Ephemeral art: visualizing time

ChildArt, April-June, 2008 by B. Stephen Carpenter, II

Have you heard it said that works of art "must stand the test of time" before they can be considered masterpieces? For some people, only works of art that are old can be great or meaningful. Some people also might think that in order for a work of art to be meaningful, many art critics have to have written about it or many people have to know about the artwork. These particular ways of judging art may be useful for some artwork but not for all. On the other hand, some art is not made to last forever; this is ephemeral art.

When something is ephemeral it lasts for a short period of time and then is gone. For example, you might remember walking outside after a rain to see a rainbow in the sky. Your memory of the rainbow may last for many weeks, months, or years, but the actual rainbow that you saw in the sky was only there for a short time, perhaps a few minutes.

Some artists have created works of art that are intended to be temporary. Sometimes these ephemeral works encourage us to think about the concept of time. Some artists create ephemeral art to display in galleries and museums while other artists create works of art that are meant to be seen outdoors in a natural setting.

Ephemeral works are often seen by only a few people--the artist or witness (curator, archivist, researcher, and observer). The artist must capture the work by photograph or video tape so that other people can know about them after they are gone.

There are artists who are well-known for their ephemeral artwork. Two such artists are Dominique Mazeaud and Andy Goldsworthy. Their works have been exhibited, discussed, and written about for years, but the actual works of art they create do not last long.

One of Dominique Mazeaud's most famous ephemeral pieces was called "The Great Cleansing of the Rio Grande River." This work took seven years to create but did not exist beyond its creation. Mazaeud first intended the work to be "a monthly ritual to clean up the river" by picking up trash and objects in the riverbed. Each month Mazaeud walked along the river and removed objects that other people had discarded. Performance artworks, such as this one by Dominique Mazeaud, are not long lasting and are not performed frequently. An artist may use one's own body or a group of people as materials in their performance art, an art form that is ephemeral.

Although some of his sculptures are permanent, another artist who is known for making ephemeral art is Andy Goldsworthy. Like Mazaeud, Goldsworthy creates works of art in nature. Goldsworthy's art is different from Mazeaud's in that he uses materials found in nature--twigs, stones, leaves, rocks, ice, and snow--to create sculptures. He does not use glue, nails, or other materials to join the parts of his sculptures together. Many of Goldworthy's outdoor artwork eventually disappears from the natural effects of sun, rain, wind, and time.

For example, the sculptures he creates with large pieces of frozen river, pond ice, or icicles eventually melt when they are exposed to the sun. Goldsworthy knows in advance that these changes will occur but still chooses to make art, even knowing they will be gone, sometimes in a few moments. It is the process of playing with nature that is fascinating and inspirational and valuable to Goldsworthy; the goat is not to necessarily keep his art forever.

Ephemeral art makes us think about time and helps give meaning to viewers because we will consider and value the artwork, knowing that it will be gone instead of taking it for granted because it will always exist. Although it is made to last for a short time, our memories of these fleeting works and their influence about the way we think about art and time may leave a deep and lasting impression.