Art and Understanding: Reflecting on the Process of Decay
Mary O’ Neill
In 1995 I made a work which represented a significant shift
in my practice. Over a number of years I
had been moving towards this work in gradual stages but it was not until the
work was complete and I was able to reflect on the trajectory that I recognized
that it was the inevitable conclusion of an artistic journey. This work disappeared. However, this was not an end but the
beginning of a phase of reflection that resulted in a PhD on Ephemerality. At the outset of this research I understood
ephemeral art as reflecting a desire to dematerialize the art object in order
to evade the demands of the market, or to democratize or challenge art museums. However, I recognised that in many ephemeral
artworks something much more fundamental is involved. In Art and Understanding: Reflecting on the
Process of Decay I explore the hypothesis that the use of ephemerality by some
artists is best understood, not solely in terms of art world issues but of the
relationship between ephemerality, mourning and loss.
The conclusions I drawn have implications that reach beyond
artworld concerns with durable or at least preservable commodities. The artworks discussed offer insights into
the mourning process which are powerful and profound reflections on the human
condition. These works can act as a
means of engaging with bereavement, disenfranchised grief and ambiguous loss. In a world where many societies may be
deemed post-religious traditional myths and rituals that once served to
alleviate fear or mortality and the pain of bereavement are no longer viable or
effective, this is of immense significance.
The final section outlines the engagement with researchers
in social psychology for whom art offers a powerful form of communication in
circumstance where we may find speech inadequate or impossible.
