There are many attributes to art. Art can have aesthetic quality. The work can be satiating to the eye, and beautiful in a very traditional sense. Art can have a purpose. The work can be functional and exceptionally well designed for human interaction. Art can have meaning. The work can challenge the mind and change our perspective. A work of art that captures all three attributes well is likely to have great impact.
Flux Foundation knows how to make work that leaves an impression. The foundation, most well known for their monstrous work at the mecca of bohemian culture that is Burning Man, recently did an installation for the Coachella music festival in Coachella Valley California. The Sidewalk’s End was a powerful work that considered aesthetic, purpose, and meaning.
With thoughtfulness about the community, Flux created a piece that was simple yet provocative in aesthetic. It played with Shel Silverstein’s title that was likely very familiar to the younger audience of Coachella. The Sidewalk’s End literally and tastefully looked like the end of a sidewalk.
The work served a powerful purpose without distracting from the event. It was a man made grassy knoll that offered a better view and means to enjoy the tunes. It also offered respite from the heat with a semi enclosed outdoor room with misters. The work challenged perceptions. The Polo Grounds venue is a flat expanse that one would think is already ideal for a concert. The piece added a physical dimension, it was 80 feet long and rose up 12 feet from the ground. It also provided an opportunity to experience Coachella in a unique way with sweeping vistas of the grounds not previously experienced.
To accomplish work that embodies such meaning, the foundation leans heavily on process. Their mission is “to build art with community. To build community with art.” Their work starts and ends with the community, which requires a process that goes beyond just the creator. The implementation requires a team of designers, carpenters, fabricators, programmers and neighbors to bring a piece to life.
For “The Sidewalk Ends” building with community and for community was a process of considering heavily the context of the work. Coachella is a HUGE outdoor gathering around alternative music. The work could not be the end itself. The work had to enhance the experience of the younger audience enjoying music.
The Flux Foundation is onto something with their thoughtful creative process. They recognize that art has many values. When all the potential of art is explored, not just the aesthetic, we have the opportunity to change how people experience the world around them. Now imagine if the multiple values of art were applied beyond a weekend festival devoted to music. We might find that art is a solid foundation to build meaningful change.
