Suzi Gablik and Jospeh Beuy

As I read the two essays, I found “I like America and America Likes me,” by Joseph Beuys, a little strange. After I read about his personality and personal life, I found his work less strange because he was a strange man himself. I found “The Nature of Beauty in Contemporary Art,” by Suzi Gablik, a little less strange and easier to understand and follow.

As I researched Joseph Beuys, I found that he had a close relationship with all kinds of wild animals. He followed beavers, horses, coyotes, and wolfs. He even once considered himself an animal. Beuys was once a combat pilot in war and after reading that I can see why he names a part in his essay “The Coyote War.” He talks about the Vietnamese war and how coyotes are being hunted. Beuys has a connection with animals and that is why he is bringing attention to them. Joseph Beuys’ work is a bit strange and I attribute that to his life. He has had a very traumatic and weird life, from being captured in war, to his fascination with animals. “I Like America and America Likes Me” is strange and difficult to understand. I understand this piece to ultimately bring attention to animal’s rights and a reflection of his personal life.

Suzi Gablik’s essay is easier to comprehend and has lot of intelligent and useful pointers about art. She explains how more and more artists are starting to use public placed for their art. Using public places involves more people and can be seen by more people. It can also send a political or moral message to the public. I think that the new public art is the most interesting and influential. Artists, who use the public for their art, should send an important message. Whether it is raising an environmental problem or raising awareness on another social problem, public art is influential and seen by many people. I have personally seen public art which raise awareness about some type of environmental problem. An artist put millions of cell phone batteries together to represent all the wasted batteries which pollute our earth yearly. This type of art is interesting and knowledgeable. I have also seen a public art piece made out of millions of plastic grocery bags which are wasted and pollute every day.

Suzi states that she wants to bring “art back into a more vernacular everyday world, and take it out of the more rarefied sphere of professionalism.” I agree with this because art has always been private and in the studio in which it was made. Art in the public is seen by more people and can influence more people’s lives. I agree with all that Suzi Gablik said in her short essay. Art should become more public in the social, political, and environmental life.

I took a lot from Suzi Gablik’s short essay about art. I agree with her work and her reasoning. Although it was hard to interpret and understand Joseph Beuy’s essay, I still found it interesting and fulfilling.