Hot Pink and 1.26 (Denver)

Anne Ferrer and Janet Echelman are both creative artists who “think outside the box” with the subject matter, form, and content of their works of art.  I would like to first talk about the first contemporary piece of art I saw on our May Term trip, and it was Anne Ferrer’s Hot Pink (2012).  When I first looked at Anne Ferrer’s Hot Pink, I pondered over what it represented; however, Anne Ferrer ‘s intent is for people to ponder over its meaning.  Anne Ferrer was interviewed by the Taubman Museum about Hot Pink, and when she was asked about Hot Pink, and she “wanted to give the freedom to the viewer to see what he or she wants to see it.” Janet Echelman’s 1.26 (2010) does not have the freedom of interpretation that Anne Ferrer gave Hot Pink.  Instead, Janet Echelman designed 1.26 to represent the 35 nations in the Western Hemisphere by making a net sculpture of the tsunami route of the Chilean Earthquake in 2010, according to her TED talk.  I was also confused at first when I looked at 1.26 hanging in downtown Denver; however, I personally believe that if an artist really makes you think about the meaning of their art then they have fulfilled one of the roles of the artist, which is to help us to see the world in new and innovative ways.

            Hot Pink and 1.26 have helped me see the world in new and innovative ways by looking at non-traditional materials used to create those works of art.  Janet Echelman learned to make fishing nets while she has in India, and she has made enormous colored fishnets that hang in museums and cities around the world.  Anne Ferrer also did not use traditional art materials (canvas, paint, clay, etc.) she used a synthetic material to make a “big bubble” that would be inflated by a fan.  In Janet Echelman’s TED talk, she mentioned how she was commissioned to design work that would hang outdoors, so she decided to use fishnets since they can withstand the elements of nature.  Hot Pink is made of synthetic material that would not withstand the elements.  Although Hot Pink cannot be displayed outdoors Anne Ferrer designed it to be displayed indoors where her work of art can be better appreciated and understood by the viewers. 

            When I look at a work of art, no matter how simple or complex the work of art is, I try to look at it trying to answer my own question that is what am I looking at right now?  Anne Ferrer’s Hot Pink does not resemble anything in reality that I can relate to, except a giant pink balloon.  If I were walking through Denver and looked at 1.26 I could not describe what I saw, only that it was some large net hanging in the sky.  Pablo Picasso’s painting of his wife, Seated Bather, represents his terrible relationship with his wife, but not all art has a representation.  Hot Pink was created with no representation to anything imaginable, just only to what you personally think of it.  Both artists know how to “think outside of the box” with their use of materials and philosophy when creating their works of art that make their pieces very intriguing. 

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jWE8_SuUTE

https://www.ted.com/talks/janet_echelman