When I researched “Fast” and “Slow” art, I noticed how the scale of the artwork in terms of time or size challenges our perception of the world.
Exploring time and changing the way we experience it gives us the opportunity to reflect on our society, our humanity and our life.
In Godfrey Reggio’s film Koyaanisqatsi, there is an extract (Ending Scene – www.youtube.com/watch?v=OacVy8_nJi0) that depicts the launching of a rocket in slow motion. This adds to the immensity and enormity of the machines and the entire process, leading us to ponder about human creations and maybe how much we actually control them.
On the other hand, in another scene, (www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI2IlA3ztIo&t=1s), the artist shows the manufacturing process of common goods such as sausages, televisions or cars at accelerated speed. This fast pace combined with the repetition of the tasks can give the viewer the impression that all this is happening on a scale that is difficult to grasp at an individual level. This can lead us to question our daily consumption or daily routine.
In his project “Longplayer”, Jem Finer also explores the notion of time on a human scale. Longplayer is a piece of music meant to last a thousand years (www.longplayer.org/about/overview/). It means that no human being could listen to the entire composition and that whoever listens to the end will not remember anyone who was present at the beginning of the project.
Some of these artworks are an opportunity to reflect on the relationship of humankind with the environment.
Andy Goldsworthy creates artwork that merges with the environment (www.boredpanda.com/land-art-andy-goldsworthy/) and the material he uses often comes from nature itself in the form of stones, leaves or twigs. It means that the artwork evolves with its surroundings and there is often something ephemeral about his creations. It gives the viewer the opportunity to pay more attention to surroundings that they might have got used to and stopped noticing.
Some artists experiment with human boundaries. Both Marina Abramovic (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jul/08/marina-abramovic-artist-present-review) and Tehching Hsieh challenge our perception of our behaviours and beliefs through “the extreme exploration of the human condition” (www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/arts/design/19perf.html).
Marina Abramovic’s performance “The Artist is Present” consisted in sitting for hours while members of the public would take it in turn to sit in front of her and they would stare at each other. “In our daily lives we never look intently, for a long time, into someone else’s face, the mysterious primal seat of personality and identity” (www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jul/05/marina-abramovic-artist-present-review). Her performance challenges the way we interact with each other.
Tehching Hsieh pushes boundaries even further with his “One Year Performances”. In one instance, he spent a year in a cage. During that time, he did not talk to anyone. For another performance, he spent another year outside (he did not enter any building) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehching_Hsieh).
These performances raise many questions about art, its boundaries and the impact on the artist. It is impossible not to wonder about the lasting impact of spending a year without communicating with another human being for instance.
There is an unknown element in the work of these artists. Because of the length of time (longplayer), the impact from the environment (Andy Goldsworthy’s work) or the exploration of extreme behaviours, the outcome cannot be known at the beginning of the process and there is an element left to chance.
Aesthetic is important in some cases but not always. Godfrey Reggio’s film Koyaanisqatsi is beautiful to watch as are Andy Goldsworthy’s creations.
This form of art can be a source of inspiration for other art forms. By challenging our perception of our environment and our daily life, they offer new ways of thinking and stimulate ideas.
Catherine Roux Degree in Illustration 