Abstract Art of the 10th-Century
Every time I visit the Art Institute I am intrigued by one somewhat odd piece in the Southeast Asia gallery that doesn't fit in context with the other ornate works. It is a linga, a nondescript monolith from the Angkor period in the 10th-13th Century, Emblem of the God Shiva.
From a contemporary perspective it is essentially a minimalist abstract sculpture, placed in stark contrast with all the other ornate statues in the gallery. (Apparently it is from a personal collection, perhaps on display for its compelling abstract qualities.)
It has some resemblance to Henry Moore's Nuclear Energy sculpture. Both are semiotic, and describe the times in which they were created, but are vastly different in their implication. The Emblem is phallic but also architectural, with some resemblance to The Trump Tower, with its setbacks.
Abstract sculptures (and some architecture) frequently have a look-alike problem.
Brancusi's Bird in Space was categorized as kitchen utensils/hospital supplies when the artist attempted to transport the work to the United States.
Artifacts in museums tend to get categorized by the controlled vocabularies they are included in, which form a metaphorical frame around them, in this case "ornamental works from the 10th Century Asia", and this unadorned object seemed outside that frame.
From a contemporary perspective it is essentially a minimalist abstract sculpture, placed in stark contrast with all the other ornate statues in the gallery. (Apparently it is from a personal collection, perhaps on display for its compelling abstract qualities.)
It has some resemblance to Henry Moore's Nuclear Energy sculpture. Both are semiotic, and describe the times in which they were created, but are vastly different in their implication. The Emblem is phallic but also architectural, with some resemblance to The Trump Tower, with its setbacks.
Abstract sculptures (and some architecture) frequently have a look-alike problem.
Brancusi's Bird in Space was categorized as kitchen utensils/hospital supplies when the artist attempted to transport the work to the United States.
Artifacts in museums tend to get categorized by the controlled vocabularies they are included in, which form a metaphorical frame around them, in this case "ornamental works from the 10th Century Asia", and this unadorned object seemed outside that frame.
