Message Received

While art may be timeless to many it certainly has evolved over time. As two individuals whose minds primarily function researching political trends and the stock market art is still a new subject. However, the more we learn the more we see a comparison to writing. Art movements are not always originally accepted in fact it is often just the opposite. New movements regarded as sloppy and lacking value. With the movement of time comes the change in perspective and appreciation. This is similar to writing, so many of the classics were initially banned and regarded as worthless, but now the cornerstone of higher education.

            While as students not strongly connected with the art field we can find a great deal of appreciation for Cory Arcangel we doubt art critics have the same amazement at his work. His work while at times random, for example, the creation of a Photoshop piece by predetermined numbers, truly sends a message. Again, as individuals of a business background the Permanent Vacation piece is the first thing I think of now when I receive an out of office reply. He invokes this idea that neither will ever communicate with the other one again the information forever lost in the endless dimension of cyberspace. This speaks to me because so much is lost over email in our world. The days of face to face communication is disappearing more each day as the reliance on technology increases.
            My favorite piece was the continuous gutter ball. Bowling for most is a social outing not a serious competitive sport. This work represents the metaphoric feeling we all receive in social outings from time to time even when we are not bowling. We go out with our friends and do something embarrassing we “rolled a gutter ball”.  We have a bad first date experience “we roll a gutter ball”. There is something encapsulating about watching repeated complete and total failure. The train wreck so horrific you cannot stop looking at it. While, his art may not speak to older more refined critics he certainly has hit home with us.