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Arty Words

© Sandra Linville

Words show up in the most unexpected places and in the most unusual ways. While walking through New York's Whitney Museum of American Art discovering what the latest and greatest trends were in the American art world, I saw words in a new way.

I was looking for a magic moment...maybe an epiphany, but actually felt just a little overwhelmed. Then, I turned a corner and was delighted to find words among this sea of images. Don't get me wrong, I like to see the world through artists' eyes and images can transport me to new levels, but the Whitney Biennial was a lot to take in, particularly in one speedy trip. And I was able to find focus in the five word paintings of accomplished and veteran conceptual artist Mel Bochner.

Each painting begins with one word in the upper left corner and then begins a journey through a thesaurus. The word "nothing" leads to "negation," "goose egg," etc. The other four words featured in the paintings include: "indifference," "stupid, "meaningless," and "mistake." "Mistake" leads him to words such as "botch," "boner," "fumble," "fluff," "gaffe," and "snafu." All the words are painted in bright, candy colors and I was forced to really look at the words and contemplate their meanings.

The words were obviously not chosen for any uplifting nature and I don't even begin to interpret the message, if any, from the artist. I merely experienced the paintings at face value and found them surprisingly powerful. But, words can do that.

For some, I imagine, they could have found the experience boring. Minimalist, conceptual art isn't for everyone. But, I would suggest following John Cage's advice: "If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring then eight. Then 16. Then 32. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all."

I enjoy conceptual art. Perhaps it's because conceptual artists use language as a tool in their art. Words are their brushes. Their ideas are the artwork.

As I experienced these words in a new environment and new way, I felt the power of art to slow down time. My senses were sharpened and putting any preconceived notions away and resisting the urge of my own ego to intellectualize the experience, I merely stood in front of the five paintings and contemplated the orange, blue, and red (and my memory here is hazy, I remember them as brightly colored, but am not sure about the actual colors and unfortunately I wasn't taking notes) words: "Nothing," "Indifference," "Stupid," "Meaningless," and "Mistake."

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