I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Siah Armajani’s artwork at first. His work is featured in Dialogue with Democracy currently being exhibited in the Bloch Building project space. Although very interesting, I was not sure I was getting it. I was mostly thinking, “That green wood stain is really cool; I wonder if I could find that at a hardware store…” But then, I began to read, contemplate and understand the artworks.
The first piece that made me really begin to understand a bit of Armajani’s ideology is Chair for Sacco and Vanzetti Reading Room. The work is neat by itself, but there is a picture on the wall of the chair in the reading room actually being used – that’s when it clicked. I think it’s really interesting when artists want their art to be utilitarian and of the everyday. Armajani seems to make art at a level that all people can understand – because they can use it, touch it and interact with it.
I was also intrigued by the simplicity of the forms he uses. The wall text says his aesthetic is that of a “one-room school house and the small-town church.” And those curators sure know what they are talking about, because that is exactly what it looks like. His work is truly American, and he strives to bring about social interaction in his work.
Elements #16 is comprised of a recurring aspect of his work, the bridge. Not only has he actually created city bridges, but he encourages the viewer to really think about what the term “bridge” means. He uses functional items such as a bridge and a table for people to begin thinking about his art in terms of meeting places and human interactions in the everyday.
If you’re ever in doubt of a certain artist or wonder if you don’t quite understand the meaning of the work, make sure you read. Those scrupulously designed texts on the wall and labels really do serve their purpose. I ended up leaving the exhibit thinking about art in a new way.
P.S. If you are an admirer of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, you definitely need to check Dialogue with Democracy out.