Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Hassold, Cris

Keywords

Public Art, Public Sphere, Contemporary Art, Production of Space

Area of Concentration

Humanities

Abstract

In 1990 Suzanne Lacy coined the term "new genre public art" to describe a new breed of public art practitioners whose work reinvigorated an impoverished and marginal field. The primary tenet of "new genre public art" is that a work can be considered public as a result of its subject matter and social import rather than its placement. This thesis explores the contemporary relevance of this genre that was envisioned over twenty years ago. To this end I engage with a number of theories to reevaluate the significance of space and public as socially created states. The first chapter contains a brief history of public art as it has developed in the United States. The second introduces relevant theories that serve as a framework for the art that I analyze. The following two chapters explore the work of two Contemporary artists, Francis Al�s and Krzysztof Wodiczko. These artists share an interest in the significance of subjective experience within dominant social and political value systems. They restore the subjective body though the creation, reinterpretation, or projection of narratives. Al�s uses his own body in performances that question the authenticity of a reality constructed through hegemonic power systems. Such performances elaborate on or produce fables that suspend meaning and open up a space that may reveal the absurdity of certain circumstances. Wodiczko stages or facilitates situations that amplify personal narratives that have been subjugated or suppressed. The narratives, or testimonies, provided by the participants in these pieces reveal the complexities of human emotion and experience in a reality that silences them under the threat of further marginalization. I believe that the pieces I analyze present a unique model for contemporary public art practice.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

Download

Share

COinS