Comprised of rectangles the depth of the run of each step, and about foot width, I constructed a path up a back stairwell that most people in the sculpture building do not know about. About 7 – 9 flights high, the path became quite a journey for the independent viewer.
When ascending the staircase, the rectangles seem a bit disconnected, and the viewer has no particular idea as to what they relate to. When the viewer reaches the top, the rectangles have lead him to a box with a bow in front of a doorway. The viewer feels as though he will finally be given a reward for his journey. He is surprised and disappointed when the box is empty, and must now descend the staircase empty handed, for there are doors all along the way but they are all
locked. When descending, the rectangles line up perfectly to create two continuous lines down the stairwell. This change in perspective, this clearer, higher knowledge of the situation is brought to his attention, and he in fact does not leave the stairwell empty handed – he is introduced to a new perspective, a new awareness that he did not have while ascending. More personally this relates to my artistic journey in that I had a certain point of view on art for a long while, and feel this semester, as though I have reached some climactic point where I have realized art is more selfish, and creates less of an impact, than I would like to believe. The piece represents my journey, the long tiresome journey, the initial let down, and the fact that each letdown is just the horizon of a new realization and a greater understanding of our place in the world.
