This is an artist’s essay that explores some of the ideas put forward in Powers’ three-part essay, “Art, Not Suicide,” published earlier this week. -Ed. Note
John Powers
John Powers is a sculptor. He was born in Chicago and received his MFA from Hunter College. His work has been shown at PS1MoMA, Exit Art, Grand Arts, The Kohler Arts Center, Caren Golden, Art Omi, The Black & White gallery, and the Brooklyn Museum. His writings appear on his website Star Wars Modern. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
All articles by John Powers
John Powers
One of the definitions given by the OED for sculpture is, “as a type of silence or absence of movement of feeling.” After 700 hours of sitting ‘still as a statue’ and silently engaging a series of 1400+ visitors at MoMA, Abramović has completed what is being hailed the longest work of performance art.
At its best, modern art begs the question, “Is this art?” There is a death wish that threads modernity – death of God, death of the author, death of history, even the death of the modernity itself (the post-modern) but perhaps most insistently of all, is the existential interrogation that is modern art.
There is a death wish that threads modernity — death of God, death of the author, death of history, even the death of the modernity itself (the post-modern) but perhaps most insistently of all, is the existential interrogation that is modern art … but is it true for sculpture?
