Carrigagulla Stone Circle, IrelandPhoto: Cecil @ English Language Wikipedia
HOW ART IS SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD
One of the defining characteristics of artworks is that they are separated from the world by an implied or formal boundary. This is true in all cultures. Tribal artworks are usually physical objects or are confined to the objects or structures on which they are painted. In Western painting, the picture frame formalizes the separation of the artwork from its surroundings. Mural painting is necessarily defined by the wall or ceiling space that it takes up, while manuscript paintings are held within the pages of a book. Western sculpture developed the plinth, essentially a formal stage on which the work could be displayed. Sculpture in architectural settings was often contained within niches or was otherwise combined with the fabric of the architecture. In Asian art, the handscroll became formalized over many centuries into a form of display that encourages an almost ceremonial viewing of the artwork. There is also a tradition of resetting artworks into ever-larger handscrolls as the artist’s friends or successive owners add comments, poems, or words of appreciation to the area surrounding it.
In the late twentieth century, a number of artists sought to blur or dispense with the boundaries of the artwork. For instance, various kinds of installation art occupy spaces that the audience can walk through. Similarly, in theater and some performance art, there have been attempts at incorporating the audience in the action, negating the usual separation of viewer and artwork. But once again, even these immersive experiences exist within the confines of a theater or gallery space. Modern sculpture rarely uses a plinth but usually projects a clear enough set of boundaries.
It appears that contemplating an artwork requires that we see it as something separate from other parts of life, that it provides a realm set apart in which the imagination and sensibilities might roam. This arrangement is both convenient and salutary. If the artwork were to become too much of the world, the effect might be confusing and destabilizing.
Carrigagulla Stone Circle, Ireland
Photo: Cecil @ English Language Wikipedia
Many preliterate cultures demarcate boundaries within which religious rites and magical events take place.
Anonymous Artist
Picture Frame Workshop, c. 1900, Oil on canvas, 116 13/16 × 94 in (296.7 × 238.7 cm)
