Maintenance Art

Performing Maintenance art felt unusual to me because I had no intentions or purpose through my performance. Besides that I grew an appreciation of the NOW sculpture by getting up close. Usually, I appreciate the sculpture from afar on my way to another class. Never had I seen the sculpture through the inside and up close.

I believe that Mierle Laderman Ukeles had a different intention than Richard Serra. More so, I believe the way it is done, Mierle is a statement of an idea (women’s roles) in society while Richard to capture an emotion or moment. Both were meant to be analyzed as they are both art and meant to evoke a reaction.

Mierle’s Maintence Art is art because her intention to perceived as such. Being she did not expect nothing in exchange than peoples attention to what an idea says she should be doing for being a women. Being at the museum doesn’t make it art because regardless it would be the background not subject. If Mierle were to be hired for long and kept the intention to represent something for the public it would have still been art. I believe intention makes art because a wire isn’t art until it isn’t intended to be either having it be showcased or reproducing it through another medium.

I believe a noun or verb is simply art because if everything is art nothing would be art. The intention to display something as a representation of anything is art. For the same reason having a painting just so a house doesn’t feel empty is not art. If there is no intention on a canvas or reason to display it isn’t art.

I believe both Mierle and Jennifer made me think about the reality of inequality and it’s strong presence. Reason being that if there was no inequality issue both artist would not have grounds for their performance. For that same reason work that women do is not art until it is chosen to be represented. Labeling it “Women’s work” solidifies as art because it could have been simply labeled work.

Personally, I would not clean anyone’s star because I believe there are better ways of honoring people. Also, I don’t like the attraction of having stars people can step on. Which I believe that intself defeats the purpose of cleaning it.