Shared By: Paige Choquet
Source: Self taken picture
Image Alt Text: Provide: Title: creating infinity Artist/creator: Kusama Location: Paris France Date: July 2023 Part 1: Visual Description (Approx. 250 words) Include: Visual elements (line, color, space, scale, texture) Composition and focal point Materials or medium This image shows a large building covered in brightly coloured randomly placed polka dots, that go up three quarters of the building in height and around half the width of the building, wrapping around the corner. The polka dots end in the middle of the building where you are met with a giant statue of artist Yayoi Kasuma, who made this piece. This is a huge sculpture, standing around 50 feet in height, being almost as tall as the building the polka dots are on. The sculpture is holding a paintbrush, shown to be in the middle of painting and covering the building in polka dots. The giant sculpture of Kasuma is wearing a white dress with polka dots matching the building. The colours in this piece are bright, vibrant green, blue, yellow, red and white. These colours pop boldly against the plain cream and black colours of the building. The artist uses many different materials to make this piece, as there are many different components. For the polka dots on the building, she uses lots of vinyl as it’s available in the bright colours Kasuma gravitates to. Vinyl is also available in large quantities, making it easier for large scale installations. For the sculpture aspect, she uses more carbon fiber, fiber glass and acrylic paints. Because this installation is on a Louis Vuitton building along a popular high end shopping strip in Paris, it will have a high amount of viewers. Section 2: Interpretation & Meaning (Approx. 300–350 words) Interpret the work using evidence from your description. Address: Possible ideas or messages communicated How the space shapes meaning and audience experience How different viewers might interpret the work differently The brightly coloured polka dots encourage playfulness and the use of your imagination. The large scale of both the erratically placed polka dots covering the building and the statue, along with the vibrant colours post a great contrast with the dull tones and symmetry of the surrounding buildings to this piece. The colourful dots across the building resemble confetti or sprinkles, resulting in a youthful feeling. Hinting at joy and spontaneousness. By placing a piece this large and playful in a public place with formal architecture, it allows for the public to critically think about how art should look in traditional settings. The meaning behind this piece is heavily shaped on where it is located. By being placed in the middle of a busy shopping strip, surrounded by cafes, pedestrians and museums, this artwork gets incorporated into everyday life rather than an isolated piece in a formal setting. This piece gets viewed as people pass through this space. Which can increase the surprise and curiosity of stumbling upon this art. The scale of the statue along with the polka dots scaling most of the height of the building forces viewers to stop and look up to ensure the full experience of this art. By having the bright dots cover the majority of the building\'s length, it transforms the traditional plain architecture of the block into an immersive experience instead of just a single view point. There are multiple different ways this artwork could be interpreted by its viewers. Depending on the age and background of the viewers, everyone could interpret this differently. One way someone could experience this installation as uplifting and joyful, or reminiscent of childhood. While on the other hand, people may view the bright vibrancy as out of place against the muted tones of the historic architecture of the surrounding buildings. Seeing the work as a clash. Some could see the female figure symbolically, seeing power and freedom in a public space. Whereas children may not think as deeply, focusing on the colours instead. Observing this piece as playful and fun. These different meanings emphasize how public art allows for everyone to interpret art differently rather than a single message. Section 3: Space, Power, and Access (Approx. 150–200 words) Critically reflect on: Who encounters the work and who does not Who controls or owns the space Whether the encounter is planned or accidental Kasuma’s Creating Infinity is both a collaboration with Louis Vuitton and a large-scale public art installation in rue du Pont Neuf which is the Louis Vuitton headquarters in Paris. The piece was up from early to middle 2023, with the pictures above being from July 2023. The rue du Pont Neuf is a popular area for high end shopping. It is also close to the Louver, making it a high traffic area. Allowing for intentional and accidental encounters with this artwork. As a public art installation, this work is extremely accessible. Viewing this work doesn’t require you to pay an admission fee or a formal entry as you would in any museum or art gallery. Although, people who do not live or work by or visit the rue de Pont Neuf may never see this artpiece. Even though this work is on a grand scale many people could walk or drive right past never thinking about the piece, where others may stop and take time to look at this art and think deeper.
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