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Pensivity Script Guidelines

  • melanie856
  • Mar 4, 2015
  • 4 min read

Theme - “Pensivity” (Deep Thought)

Group: Melanie, Darby, Molly, Angel, Johanna

Intro -

“Welcome to the Portland Art Museum where a group of us from the Work of Art Freshman Inquiry Class will be exploring the theme of pensivity. Some pieces of art often hold more value when the viewer takes a moment to think deeply and reflectively on what they are observing. It can give artwork a greater meaning when one is able to think pensively.

We have chosen five different pieces of art that are all linked under our theme. Although each piece is different, they all find a way to evoke deep thought from the viewer.”

Molly -

Hi my name is Molly and the piece i chose is labeled Patrician barnacle by Robert Rauschenburg. It was produced in 1981 and is a wooden wedge covered in printed fabrics with an attached wooden ladder. The meaning of the word Patrician means a person of noble or higher rank and barnacle referring to the the creators at the very bottom of the ocean. Roberts thoughts behind this has to do with the thought of the world around us and the connection between humanity and earth and class and social constructs. This piece connects to our theme of pensively by provoking the audience to think on a deeper level and to make connections to reality and real issues going on in the world.

(transition)Another work that focuses on direction and movement in a different way is Melanie’s work located on the second floor Mezzanine in the Portland Art Museum’s Jubitz Center.

Melanie -

“The work of art that I focused on for this tour is Nicholas Africano’s “Seated Woman” which is a sculpture made entirely of Kilncast Glass. The simplicity of this sculpture is what drew me in, but the movement and direction in the woman’s eyes is what interested me. After researching this sculpture I found that the “Seated Woman” is one of many statues sculpted of Africano’s wife and muse, Rebecca. In this statue, she is found in a state of private reflection with her eyes looking straight forward without any focus. I tied this sculpture to the theme of “Pensivity” because I believe that the viewer, knowing who this woman is or not, is left gazing into the eyes of the “Seated Woman” while their own mind wanders. Whether the viewer wonders about the woman and where she’s looking or begins thinking of something entirely different, the statue has provoked thought by drawing the attention of the viewer in by following the direction of her eyes. (transition)Another work that involves movement is Angel’s piece located in the Portland Art Museum.”

Angel -

Hi I'm Angel and for my art piece, I chose Danseuse, position de quatrième devant sur la jambe gauche, created by Edgar Degas. The words of Degas’ art work means “dancer, fourth position front, on left leg” and was created with bronze. The nudity of the ballerina depicts the form of balance and the poise she displays, which was Degas’ focus making this sculpture. Gestures of the sculpture leads to a fascinating sense of immediacy, while also heightening its sense of expressiveness. I believe that this connects to our theme of pensivity by being engaged in this particular position with deep emotions that is such a universal talent. It provides a personal and strong connection which provokes the emotion to fall into deep state.

Darby -

My name is Darby and the piece I chose to connect to pensivity is titled, “Five Words in Orange Neon”. It was created in 1945 by American artist, Joseph Kosuth. I found this piece intriguing because the title could refer either to the words that the artwork spells out or the material from which it is created. While observing the neon letters, I wondered what characteristics made Kosuth’s piece a work of art other than being placed in an museum and labeled as such. The piece is similar to that of a generic neon Open sign, so what causes one to end up in restaurants and diners and the other to be placed in an art museum? The appearance of the piece alone is not artistically complex or impressive, but it gains importance when the viewer gives meaning to the piece. The artist and his creations belong to a specific artistic movement known as Conceptualism, where the appearance and aesthetic of artwork is put on the back burner and idea and concept become the most important quality. The art is given value because of the thoughts that it provokes from each viewer. The meaning is not meant to be universal to everyone who approaches the neon sign, but it is meant to make the viewer think pensively about the piece past its basic appearance.

Jo -

I’m Johanna, and my art object is called “Column I’ by Hilda Morris (1974). “Column I” is an abstract sculpture by the late Hilda Morris, cast entirely in bronze and mounted on a wooden base. It stands approximately 35 inches from the bass and is located inside the Richard and Deanne Rubinstein Gallery in the Hoffman Wing (of the Portland Art Museum). The creator, Hilda Morris, was a Northwest artist who worked mainly in bronze. She strived to incorporate elements of dance, music, and mathematics in her sculptures, as well as an emphasis on “the organization of organic structure.”

Conclusion -

While it is true that all art has the potential to provoke thought to some extent, we felt that this particular group of art objects’ core strength was the concept of pensivity on its own. From a 3D still-standing dancer, to a “column” that doesn’t really resemble a column at all, to “Five Words in Orange Neon” in all their literal and figurative glory, there is a large lack of context in regard to actual reality, therefore it seems that the first action one must take is to create context by way of abstract thought. Hence, our collective theme, “pensivity.”


 
 
 

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