Thank you for sending this link, I had not seen this piece, but I am grateful for it now, especially since we are on the other side of the pandemic.
"Art viewers of the future may one day look back on these efforts as the dancing baloney of the early 2020s. But in the meantime these 3D tours have the advantage of providing something like the feeling of having gotten out of the house. They also raise the question of what will happen to art criticism if such presentations become the new normal. I’ve long held the position that you can’t see the future, but if you see the present as clearly as possible, it’s the next best thing. What I see at the moment is a stymied, struggling art world and a whole honking lot of web pages."
I have experienced a number of these 3d gallery tours but find myself looking for the "thumbnails" to see actual work. I do see that 3d may be a better play for sculpture. Furthermore, in light of reading "Totality" and the importance the author places on the physical relationship the viewer has to the work, and the physical space the work inhabits, speaks to the challenge of replicating the experience online in 3d.
"Visual art will finally have produced an equivalent of the record album in music: something understood to be a diminished reproduction of the core creative activity, yet able to be appreciated as a statement in its own right, and capable of expression not possible in the core creative activity."
This analogy to music pains me, but I suppose it makes sense, similar to reading on a flat screen versus ink on paper.
I was hoping that after chapter 2, chapter 3 would be less complex; this is not the case. This treatise on Newman and his work is a very dense read and one that, for me, is a challenge, primarily because I don’t find Newman’s work very engaging. General thoughts that come to mind as I work my way through this book are increasingly about how we see paintings and in what context.
Looking, studying, and reacting to paintings as print reproductions, is a challenge; when size plays a considerable role it is virtually impossible. The author discusses at length the viewers physical relationship to Newman’s paintings, but alas, this is not possible in a book. Paint handling and application must be “thought” about, it cannot be seen. The same with spacial characteristics . However, in the same breath, I will say that reproductions of paintings whether ink on paper or on a screen play a critical role-how else would the masses see art? Full disclosure, I use a website and Instagram to share my work. The question is to what degree does is the reproduction good enough, or, is it seen as the art object itself?
On this topic, Einspruch states: “I follow the program of Nancy Margolis Gallery, previously featured, which has transformed from a physical space to an online effort. The director has to consider what kind of representations will add value to the experience of looking at her web pages, and ultimately the art itself. It is at once a commercial consideration and a philosophical problem of some intricacy.”
Looking at artwork online has become ubiquitous. As with Nancy Margolis Gallery, the Betty Cunningham Gallery also recently announced its closure and transition to an online presence. Other galleries which host online shows are growing. What does this mean, long term for works of art. Is it a stretch to envision monitors in museums and galleries to supplant the actual works themselves?
"Empson was heartbroken when he mislaid the sole copy of the manuscript in the wake of the Second World War."
An interesting case of meticulously mapping the land, and yet never fully appreciating the Landscape? He spent his life exploring the sculptures of the Buddha, but apparently hadn't absorbed the message of impermanence that each was meant to invoke...
Or looked at another way, imagine studying a religion that so highly treasures concentrated attention and then mislaying your manuscript about it. On the other hand, as the Buddha is thought to have said, shit happens.
Indeed he did! And even as a practicing Buddhist, I still have my computer backed up daily. One does have to wonder that a scholar would never think to simply hire an assistant to periodically copy his work, and then have it sent to a trusted editor, library or even a friend...
Franklin,
Thank you for sending this link, I had not seen this piece, but I am grateful for it now, especially since we are on the other side of the pandemic.
"Art viewers of the future may one day look back on these efforts as the dancing baloney of the early 2020s. But in the meantime these 3D tours have the advantage of providing something like the feeling of having gotten out of the house. They also raise the question of what will happen to art criticism if such presentations become the new normal. I’ve long held the position that you can’t see the future, but if you see the present as clearly as possible, it’s the next best thing. What I see at the moment is a stymied, struggling art world and a whole honking lot of web pages."
I have experienced a number of these 3d gallery tours but find myself looking for the "thumbnails" to see actual work. I do see that 3d may be a better play for sculpture. Furthermore, in light of reading "Totality" and the importance the author places on the physical relationship the viewer has to the work, and the physical space the work inhabits, speaks to the challenge of replicating the experience online in 3d.
"Visual art will finally have produced an equivalent of the record album in music: something understood to be a diminished reproduction of the core creative activity, yet able to be appreciated as a statement in its own right, and capable of expression not possible in the core creative activity."
This analogy to music pains me, but I suppose it makes sense, similar to reading on a flat screen versus ink on paper.
Oy...I'm dating myself!
Peter Joslin
I had to fight off the Get Off My Lawn vibe while I was writing it.
More on Totality
I was hoping that after chapter 2, chapter 3 would be less complex; this is not the case. This treatise on Newman and his work is a very dense read and one that, for me, is a challenge, primarily because I don’t find Newman’s work very engaging. General thoughts that come to mind as I work my way through this book are increasingly about how we see paintings and in what context.
Looking, studying, and reacting to paintings as print reproductions, is a challenge; when size plays a considerable role it is virtually impossible. The author discusses at length the viewers physical relationship to Newman’s paintings, but alas, this is not possible in a book. Paint handling and application must be “thought” about, it cannot be seen. The same with spacial characteristics . However, in the same breath, I will say that reproductions of paintings whether ink on paper or on a screen play a critical role-how else would the masses see art? Full disclosure, I use a website and Instagram to share my work. The question is to what degree does is the reproduction good enough, or, is it seen as the art object itself?
On this topic, Einspruch states: “I follow the program of Nancy Margolis Gallery, previously featured, which has transformed from a physical space to an online effort. The director has to consider what kind of representations will add value to the experience of looking at her web pages, and ultimately the art itself. It is at once a commercial consideration and a philosophical problem of some intricacy.”
Looking at artwork online has become ubiquitous. As with Nancy Margolis Gallery, the Betty Cunningham Gallery also recently announced its closure and transition to an online presence. Other galleries which host online shows are growing. What does this mean, long term for works of art. Is it a stretch to envision monitors in museums and galleries to supplant the actual works themselves?
In case you missed it, I wrote about this very question during the lockdowns.
https://aicausa.org/magazine/the-virtual-critic-a-thought-experiment
I don't think we lose real objects but our experience of them may become even more mediated than they already are.
"Empson was heartbroken when he mislaid the sole copy of the manuscript in the wake of the Second World War."
An interesting case of meticulously mapping the land, and yet never fully appreciating the Landscape? He spent his life exploring the sculptures of the Buddha, but apparently hadn't absorbed the message of impermanence that each was meant to invoke...
Or looked at another way, imagine studying a religion that so highly treasures concentrated attention and then mislaying your manuscript about it. On the other hand, as the Buddha is thought to have said, shit happens.
Indeed he did! And even as a practicing Buddhist, I still have my computer backed up daily. One does have to wonder that a scholar would never think to simply hire an assistant to periodically copy his work, and then have it sent to a trusted editor, library or even a friend...
Clearly, karma ran over his dogma.