“Art really exists only in relation to audiences and their experiences.”
-Jim Phills, 2005
We concluded our first class of Curatorial Practice in the 21st Century with this quotation, which really made me think about the relationship between art and viewer. It also resonates with my experience this past Tuesday evening, when I had the pleasure of accompanying the curator I will be interning with at the Phillips Collection this fall to a private collector’s home. Never having done this before, I did not know what to expect. It ended up being a few hours that I will never forget.
Upon entering the collector’s home, I found an incredibly extensive and impressive collection, including photographs by Burtynsky, Stieglitz, Frank, Weston, Muybridge, and Weegee (just to name a few…there were far, far more!!), as well as sculptures that included five small works by Anthony Caro. As this couple plans to loan these Caro sculptures for a future exhibition at the Phillips, which I will be working on this semester, it was a perfect way to start off my internship by hearing about the sculptures first-hand from the collector.
This man, in his late 80s, essentially functioned as a curator, turning each room in his house (which was more like a museum!) into its own unique gallery space, with an arrangement of photographs on each wall and his prized Caro sculptures in their respective suitable locations. Moreover, he led us through his home on a specific route, which he never deviates from, in order to provide us with the intended viewing experience. He had incredible insight to the history and context of each work, but what was even more impressive was his genuine passion for what he collected. When we arrived at the first Caro he ever purchased, I asked him why he chose this particular work. His eyes lit up as he looked at me and remarked “It is everything!” Those three words seemed to say it all, but he elaborated on how it provided him with an endless set of metaphors. He specifically saw the seashore, a whale, and the overall essence of the natural world, which he was personally attracted to. As an individual who spends a great deal of time at his beach house and has a great passion for sailing, it is no surprise that he was drawn to this piece (which still remains his favorite). Thus, he instantly developed a deep personal connection to this work, and from then on he became a devoted admirer of all things Anthony Caro…
This brings me back to the idea of art’s value in relation to the viewer and his or her own personal experiences. This work was valuable to this particular individual from the moment he first saw on it, and he continues to possess a deep love for it myriad decades later. As everyone has had their own experiences and maintains individual proclivities, what is valuable to one person may not have the same effect on the next. Yet, without that special connection that individuals feel for a certain piece of art, it would not maintain the same value it does.
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