The Invisible Thread

The Invisible Thread Exhibit
Untitled by Marina Abromivic; 1994
metal brackets, wood boxes, lucite plaques
found in The Invisible Thread: Buddhist Spirit in Contemporary Art copyright 2004 Snug Harbor Cultural Center

Depicted above is an installation piece by artist Marina Abromivic. As shown one stands with their body against the boxes. I particularly liked this idea because it is creating a very personal relationship between you and the art which is hard or impossible to define. It reminds me of the essay topic for the English placement in August and the excerpt that we responded to in our essays. This excerpt was commenting on the purpose of art as a end to reawaken life; in the moments when you are still trying to figure out what something is and how it was made you are truly seeing the object. And as soon as you think you know what it is it becomes a concept in your mind; you write off some of what makes it so alive by placing it in a box. My response to this excerpt was that, while very insightful, it was ultimately detrimental to the power that resides in us all. Because the author (whose name now escapes me; I'll come back and edit if I remember) was so dependent on art, which is something external from oneself, to create this outlook for him, he was undermining the fact that he could create it within himself.