ENCOUNTERING WEST AT THE BMA

An exhibition of the work of the contemporary Austrian artist Franz West opened at the Baltimore Museum of Art on October 12, 2008 and will be on display until January 4, 2009. The exhibition is called To Build a House You Start with the Roof: Work 1972-2008. Having visited the museum, I can say that this collection is thought-provoking, to say the least.

I think Franz West makes everyone rethink the idea of art. We live in a modern, technological world that is pushing boundaries in so many ways, and we seem to think that we are comfortable with the world of contemporary art as a natural extension of our modern world. After all, we understand that art is a form of expression, and we live in a forward-thinking society. But Franz West’s work threw me off guard. His art confronted and startled me—sometimes in a positive and unexpected manner but more often in an uncomfortable manner. Apparently, I do have certain expectations of what art should be, and I would assert that we all share this to a certain extent. Therefore, walking through and reflecting on this exhibit offers a challenging and interesting experience for those who dare to take on West’s works.

I can appreciate many of West’s pieces as works of art. His sculpture The Ego and the Id impressed me the most. It is composed of two colorful sculptures of aluminum welded together in such a way as to form a kind of angular piping that soars roughly two stories up into the air and then curves into steep dives back to the floor wherein the sculpture either ends in the form of a seat or turns back up to the ceiling only to plunge down once again. This work is whimsical and fun to contemplate. One woman described it as “Seuss-like,” and I couldn’t agree more. But perhaps what is most striking about this work and West’s art in general is its interactive quality. This sculpture was meant to be walked through, touched, and sat upon. West invites you to participate in a lot of his work; it is as if you are supposed to be part of it.

This interactive quality is something unconventional and surprising. That people are expected to physically engage with his work challenges our understanding of art. We are used to being on the outside of a piece of art, but West literally brings you into many of his. The most extreme example of this is a collection of pieces called Adaptives. It consists of four heavy, irregularly shaped, plaster forms with metal rods stuck through them. You are supposed to take an Adaptive with you into a little room with a mirror and essentially play around with these strange objects. I gave it a fair try, but it was an awkward experience. The Adaptives were somewhat difficult to handle, and I felt lost trying to interact with them. Perhaps this is the feeling West wants to produce, yet I could not help but think to myself, “Is this art? Could swinging around a rod skewering a blob of plaster be art? I feel like an idiot.” One thing is for certain, he presents a strange and provoking approach to the concept of art.

While I was making my way through the exhibit, the question “Is this art?” popped into my head on several occasions, and I do not think this would be an uncommon reaction among most people. A number of his smaller sculptures look like something an elementary class might turn out after a paper mâché lesson, and I was not always sure as to what to make of his non-sculptural work either. It is often sexual in nature and features distortions and perversions of the human body. Depending upon the piece and your perspective, these works could seem disturbing, humorous, or a combination of both. Franz West is an artist with no limits. You never know what you may find among his pieces. His works are undoubtedly original and often larger-than-life. Most importantly, West’s work has the potential to change the way you think about art.