Interactive works lead art frontier


The norm for a gallery visit is to stand back with your drink and admire the art on display — no touching allowed. No matter the type of art, the piece must remain pristine for its eventual buyer and can be viewed only from a distance.

Arranging artwork · “Queen Hive Layer” features movable sheets that form a flower background, a funky pattern and a woman’s face. – Eva Recinos | Daily Trojan

Yet that accepted convention didn’t hold true at a recent show from street art group CYRCLE. Some of the pieces in its “Organized Chaos” show broke with tradition and invited gallery-goers to experiment with movable pieces. Visitors young and old played with items such as flowers, large blocks and jigsaw-esque pieces to their heart’s content.

As a three — and now two — person group, CYRCLE. boasts many murals around the city and creates its own look with the incorporation of images such as skulls shaped by flowers and the repetition of words such as “chaos” and “order.” The group recently took  a month to complete an 11,000 square foot mural, titled “Magic is Real,” that can be seen on the walls of Bedrock LA in Echo Park. “Organized Chaos” marks the group’s second solo effort, but it continues to grow through projects such as its latest mural. The group looks to create works that will engender a positive reaction in the community members that see them.

The parts of “Queen Hive Layer” seem like they should fit together. They do not combine in a practical, technical manner,  but they work together to create an elusive image of a woman paired with CYRCLE.’s familiar themes of flowers and geometric patterns. The mirrored section, along with the work’s interactivity, bridges the gap between the viewer and the artists. Suddenly, the invisible walls come down and the viewer can experience the work in a more personal, engaging manner. Rather than standing back to take in a completely static work, the viewer can manipulate the work and watch as the next person comes by shifts the pieces once again.

That idea recalls the nature of most street art, which remains public and does not stop viewers from directly interacting with urban artworks. In the street, the art does not stand behind a frame or near a sign that says “Do Not Touch.” Though CYRCLE.’s work might remain inside the walls of the gallery, the art itself is anything but contained.  Like street art, CYRCLE.’s piece invites viewers to participate and does not conform to usual gallery conventions. The artists’ move, then, from outside to inside, holds on to the idea that art should not follow the usual conventions.

In fact, much of what CYRCLE. does relies on breaking conventions. Still, CYRCLE. does adhere to them in its own way. The group focuses on the idea of organized chaos, which especially comes across in “Queen Hive Layer.” Though it initially might strike gallery-goers as puzzling, the piece still uses the gallery wall as a means of display, therefore breaking through normal modes of art interaction within a standard venue for experiencing art.

Breaking convention within a gallery also transforms viewers’ perceptions of a piece of art. “Queen Hive Layer” exists as a piece up for sale, yet it does not seem like just a work to hang on a wall and observe. The interactive element of the work changes the manner in which the artwork exists, even within a new environment such as a house. Whenever a new viewer approaches “Queen Hive Layer,” they approach a new artistic experience.

The art world continually looks to the new and exciting, and focusing on the experience between viewer and art could prove as a big step toward growth. Though the responsibility of creating an engaging show mostly falls to curators, it would benefit artists to also take the viewers’ reactions into consideration. When artists find a way to make viewers consider a work as something beyond just a piece hanging on a wall, they create a new function for art. Not only do art pieces serve as something to own, they also serve as something to engage with. The owners of the interactive pieces can bring out some of their own creativity by moving the pieces and making their own unique version “Queen Hive Layer.” Art, then, becomes about drawing out the imagination of the viewer.

As artists continue to create, they can look for new ways to eliminate the distance between artist and viewer. When the viewer can see the craft of the artist but also the thought put in to creating a new dynamic, something very different occurs. The piece becomes more than just a means of showing the talent of the artist — it serves as a method of bringing an idea to life and making art more than just aesthetically pleasing. Ultimately, a work that goes beyond being a visually impressive creation will leave an impression on viewers and buyers. Each person that can share a unique experience with an artwork will not only remember that piece more vividly, but will see art as something much more than the applying of a medium onto some form of canvas. With more experimentation from artists as the art world grows, interactive artwork will continue to generate pieces that resonate profoundly with viewers.

 

“Organized Chaos!” runs until Dec. 16 and is located at 6608 Lexington Ave.

 

Eva Recinos is a senior majoring in English. Her column “Two Cents A Piece” ran Tuesdays.