Week Three: Suzanne Lacy

Analyzing the concept of “new genre” public art and its influence outside the museum and on the public audience

In the essay titled, “Cultural Pilgrimages and Metaphoric Journeys,” by author Suzanne Lacy, the concept of “new genre public art” is introduced to the reader as a system utilizing traditional and non-traditional media for a broad and diversified audience. According to Lacy, this system allows the artist to communicate with the audience about the issues directly relevant to their lives rather than creating artworks that do not engage the community. Throughout her essay, Lacy reiterates that art should exist as a response to nature, politics, society, and culture rather than conform to economic domination.

The overall effectiveness of an artwork enhances when an “aesthetic sensibility” is added to accommodate the audience. Some examples that Lacy introduces include race relations, homelessness, aging, gang warfare, and cultural identity. She also mentions toxic waste, which is a common topic today addressed by numerous artists due to the global warming crisis and political agendas. With public art, artists are turning towards creating installations, performances, mixed media, and more conceptual pieces to present to the community. Lacy’s essay emphasizes the importance of experimentation with form and content to engage others into the artworks through social strategy and effectiveness.

In addition, Lacy raises awareness to the location of the artworks and how access can affect the piece. She mentions the example of a sculpture situated in a public plaza and how the every day audience reacts to the addition in their town. Public art today involves more than just an artist creating a piece, it requires collaboration between a team of architects and designers for “greater public accountability.”

Lacy addresses a specific example includes Richard Serra’s Tilted Arc, which frustrated hundreds of office workers because the enormous sculpture took over the square. Perhaps, they were more angered about walking around the entire structure of the piece rather than its placement on the plaza. Ultimately, Serra’s artwork was removed after receiving much dissatisfaction from the public. However, what if Serra considered this reaction or became surprised by this negative feedback? In fact, Lacy discusses how that relationship between the townspeople and the artist becomes part of the artwork itself. The reaction of the audience needs to be considered with each piece and documentation of this rapport adds to the artwork for future projects.

Lacy states in her essay how new genre public art also entails other forms of intervention such as running for political office or reducing gang warfare in different communities. Just as a large steel structure can intrude on a plaza and cause uproar, so can political action or crime intervention. By engaging in these activities, both the artist and public are raising awareness to these daily issues. According to Lacy, by documenting this process, the artist demands more democratic participation from the public rather than pursue private interests.

According to Lacy, public art is making a shift towards the real environment where “incorporated weather, behavior, and ecology” are equivalent to the meaning of life. In her essay, Lacy discusses how the importance of exploring the “subconscious of cultural identity” and feminist art education. She states that by incorporating the primary audience into the work and educational programs will cater to that real environment wherever it is located. Within her essay, Lacy mentions the term “community of origin” to describe where public art takes place and who it represents in those locations.

Lacy provides an example of a muralist who paints images onto concrete barricades, walkways, and buildings throughout the city to reach people of the barrios and ghettos. In this case, access to a museum or gallery is limited and therefore, access to a diverse collection of art becomes limited. In order to engage the audience, muralists bring their aesthetic sensibility into the neighborhoods. Many times, artists will interact with their audience and inspire them to participate. This form of engagement has influenced graffiti artists to become more than the label as a criminal performing vandalism. These artists are representing their community and often highlight the triumphs and sorrows of the barrios and ghettos that others overlook.

By highlighting adversity within the labor communities, the artist expresses the stories of the people who often become voiceless due to social and political agendas. Towards the end of her essay, Lacy discusses how the community faces violence, racism, censorship, and ecological damage and how the role of the artist evolves to include these “conclusions from different vantage points.” Perhaps through public art, we can realize the true desire to activate each other whether it is through the role of the critic, architect, or viewer. Otherwise, artists can at least take all these viewpoints into consideration during the artmaking process and document it as well. Many times, a public artwork becomes more exciting based on its conceptual process and drawing phases. The work encourages more feedback and the process is better understood since it is open-ended and tangible, which coincides to the characteristics of the artwork standing at the center of a plaza.