Studying the meanings that emerge at the intersection of the authorial intent and the choice of medium and stylistic tools used to convey the key ideas is one of the most exciting aspects of analyzing artworks. Therefore, the described process of studying the connections between the content and context, form and function, as well as the techniques that can be used with different visual media to convey a particular idea, is the focus of the curatorial interest described in this paper.
The exploration of the links between the content and context requires a profound knowledge of the visual components that are characteristic of art, in general, and art pieces, in particular. The models of expression that define art are highly varied and mostly restricted only by the extent of authors’ creativity, which makes the analysis of art pieces a particularly inspiring process. Moreover, given the diversity of tools for artistic expression, it is particularly curious to see how similar ideas are reexamined with the help of different artistic media. If peeling down the layers of any artwork from any era, one will realize that, behind the layers of culture-specific characteristics and ideas pertaining to a particular cultural movement, the emotions are still the same.
Appealing to the audience’s willingness to see excitement, joy, anger, and surprise in their purest form, artists have managed to introduce people to new aesthetics and interpretation tools. Ocvirk et al. add that “the evolution of style and purpose results in artwork that pushes the boundaries of public acceptability” (7). Indeed, the tendency to create new forms that could explore the depth of a specific idea has been known to challenge viewers’ perception of reality. As a curator, one needs to understand that the idea of artistic expression transcends cultural boundaries, yet culture-specific ideas and philosophies define the unique properties of art pieces.
Herein lies the need to connect art and history when exploring the hidden layers of meanings in art pieces. It could be argued that artwork needs to stand on its own without the context in which it was created to stand the test of time and become a truly valuable element of art to which every viewer can relate. However, understanding the context of an art piece’s creation encourages a viewer to embrace the notion of multiculturalism and accept the perception of an author, even if for a moment, to examine the intrinsic value of an artistic piece. As a curator, one has to realize the significance of both the historical perspective and the personal interpretation of the meaning of an artwork, both encouraging visitors to appreciate art for its emotional impact and learn more about the content in which it was created.
The form and the visual representation of artwork are, perhaps, the easiest characteristics to notice, yet interpreting them and placing them in the context of a specific period or movement are challenging tasks. The study of the subject matter will allow delving into the history of art, as well as understanding how the choice of an artistic medium affects the further process and the result. For instance, the analysis of variety and proportion in an art piece will inform one about the emotional impact that an artist intended to produce. Comparing the extent of personal impression with the emotional impact that the picture produced on its contemporaries, one may infer the changes that have been observed over time in the interpretation and perception of art, as well as the extent of cultural differences that have facilitated a shift in the understanding of the artwork.
The analysis of the form of an art piece will also entail further discussion about the change in the understanding of the correlation between form and function as intrinsic characteristics of an art piece. The interplay between form and function becomes particularly interesting when considering the phenomena such as chiaroscuro in painting (Ocvirk et al. 49). In the provided example, the use of light and shadow allows placing the emphasis on particular aspects of a drawing, managing the focus of a viewer and, thus, creating the required impression to convey the expected emotion (Huntsman 122). Similarly, the daring approaches toward representing reality used by impressionists and representatives of other movements expanded and perfected the idea challenging the perception of reality.
While the described curatorial interest applies directly to paintings and especially the art pieces belonging to the eras of Impressionism, Cubism, and Post-Modernism, it also allows scrutinizing contemporary art pieces as the representations of the Metamodernism (Navas 194). The analysis of how form and function change in transformative works of contemporary artists will provide an insight into the changes in the principles of the art organization. Although the key traditional elements of artwork, such as line, shape, value, texture, and color, will remain objective characteristics of art, the way of interpreting them from a curatorial perspective may alter depending on the content in which they are placed and the emotions that they are expected to elicit.
Overall, the understanding of harmony as the foundational principle of creating art will have to be established to continue the curatorial work and assist people in developing a solid understanding of art. In addition, building in-depth knowledge of how meaning can be conveyed in art through the interplay between form and function will help to catalog key information about artworks and arrange them in a way that allows amplifying the unique characteristics of an art piece or a collection.
Exploring the concept of harmony as one of the essential concepts in art is also connected to the curatorial interest in the question, particularly, the analysis of the form and function in art pieces. Ocvirk et al. define harmony quite vaguely as a “pleasing relationship between different sections of a composition” (52). However, focusing on harmony as one of the critical constituents of the art analysis will entail a more perceptive view of art and a better understanding of the artwork.
The concept of repetition as an integral part of the form in art is another important subject worth covering from a curatorial perspective. The understanding of form as one of the main methods of establishing the theme and the general mood of an art piece is critical to the ability to render the meaning of the work and place it into a particular context. While repetition as an artistic device is used vastly across different styles and movements to amplify a particular emotion or impression left by a piece of art, the purpose thereof may vary and hinge on the type of art, the era to which it belongs, and other unique properties of the art piece in question. Consequently, as a curator, one has to explore the use of repetition across different art movements and in different eras to establish its purpose in a specific artwork and place it into the appropriate context. The use of repetition as a stylistic choice defined by the trends in a particular movement to which an art piece belongs will allow placing it into a specific category when arranging an exhibition or cataloging them.
Patterns as another element that constitutes artistic form should be listed among the aspects of curatorial interest that one should develop to embrace the emotional weight of art, as well as gain meaningful insight into the authorial intent and the hidden layers of its meaning. A pattern might seem synonymous with repetition since t also implies reiterations of a specific form (Ocvirk et al. 29). However, by definition, a pattern suggests an organized repetition of elements, which introduces harmony into a piece of art. Therefore, introducing a pattern into an art piece can be used as the method of imbuing it with additional meaning and conveying the intended message to a viewer in a new and unique way. Therefore, the study of how the use of patterns in shaping the form of an art object defines its purpose, function, and interpretation, should be regarded as another important subject of a curator’s focus. The analysis of the subject matter will inform the arrangement and planning of exhibitions, the choice of information that will be presented to the audience, and other activities in which a curator has to be involved.
In addition, as a curator, one has to be aware of the key examples of the specified notions applied in the art to leave a unique impact and produce a memorable impression on audiences. For example, a curator may need to help the audience to study the use of repetition as an artistic tool in the art pieces created by Andy Warhol. Rendering the elements of pop culture in a countless number of reiterations to the point where they lose all of their original meanings and become the epitome of a cultural staple, Warhol managed to construct a unique philosophy of art with the help of repetition and the use of a pattern as the main tool for his artistic expression (Ocvirk et al. 56). The described case can be seen as an accurate, if somewhat overused, an example of repetitions and patterns combined into a single entity to produce an inimitable artistic style that has left a large mark on the evolution of pop art as a genre.
From the curatorial perspective, the use of snippets of information such as the one represented above will help to make the phenomenon of art closer to the intended audiences and allow viewers to recognize the subject matter as a method of expression that can be available to and understood by anyone. After being equipped with a minimum of cultural baggage needed to pout a specific image in perspective, a viewer can explore an art piece from a both analytical and emotional perspective, evaluating the effect that an artwork produces and appreciating it both for its ideas and the visual impression that it makes. As a curator, one should assist the audience in understanding this and building the confidence needed for individual exploration of art. As a result, one will be able to arrange items in a way that helps to manage them and make them valuable to visitors. Thus, people will realize that, at their core, art pieces created across centuries and cultures share the same emotions that connect an artist from Ancient Greece to a resident of a twenty-first-century megalopolis.
To understand the basic principles of arrangement in art and embrace the notion of harmony, one will need to study how form and function intersect in art pieces from a curatorial perspective. As a result, one will develop the ability to identify the intended meaning and possible interpretations of artworks from different sociocultural perspectives. Moreover, the focus on the analysis of form and function as the tools of artistic expression will lead to the historical analysis of artworks and, thus, inform a curator about how information about a specific artwork can be introduced to viewers.
The integration of the described perspective will help to elicit a powerful emotional response in viewers, causing the audience to build their knowledge of art. Moreover, opportunities for managing collections in a way that will allow making them as expressive and informative as possible will emerge. The integration of a deeper understanding of form and function, as well as their use in the historical context of an art piece, will lead to a better arrangement of art installations. Overall, the introduced perspective will cause a significant change in the artistic environment of a museum or an art collection, prompting an emotional response in audiences and encouraging dialogue to discuss art pieces, artistic movements, current trends, and possible changes in the future.
Works Cited
Huntsman, Penny. Thinking about Art: A Thematic Guide to Art History. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.
Nacas, Eduardo. Art, Media Design, and Postproduction: Open Guidelines on Appropriation and Remix. Routledge, 2018.
Ocvirk, Otto G., et al. Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice. 12th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2013.