About the critique on "Text" ...

I think I learned something today in the critique about our "text" assignements, I'm just not quite sure what it was, yet ... So far, we only went through 4 pieces (in three hours!), so needless to say it was pretty thorough. At the same time, we could probably continue to talk about each and all of them for many more hours too. I thought it was especially interesting to see how 'difficult' it is to deal with universal symbols in your art. Difficult because everyone has such strong connotations (if that is the right word) to the different symbols. Lanz, especially I think, with his use of chains (a really, really strong symbolic–and litteral–piece of material) and also in combination with his litteral "will" written in the clay and divided in two equally important parts of clay. By using symbols that are almost clichés like that, I think you have to be very precise (or deliberately the opposite) to be able to convey the 'meaning' of what you are trying to say. In this case I'm specifically thinking of the chain and lock being open/unlocked, what does that mean? Is it taken off the person that had it? Can you take it on/off by your own will? Does that resonate with the perception of what the struggle for a free will means? Is there such a thing as a free will? I think all of these questions are immensely interesting, and I think Lanz did a very good job in bringing those questions up. I think the only 'problem' I had with it was how this piece would be perceived by 'us' if he had worn it himself, and as he described it, managed to break the pendulum. I don't know what it means to break the 'thing' that symbolizes the 'will-struggle'. Does it mean that the struggle is over? Does it mean that you will never have a conflict of will ever again? Is it temporarily, permanent, personal, universal, good, bad? Again, I give Lanz a huge cred for comming up with something that is as 'loaded' as this is. I think this will be a very interesting topic (for him) to research further, and an opportunity to make lots of cool art over.