The Right Use of Forms
Soul is linked to the body
though it in no wise resembles the body
The power of the light of the
eyes is mated with fat
The light of the heart is hidden in
a drop of blood.
Joy harbours in the kidneys
Pain in the liver
The lamp of Reason in the
brains of the head.
Smell in the nostrils
and speech in the
tongue
Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273)
Installation art must be experienced physically. It is more than just a visual experience and engages all the human senses. "Installation is an art of connections, which is experienced as a whole. The unity of components is greater than the sum of its parts; its presence exists beyond the object itself." (Kate Davidson, 1996)
Installations set up borders to create physically separate spaces and a visual and physical experience. When the audience enters the installation gallery space they are entering the art work of the artist. Within the made up space there are many different elements that are created to capture the audience in a way that an experience of the artists work is achieved. Participation and interaction are major aspects of installation art and creating an experience for the audience to form a relationship with the work are achieved.
The use of space is fundamental to installation art so the audience can experience the space. Scale is created in installations in relation to the viewer. Oversized objects that add character and a sense of realism make the viewer's physical dimensions appear diminutive as if they are in a unworldly environment. Sound also defines space and create very different experiences in a positive or negative way. A calm soothing environment with flowing water and cool colours will create a much different experience to the sound of metal hitting against each other to create a construction style environment. Installation art i s very much a collage of meanings : "the conjunction of objects, signs or ideas constructed by the artist provides a rich, synthetic filed of relationships, generating allegory and metaphors."
