Three Art Works by Rashid Johnson - Term Paper Example

 Three Art Works by Rashid Johnson I. Introduction Here we will be analyzing three works of different subject matter selected from Rashid Johnson in terms of: historical setting; creative process and technique; and visual analysis and aesthetic character. The three works to be analyzed in each respective section include the following titles: “How Ya Like Me Now?”; “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”; and “Green Belt.” II. Historical Setting 
 Regarding historical setting, we know that Black Steel was composed in 2008, while How was composed in 2010—while we don’t necessarily know the year that Johnson created Green Belt. Regarding historical settings, there are “structure[s] indicated by an artist at a particular time in an art-historical context…where [a crucial] time is the time when the work was created.”1 Let’s take the piece of art Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos. Basically, this image looks like that of a sight on a gun. The entire piece is in the color black. This sight was composed in 2008, the same year of the economic collapse in the United States. This could be seen as a commentary on the predatory nature of American society. There was just recently a story in the news about how there is a gun range in Florida called Combat City. People can stay all day if they want, at this particular gun range. Even though real ammunition is not utilized, the modified guns are designed to hurt when the target is shot. Children as young as 8 years of age may play. What is frustrating is that this piece evokes images of violence and guns that are all too prevalent in our culture. How Ya Like Me Now? was composed in 2010. It looks like a prayer rug with yellow circles of some type put on top of the rug on various strategically-placed points that align with the design of the rug. It’s not exactly certain what would have been the historical significance of this piece—nor do we really have any information about the image Green Belt, which looks like a rather older photo, possibly taken in the ‘70s, although we’re really not sure. III. Creative Process & Technique 
 Green Belt looks like it was a photo that was retouched in order to look somewhat older. How looks like it took some careful construction, with the arrangement of the rug and the yellowish balls. Black Steel seems like it was a relatively simple design concept. As for how the artist, Rashid Johnson, went through the creative process—it is not exactly certain what his particular process was. We can only guess, for, there is perhaps “no better illustration of the mystery of the creative process.”2 Obviously, in Green Belt, the technique that was utilized was some sort of aging process to make the edges of the paper look older—like an antiquated document. How looks like it took some careful thought on the part of the artist as to the placement of the gold balls. Black Steel looks like it was constructed according to some type of schema that the artist had created beforehand in his mind. IV. Visual Analysis & Aesthetic Character Visual analysis is part of what goes into analyzing an artwork. For example, all of the artworks shown here are not necessarily the most stunning pieces visually—however, they do catch one’s interest in terms of making one think about what is the significance of these pieces of art. For example, the visual analysis of Black Steel might not be as riveting as something such as, say, Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory. However, as an onlooker, one can still appreciate the kind of thought that went into these pieces, regardless of their aesthetic characteristics. This brings us to the second point, which is about the aesthetic character of each of the pieces. “The primacy of the object is affirmed aesthetically only in the character of art as the unconscious writing of history, as anamnesis of the vanquished, of the repressed, and perhaps of what is possible.”3 There is a very raw, primal feel to Green Belt, while Black Steel intrigues and captures one’s imagination with the images of force and violence, harkening back to the idea of a gun sight. There are some very powerful images here, aesthetically speaking. Also, in How, balls of (what could be) gold are placed on top of what looks like an Islamic prayer rug. How is a piece that makes one wonder, especially because oil- and gold-rich Middle Eastern countries are frequently at the center of conflict. Does the fact that these countries have vast amounts of valuable resources make the West more interested in cooperating with the Middle East even though these two parts of the world have vastly different value systems in place? All three pieces have certain aesthetic elements present, but none of the pieces is necessarily particularly aesthetically appealing. It remains to be seen what the artist himself actually visualized in terms of what was the point he was trying to get across in displaying these pieces of art. It’s certain that the artist certainly had particular ideas regarding how his works would be viewed. In short, none of these pieces are necessarily particularly fascinating. The subject matter is rather banal unless one reads into it various meanings that could only be extrapolated with some deep thought. Therefore, it is the opinion of this author that the works shown here could only be classified as contemporary art, because it pushes the boundaries of what is considered “good” art, and thus, “aesthetically pleasing” work. V. Conclusion The emotional expression, the attraction of the pieces, the artistic achievements arrived at by these works, and the virtues conveyed therein must be discussed here at the end of our discussion. We’ve analyzed: the historical settings of the pieces; the creative process and technique of the pieces; and the visual analysis and aesthetic character of these truly unique works. The emotional expression of these works as a combined whole show Rashid Johnson’s desperate attempt to connect with his audience through rendering a series of pieces which jar the onlooker’s attention to be riveted towards a prayer rug on which lie yellow balls, a gun sight, and a black man wearing a green belt in karate, it seems. There is not much about these works that is necessarily aesthetically attractive. However, what Johnson has done is to command an artistic achievement having addressed issues of religion, violence, and race that are brought up in the pieces of How, Black Steel, and Green Belt, respectively. It seems then, that his artistic achievement here is actually social awareness of the viewer and how that is affected. “[T]he peak of artistic achievement is marked by originality, the genius which creates 'new forms, ideas and images that exceed all bounds of theoretical or rule governed understanding.’”4 Johnson’s virtues are definitely in the right place as he seeks to change minds and forces people to consider a contemporary view of these subjects which challenge the minds of viewers to consider alternatives to what is typically considered “good” or “aesthetic” art—demonstrating that what is not always pleasant is still a stark reality that must be dealt with accordingly. These pieces, although they may not be pretty, per se, ultimately cause the viewer to be more cognizant of what constitutes art and what pushes the boundaries. What type of art makes one think? Is it not also, then, considered “good” art? How much do we value beauty in estimating one’s artistic achievement? Thusly, we must realize that sometimes good art is not always beautiful, and that, indeed, some of the best art may be the kind that forces one to think. REFERENCES Adorno, Theodor W. Aesthetic Theory. US: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004. Pp. 336. Atkins, Sally. Expressive Arts Therapy: Creative Process in Art and Life. US: John F. Blair Publications, 2002. Pp. 46. Stecker, Robert. Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art: An Introduction. US: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Pp. 133. Tanner, Jeremy. The Invention of Art History in Ancient Greece. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Pp. 245. Read More