Art doesn’t always have to be beautiful. As we have seen, it can sometimes be terrifying and sometimes even a degree upsetting. The purpose, after all, is to elicit emotions from whoever views it. These emotions greatly depend on how the person interprets the piece as well. Its meaning can change over time.
This is one of the best things about art: it stretches your imagination and can be a form of escapism from the mundane. There are those that have delighted art fans, while others created controversy in the field. In this listicle, we’ll take a look at some of the pieces that helped redefine what art actually is.
Damien Hirst – The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living
Damien Hirst is given credit as one of the most recognized names when it comes to modern artwork. His pieces have both inspired and scandalized the art world, but there’s no doubting his vision and artistry. One of the most bizarre pieces he has put out is The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. The full title is quite the mouthful so let’s stick to the name that it is commonly known as: Pickled Shark.
First displayed in 1991, many criticized it for being nothing more than a zoological display. They even went as far as calling the piece a con. As for Hirst, he made it to bring attention to various environmental issues, which include our treatment of creatures we see as predators, often hunting them to extinction. Given this context, Pickled Shark becomes a degree more unsettling, doesn’t it?
Susan and Pete Hill – Sleeping Green Maid
The creative duo Susan and Pete Hill are known for creating organic sculptures made out of grass, moss, clay, and a slew of other natural materials. One of their most well-known work is the Sleeping Green Maid, which currently rests in the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, United Kingdom. You may not even notice the slumbering sculpture at first glance, given how well she blends in with the surrounding greenery. Once you do, however, it’s hard not to take your eyes away from her.
The beauty of this type of art is that it highlights the beauty of our environment and the need to make investments towards its protection.
Tracey Emin – My Bed
Tracey Emin is no stranger when it comes to creating pieces that are meant to expose viewers to a dose of unfiltered reality. No attempts are made to sugarcoat or beautify her creations, which we like to think is also one of her biggest draws. For her 1998 piece My Bed, she presented an unmade bed in all of its messy glory. The idea was to take in the details one by one to create a whole story, but one that is only clear to the person viewing it. The artist leaves everything to your imagination so you can create your own narrative. Powerful, isn’t it?
It’s this degree of rawness that created much controversy when it was first displayed. Is it art or just another lazy attempt at something profound? You be the judge.
Dali Atomicus – Salvador Dali
When it comes to the surreal and controversial, no list would be complete without the mention of Salvador Dali. He is recognized by many as one of the masters in the field and his pieces will certainly take you for a trip. In Dali Atomicus, he is suspended in mid-air while surrounded by a menagerie of other items. Among which are three leaping cats, a chair, one of his own artworks, and a trail of water splashed across the scene.
It’s a sequence straight out of a fever dream and Phillipe Halsman’s black and white photograph of it only furthers that illusion. How much investment money would you pay for this valuable piece?
Camila Caneque – Dead End Performance
Camila Caneque is an artist from Barcelona, Spain. Her brand of conceptual performance art is quickly gaining renown all around the world. Aside from using her own body and the space she’s in as a canvas, Caneque is also a writer and a photographer.
Dead End Performance has been displayed at different shows around the world. It represents a person’s sudden passing, thought to also be symbolic of Spain. Dressed in a flamenco costume, she can stay faced down on the flooring for hours on end with every performance.
Many may question the merit of some modern art pieces, but what we often overlook is their straightforwardness and simplicity. In many of these pieces, no deep thought is required, only the acceptance of the reality that is right in front of us.
Sources:
Cover:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey6-Q1ZTqVw
Body 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDuzy-t7GDA
Body 2 https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpmarks/7826097604
Body 3-https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevemepsted/10902076854
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