Is Bigger - Better?

Written By Sofiia Sveshnikova

We are surrounded, and there is no way back. Things are “jumping’ at us from every corner, from our own phones to billboards. Things are battling against each other, trying to grab our attention, to make an impression. The same applies to art; artists desperate to make a statement use spectacle as their go-to to get attention, become famous, and be recognized. But before we blame artists for going into the tricks of the field, I think we should blame ourselves.

We, as viewers, and society in general, became hungry for passive entertainment. We love being amazed, pampered, and shocked. Disney, Universal Studios, Marvel - most popular studios in the world are popular for this one reason - we love being viewers of the impossible. “Debord observed that the spectacle actively alters human interactions and relationships. Images influence our lives and beliefs on a daily basis; advertising manufactures new desires and aspirations. The media interprets (and reduces) the world for us with the use of simple narratives”1

That is why artists like Jeff Koons gain popularity, with what seems to be very superficial ideas wrapped up in shiny material and blown up to a huge size. His balloon sculptures, to my personal taste, don’t seem to have a deep meaning, and if not for their huge size and beautiful shine, nobody would take pictures of them for their Instagram.

 In contrast to Do Ho Suh and his oversized yet very deeply meaningful works that reference the sense of longing, searching for homeland and connection, about our collective experiences as humans, connections and friendships, and relationships, bigger than us, ideas of cosmos and God. His Cause and Effect (2012) piece is a collection of tiny crystal humans wrapped up in an enormous spiral that reminds us how nothing in this world is random or out of place. 2  

Photo credit: Matthew Anderson https://westerngallery.wwu.edu/do-ho-suh-cause-effect-2012

This piece reminded me of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chino Hills temple and its ceiling that I visited just this past weekend. Another artist who doesn’t seem like he does spectacle art for the sake of just making a big art is Richard Serra. As Ossian Ward mentioned, despite the extra-large sizing of his work, 10 by 20 meters for Open Ended (2008), his work cannot be simply reduced to the phrase “bigger is better.”3 

Photo Credit: https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/17142

His thought process is much deeper and elaborate. The interview Richard Sierra had with Charlie Rose explains his worldview and place he is coming from. The obsession with a perception of oneself, of how you feel yourself in a shaped form rather than just viewing it passively as an object. As Richard called it: “notion of time, space and movement” and it was inspired by Japanese gardens he visited. 4 

In conclusion, I wanted to say that the best way to judge art sometimes is to look for the core idea behind the piece, and the motivation of the artist. Viewers should make assessments for themselves, and artists should be honest with themselves about what moves them in making decisions - genuine heart and idea, or just fame? Not everything that is large is good, yet some ideas are grand that there is no way for them to be effectively expressed in smaller format. 

1 Morgan, Tiernan, and Lauren Purje. “An Illustrated Guide to Guy Debord’s ‘The Society of the Spectacle.’” Hyperallergic, August 10, 2016. https://hyperallergic.com/313435/an-illustrated-guide-to-guy-debords-the-society-of-the-spectacle/.

2 “The Evocative Fabric Stylings of Do Ho Suh | Brilliant Ideas Ep. 38,” video, 24:14, presented by Bloomberg, October 10, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbL4jsC0itw.

3  Ossian Ward, Ways of Looking: How to Experience Contemporary Art (London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd, 2014), 148

4 Charlie Rose, Richard Serra - Talk with Charlie Rose (2001), YouTube video, 55:34, posted by “Charlie Rose,” August 5, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEvklGKd6uE, 29:21 

Sofiia Sveshnikova
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