ad utrumque paratus / Some Remarks On Aesthetic Possibilities Of Unfinished Works of Art

/ ad utrumque paratus
/ Some Remarks On Aesthetic Possibilities Of Unfinished Works of Art

RUEDIGER JOHN

Artist Statement & Talk
for NYU students and open to the public

New York University
Languages & Literature Building
19 University Place

Wednesday, September, 20th 2006 - 3:30 pm

In his statement the artist Ruediger John points out the intrinsic
possibilities - or rather abilities - a work of art can have if it is
still unfinished (or considered so).

"[…] Typically we rely on and value works of art that are already
completed by the artist (unless there is a nice or tragic little
anecdote why he or she was not able to finish it) - because we want to
be sure e.g. a) it is worth the time to look at b) we can lean back to
enjoy, judge and criticise c) it can be bought as it is d) and so forth.
The crucial point is: We want to be secured about the character and
impact of the piece of art. But what if an artist obviously does not
give the audience this secured position? What if a work of art can bite
you in the ass some time later - because it is developing its teeth
while you already own it (as a simpler way of an interventionistic
effect)? Or, more important, if a work of art uses its obviously
unfinished characteristic to refer to, or rather inherit the qualities
of what remains open and 'unsolved' as an additional source of 'value'?
But not to define every detail of a work can make it more dependable on
influences of its surroundings (it is a problem every artwork faces -
and most of all the classical form of painting does) - a contemporary
artist has to incorporate this in the work during the process of
creation […]"
(Ruediger John in an interview with Paul Kovac)

He also talks about what happens if he employs elements and tactics
used in performance art to create installative works in an
interventionistic way (e.g. outside the preoccupied perspective of
audiences in gallery spaces, museums and other 'white cubes') using
camouflage and irritation to guide and focus the aesthetics of an
audience - to ultimately broaden its experiences (maybe).