I saw this video the other day of a Chris Burden kinetic sculpture and found myself looking at similar projects of his. In 1999 Burden designed and implemented an assembly line to create balsa wood airplanes. The installation would then loft the airplanes into the Tate Gallery, it’s new home, and would require two full time attendants. The assembly line failed but was put on display and raised many interesting points about Burden’s intention and whether the failure was intentional. Chris Burden at the Tate Gallery
Searching for more discussions on failed or unintentional art projects, I found a thought provoking article (Impossible Liberties: Kimberly Davenport) which cited an anecdote about a Duane Hanson sculpture:
Duane Hanson’s Sunbather, 1971, a polyester sculpture painted with oil paint and dressed in real clothing, depicts an obese woman sleeping in a flimsy-looking lounge chain Shoes kicked off, snacks and magazines beside her, she appears to be baking in the sun. Sunbather is a characterized stereotype that embodies both the particular and the universal: the oblivious individual and the bloated embodiment of a mindless consumer culture. During Sunbather’s almost twenty years in a museum collection, some subtle and not-so-subtle “interpretive” changes have occurred: various accessories deteriorated or were stolen and replaced; being on view under light had aged parts of the piece; and to create a greater visual boundary, Sunbather was moved from its position directly on the floor and placed on a pedestal.
Despite the pedestal, Sunbather was touched frequently by a public fascinated by its realism. A broken strap of Sunbather’s bathing suit was the catalyst to assess the overall conservation needs of the piece. The figure was dirty. The suit was disintegrating: the top part was sagging, revealing unfinished areas of the body; it was faded and graying, far from the original navy blue and red polka-dotted fabric colors that could still be seen in areas not exposed to light. The snack bags looked more like litter than enticing junk food.
Sunbather’s object file contains an undated document titled “Polyester and Resin Sculptures by Duane Hanson: Technical Information for Maintenance and Restoration Purposes,” which gives Hanson’s descriptions of how the works of various periods were made and his instructions for their maintenance. About the clothing Hanson says to “fluff up the garments and adjust trousers, blouses, etc., to drape naturally. Smooth out unwanted wrinkles, but some wrinkles in clothing look good. In addition, the pieces MUST be kept out of bright sunlight to prevent fading of clothes and painted surface.” Sunbather spent many years of its early life in a private collection where Hanson’s recommendations were unknown or unheeded. Soon after the piece entered the museum in 1978, questions arose about its care, indicated by Hanson’s reply to a staff member’s letter:
l just received your letter. Those bathing caps seem to disintegrate within six months and must be replaced. I’ve never found any that will last very long - so you can take care of that yourself. The bathing suit has faded too - apparently the collector had the sculpture too near a window. I considered replacing it while it was on view at the Whitney but decided I like the fading color. It looks more used that way. If it gets too bad - you can replace it. I don’t object to any other adjustments if it benefits the sculpture by contributing to a better - fresher - illusionism - so that paper & magazines should be replaced periodically. If any old non-faded papers & magazines from 1971 can be obtained that would be ideal.
Have fun, Duane
Understanding Hanson’s intentions with the sunbather is very important in respect to maintaining the sculpture, and without an understanding of the artists motivation the style and form of the clothing would be very difficult to replace.
In another example of how intention has been used by the artist, Christoph Büchel created an entire community center inside the gallery of Hauser & Wirth. The center had everything from a community canteen to a prayer room. The notable part of this being the fact that multiple realities were created, the gallery patron’s and the community center member’s. The intention oblivious to the community center but fully understood by the art patron’s. Without understanding the intention (it’s staged in a gallery), what is Buchel commenting on or about in regards to the center and what reaction does he expect from the community center once they are let in on the secret.
