this stage, could also be an additional figure in the landscape.At street level, the secern proximity of the statues further increased this active participation of the spectator / passer-by, by permitting closer examination. The tactile quality and scale of the figures, their material response to environmental factors such as the style of rust and the shadows cast from them by the sun, could all be observed and assessed first hand, making the project more memorable.By integrating this temporary installation into the familiar urban landscape, Gormley does not only try to encourage the spectator to look at the private statues, but to look afresh at their surroundings. In this case the eye is wasted to aspects of the skyline that are fr equently overlooked and spectators are encourage to consider their relationship as individuals to the city and other inhabitants.Event Horizon gives one a terrific sense of the citys scale, of the relative size of the human in relation to the architecture, of the distances and proximities of the citys jumbled elevations. (Searle, 2007)Event Horizon ran in parallel with an exhibition of Gormleys earlier sculptures, prints, pass alongings and photographs, located within the Hayward Gallery itself. These works were seminal in their own right, but the curiosity developed by placing the figures within the urban context, encouraged a removed larger number of travel toors to the exhibition.Each of the 31 external statues had been rotated to face the external viewing balcony of the Hayward making this the focal point of attraction. Visitors flooded into the gallery to this observation deck, to stand and look back out at the city. Deliberately no figures were placed on the balcony itself , in a reversal of the normal relationship between viewer and art object, (Gormley in Vidler, 2007, p.47) those observing from the gallery, were encouraged to watch the array of interactions with the art in the street.Once in the gallery setting, visitors could then observe similar statues within a different context. The gallery provided an alternative insight to the work, and ultimately this relationship further enhanced the overall experience.Christo and Jeanne-ClaudeThe highly publicised installation draped Reichstag, by Christo and Jeanne-Claude provides the flash case study. In 1995 The Reichstag in Berlin, a sign of democracy for Germany, was wrapped for 14 days in 100,000 square meters of fat woven polypropylene fabric. A steel framework was temporarily installed to the facades and roof of the building, altering the genuine proportions and allowing the fabric to cascade to the ground. First conceived in 1971, it took 24 years of public forums, parliamentary debates, pre ss conferences and design trials, before adulation for the project was granted and as such the considerable activity that preceded the wrapping, became as much a part of the work as the actual installation.As a building of huge historical significance, the image of The Reichstag was a familiar one and therefore the initial encounter of the viewer to the installation tended to be one of awe. Both spectacular in scale and drama, this display showcased how projects could be strengthened by their interaction with the outside world. The draped fabric took on a dynamic quality by being free to ripple in the wind, whilst the aluminum coating reflected the sun during the day and became muted in the evening. Even the sheer amount of people who went to see the transformation, provided a spectacle in itself.By being deliberately temporary, the work was enhanced in intensity level and measure. Described as a revelation through concealment, (Bourdon, 1971) by transforming the appearance it dr ew on peoples memory to remember the original proportions, the materiality and the solidarity of the building hidden beneath. When the installation was then dismantled and the site returned to its original state, this too provoked a further re-evaluation that continued long after the project was dismantled.In 1995, it was seen by five million people and has retained its former through documentation and memory long after it was removed. (Gastil, 1997, p.102)In this instance the relationship of the gallery was based around two parts. Prior to the two-week installation, the role of the galley was one of promotion. Due to the sheer logistics of wrapping such a signifi pharisaism icon of German history, drawings, collages and scale models were, over a period of years, displayed within a multitude of galleries. Beginning at the Annely Juda Gallery in London and then moving to galleries in Cologne and finally Berlin, the artists sought-after(a) an international awareness of the project, t o raise both the public support and the pay required to undertake the task.After the event, photographs taken during the installation, were then exhibited alongside the original drawings as a record of the event. The wrapping of The Reichstag also raised some(prenominal) political and historical issues, which were again documented within these further exhibitions, to flourish the background knowledge of the visitor.The spectacle was executed within the urban environment, but for those who perhaps could not attend, those that had heard about the event only afterwards through the media, or those that simply wanted to learn more, the contemporary art gallery provided this forum and subsequently extended the life of the installation.SlinkachuThe third example is far subtler in nature. Produced by artist Slinkachu in 2006, a series of one-inch mini-installations were created for, and placed in, the streets of London. In modifying dinky, shop bought plastic figurines and placing the m within a real urban context, Slinkachu curated everyday human scenarios, in miniature, whether it be reading the newspaper, shopping, sight-seeing or meshed in more criminal activities.Unlike the two previous examples, the art works of Slinkachu, did not rely on being at odds with their urban surroundings. Left to be discovered by passers-by, the orchestrated scenes invited exploration through curiosity and intrigue.Like Gormleys statues, these miniature figures were designed to engage the audience emotively through personal resonance.Even when you know they are just hand-painted figurines, you cant help but feel that their plights convey something of our own fears about being lost and vulnerable. (The times, 2006)In the urban context, by the very nature of the size of the installation, even the trained eye could pass over the work unheeded and the pieces were only likely to attract the attention of a very small number of people. To ensure the engagement of a wider audience, S linkachu captured these interventions through photographic images that appeared, in tandem, on advertisement boards throughout the city.For each miniature scene, photographs were taken from distances both far away and up close, yet the advertisement boards showed only one image of the set, deliberately puzzling the passer-by and encouraging a second glance. In the wider scene it was not immediately obvious where the work was, whilst at the macro scale, the figurines appeared to adopt human proportions.The artist also relied on the traditional gallery space to provide an interpretive voice. Exhibiting at the Cosh Gallery, the two photographs of each installation could be placed adjacent to one some other alongside recreated scenes of the original context, revealing the distortion of scale, to the viewer, in a witty manner.The gallery in this instance provided recognition of the artist and of his installations that outside of the gallery setting, were not necessarily obvious as a pie ces of art. If the audience had been out(prenominal) in encountering the installations in the urban environment or, alternatively once engaged, simply wanted to learn more, the gallery provided a space to summarize the events that occurred externally.In a reversal of roles, for some the gallery even became the offset point. On noting the separate scenarios and their locations within the city, visitors would often be encouraged to then go back outside and search for the work, which by then however, may have been washed away by rain, discarded as trumpery or rescued as a treasure.ConclusionWhilst each individual will observe or experience a situation differently, dependent on their own preconceptions, by engineering encounters, storylines and multi-sensorial experiences, in each case study, the artists have been successful in encouraging an audience to raise their eyes and look up (Searle, 2007) from their everyday lives. As demonstrated, if works of art can evoke an emotive resp onse from the spectator, such as shock, awe, curiosity or empathy, it can contribute to a lasting impression. Also by being temporary in nature there is an element of spontaneity to these places and events that is memorable. One doesnt actually expect the experience you arrive at. (Gastil, 1997, p.18) In the example of Event Horizon, even the most unsuspecting of passers-by, can become active participants in the drama unfolding around them.It is evident that each case study also became strengthened by the richness of its surrounding location. By being placed alongside attributes identifiable in everyday life, the spectator could draw upon a deeper social and cultural framework, to form their own opinion of the art. In turn, as new interventions within familiar landscapes, these projects heightened the awareness of the spectator and encouraged them, even if only subliminally, to reassess the urban environment around them.The value of urban art is therefore, not judged solely on its o wn native merits as an individual piece or installation, but instead its value is in the dialogue it can generate between itself, the spectator and the surrounding context.The purpose of this paper is not to suggest that displays in the urban environment are ever likely to replace or take anteriority over those in the typical gallery space, but that by being more experimental in nature, they act as a throttle valve to test the perceptions of a developing audience.For many of us the designed air of the modern art gallery or museum still represents a gracious of elitism, (Dernie, 2006, p.9) Alternatively the unpredictable and unregulated external environment, offers familiarity, an opportunity for spontaneity, and a larger stage on which to exhibit. Urban installations bring works of art to a mass audience to those who may not be actively want it, but might well become engaged by it and find enjoyment from it. They can motivate people to seek further thought in entering a galler y they would perhaps not visit otherwise.The contemporary art gallery in linking with these urban installations has adapted and taken on a new supporting role, providing a level of education, a longer lasting memory, financial incentives, recognition and ultimately a voice between the artist and general public.The advantage of combining these two environments, as indicated in the three case studies, is that this relationship can be of mutual benefit, it can provide added value and impact and prove fruitful in engaging a wider diverse audience, or as in the case of Slinkachu, even lead to a cult following.Related bibliographyBooksBaal-Teshuva, J. (2001), Christo and Jeanne-Claude, TaschenBourdon, D. (1971), Christo, Harry N. Abrams Publishers, New YorkChernow, B. (2000), Christo and Jeanne-Claude A Biography, St Martins Press, New YorkDernie, D. (2006), Exhibition Design, Laurence King, LondonGastil, W., Ryan, Z. (2004), Open New Designs for Public Space, Princeton Architectural Pres sHoll, S. (2007), Questions of Perception Phenomenology of Architecture (2nd Edition), William K Stout PublishersLynch, K. (1972), What Time is This Place, MIT Press, Cambridge, MAMiles, M. (1997), Art, Space and the City Public Art and Urban Futures, RoutledgeODoherty, B. (2000), internal the White Cube The Ideology of the Gallery Space, University of California Press, CaliforniaPallasmaa, J. (2005) The eye of the Skin Architecture and the Senses (2nd Edition), John Wiley SonsPsarra, S. (2009), Architecture and Narrative The formation of space and cultural meaning, Routledge, OxfordSelf, W. (2008), Little People in the City The street art of Slinkachu, Boxtree, OxfordVidler, A., Stewart, S. and Mitchell, W. (2007), Anthony Gormley Blind Light, Hayward Gallery Publishing, LondonZardini, M. (2005) Sense of the City An Alternative approaching to Urbanism, Lars Muller Publishers, TorontoPress ArticlesSearle, A., (2007), Antonys Army, The Guardian, May 15thWebsites (Accessed 04/01/10 )The Newport News Public Art Foundation, What is Public Art, functional from (Accessed 03/01/10)The Times, (2006), The Blog of the Week, October 28th, getable from (Accessed 29/12/09) video recording Credits pullulate by Miller, D. (2005) The White Cube Gallery, Available from scud by Hopper, D. (1967) Fluids by Allan Kaprow, Los Angeles, Available from Running Fence by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, California, (1972) in Baal-Teshuva, J. (2001), Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Taschen buck by Aschkenas, D. (1985) Tilted Arc by Richard Serra, Available from renowned advertisement boards on Piccadilly Circus, London, (2005) Available from synergistic Displays, London Underground, (2007) Available from Nikon Interactive Lightbox, Subway Station Seoul, (2009) Available from frivol away by White, S. (2007) Event Horizon, in Vidler, A., Stewart, S. and Mitchell, W. (2007) Anthony Gormley Blind Light, Hayward Gallery Publishing, LondonEvent Horizon (2007) Available fromPhotograph by White, S . (2007) Event Horizon, in Vidler, A., Stewart, S. and Mitchell, W. (2007) Anthony Gormley Blind Light, Hayward Gallery Publishing, LondonPhotograph by Harrison, C. (2007) Event Horizon By Antony Gormley, Waterloo Bridge, London, Available fromWrapped Reichstag (1995) in Baal-Teshuva, J. (2001), Christo and Jeanne-Claude, TaschenPhotograph by Manzanares, R. (2009) Christo and Jeanne-Claude with a model of Wrapped Reichstag, Available from preceding Drawings, Wrapped Reichstag in Baal-Teshuva, J. (2001), Christo and Jeanne-Claude, TaschenPhotograph by Hecht, H. (1995) Wrapped Reichstag, Available from Photograph by Hecht, H. (1995) Wrapped Reichstag at Night, Available from Slinkachu, (2008) Ground Zero fly Show, Cosh Gallery, London, Available fromSlinkachu, (2008) Ground Zero Solo Show, Cosh Gallery, London, Available fromSlinkachu, (2007) I patois Actually Graffiti, Festival Hall, London, Available fromSlinkachu, (2007) I Cant Actually Graffiti, Festival Hall, London, Availabl e fromSlinkachu, (2009) Small Victory, Billingsgate, London, Available fromSlinkachu, (2009) Small Victory, Billingsgate, London, Available from