Richard Serra's Band at LACMA, By Carly Helfrich

On view at the BCAM exhibition, Richard Serra’s, Band caught my attention due to its immense size and weight, yet seemingly fluid composition. The massive 153 x 846 x 440 in. steel sculpture, moves in a way it is able to entrap, but also release the viewer from is steel constraints as you walk along the walls. The different angles and curves that the steel produces move in and out of the space created. The focus on movement, space and reduced material create a peaceful simplicity. While the structure it self appears simple and reduced, the unique angles and ellipses are technically complex. The contradicting elements of simplicity verse technical complexity parallel the relationship between the heavy metal and its immense size verse the fluid and elegant line movements. The steel itself, has rusted over time and created a very nice reddish-brown texture that has unique differences around the metal. It also creates a natural uniform color throughout the piece.
Every individual of the audience will have their own experience and expectations when walking around this piece. However, the work is designed provide a relationship between the daunting structural, size, and weight elements, to the grace and freedom associated with the flowing curves. There are obvious visual strategies for this, the size and material are extremely heavy and industrial, but the angled movement of the sculpture creates inlets, or almost little havens within the curves. In the case of Band, being shown at the BCAM exhibit, the piece is shown in a large plain white room, which seems to eliminate distractions and forces the audience to focus on the structure itself. This helps to promote the audiences relationship or reaction to the artwork as a very natural, individual and almost serene moment.
Band has a minimalist quality associated with contemporary art, in that it’s material structure and shape creates a pure visual moment. The physical presences and minimalist style involves the spectator. This supports the “active experience” between the audience and artwork that many contemporary artists encourage or provide. For example, ready-mades are given value through the experience of viewing; Similarly Band, forces the audience to walk around and interact with the sculpture. The movement creates a visual curiously as well as intriguing complexity. Serra’s work responds and relates to contemporary art in terms of reduction and promotes the ideas of minimalism and conceptual art. It does not respond critically, rather promotes the active production and engagement of art as a process. Serra has a predefined procedure and vision for the engineering and shaping of the sculpture, and according to a lot of contemporary art, the concept is the art itself. Band is able to present concept, presence and experience.
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