subodh gupta

cow

ok mili

spill

line of control

i sat my art exam this morning (my last vce exam XD) and one of the questions was an analysis on subodh gupta's work 'Line of Control' using the contemporary analytical framework. we were given no background information on the artist except a few sentences on the background of the work. i spoke about the content within the work, the use of found objects as a contemporary technique and how the artwork requires audience interaction as they would walk around the sculpture rather than view it on a wall as you would traditionally with paintings or classical sculptures. i addressed the issue of poverty in india, and how that may have had an influence on this work - the work as a whole representing destruction and each utensil symbolising each lost soul. but that's just my interpretation as a viewer, and this mushroom tree shaped sculpture that depicts a sort of explosion is subject to many different opinions. once i got home, i immediately researched the artist and the story behind this sculpture.

I learnt that gupta draws upon everyday products and materials of indian village life, such as the utensils used in 'Line of Control 2008'. This work is an enormous mushroom cloud formed from brass utensils, shifting an image of destruction into one of explosive abundance. Through his seductive use of materials and interest in spectacle and excess, his work reveals the contradictions and tensions that exist in india today as it fluctuates between tradition and modernity, rural and urban life, and poverty and wealth.

source

this illustrates how any viewer would interpret a conceptual artwork with no background information such as i did, but when presented with the cultural and personal background of the artist an entirely different interpretation is created. art is interpreted by the viewer depending not only on the subject matter but the context of the artwork, the personal history of the artist and the viewer themselves. if the 'Line of Control' was situated on the street in a public venue rather than a large open gallery space with white wash walls, i would've looked at it in a different way entirely. the title of the work influences this notion as well, most works that are untitled allow the viewer to interpret its meaning by questioning their own beliefs and morals or depending on their experiences rather than what the title may suggest its meaning is.

after much research and finding out more about subodh gupta and this brilliant artwork, i look at this sculpture the way the artist would've wanted his viewer to. however, i chose to stick with my initial interpretation that i made with nothing but a few descriptive lines, because we're all different and open to different opinions. maybe that's what makes it so difficult to determine the artistic merit of an artwork....no one's the same when it comes to an opinion. 

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