adminMany times, human nature is pushed to the side as an excuse for how we are as a species to say. The need to have control, the knowledge, to be the best, and more mostly are human characteristics that are just used as excuses. For instance, the world’s current situation in regards to the pandemic, no one know what was going on, how to solve/treat the illness, and everyone panicked with this new threat. But this is not the importance of paying attention to human nature. Jessica Stockholder is an artist who has been known to sculpt and create beautiful pieces that the more one stares, the more that can be seen and understood. Human nature for her isn’t just an excuse its apart of her art, a key detail when displaying the pieces within the gallery to take control of the environment. By being able to use her “human nature” to set up her pieces the way that she had planned them within her head and on paper so allows the viewer to see everything.
Here, within the gallery she wants the viewer, the audience to see more than just the pieces of art, the value -the effort and thought put into the pieces, the symbolism – the embodiment of the pieces, and thought provoking. The closer one pays attention, the longer the single glance, the more everything about her pieces come into play. Jessica Stockholder had said that she lets her hands direct the way that her artwork flows towards the end game, taking the literal area the art represents and provoking an emotional reaction. Usually art does take people on an emotional ride but through a different way not usually without a set scene or moment that touches the heart in some way or another. Additionally, the set-up of the piece most times are not thought of in the way that Jessica Stockholder presents and explores the space surrounding the pieces. The setup is important, yes but not the same, it allows one to look closer and see all that she has done in each part of the sculpture.
When looking closely at each piece of hers, the longer the staring contest is the more that can be seen but only in person, the pieces do look amazing online, but do cut many details out. The details might not always be small or big but as she showed a few of her pieces she had explained aspects that the computer screen could not display within one -three photos unless they were close ups. However, given the ability during this time to experience her pieces in-person, allows the details to come out towards the audience. All of the pieces that she collected, recycled, reused to create an otherworldly display that entices people with color among other features. This results in people looking at one piece for long periods of time just to see everything that can be connected, together, to understand it unlike any other art piece with its unique way of display.
I find the style of Jessica Stockholder’s art quite intriguing by how her process goes to the way she intends and hopes her art is viewed by the audience. The way that human nature is a part of the simplicity and complexity that art is just by looking closer, paying more attention to each feature of her pieces.