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FRANZ WEST |
Franz West realized early on in his career that simply looking at a work of art wasn't enough: "...the purely visual experience of an artwork was somehow insufficient. I wanted to go beyond the purely optical and include tactile qualities as well. My works aren't things one just looks at, but things that the viewer is invited to handle." Throughout his wide range of projects, which includes works on paper, furniture design, small objects, and multimedia installations, West's art is meant to be engaging.
Large metal sculptures such as Meeting Point 3 have become a signature element of West's work, and have appeared in public spaces including Lincoln Center in New York City. "I like art in the streets," West has said. "It doesn't demand that you make a special journey to see it, it's simply there." Meeting Point 3 is part of a series of conversation pieces that did not end up as West had first planned. He explained, "With outdoor sculptures I wanted to insult the taste of nature, but then I was carried away by something I perceived to be beautiful." The fanciful shapes of West's large scale sculptures begin as a three-dimensional doodle in Plasticine, a soft, clay-like substance that never hardens, and the spontaneity of the design remains when enlarged to monumental scale in aluminum and steel.
Works such as Meeting Point 3 are meant to draw viewers in with their bright colors, playful shapes, and their existence in our space, on the ground where the viewer stands. The artist hopes that viewers will interact with his work--by climbing, sitting, and playing on the sculptures--and enjoy the relationship.
– Mariann Smith, Curator of Education