Maintenance Art

Wednesday’s activity consisted of all of us cleaning the “Now” sculpture that Piotr Kowalski created. During this activity I felt that I was performing art itself. Art can be found anywhere and in anything. When Mierle Landerman Ukeles cleaned the steps of an art museum I thought she was also performing an art herself. The difference between her doing so, and Richard Serra flinging molten lead against the walls of an art museum, is that Richard was actually creating art. You can either create art or you can perform art. In some cases you can do both. Mierle was performing an Art. Whether she was at an art museum or literally anywhere else doesn’t make a difference. Art shouldn’t be limited in a sense of where it can be performed. Her actions and the actions of a janitor are no different. What differentiates these from “art” or an “act” is that janitors get hired and get paid to perform these tasks. They have no room for creative thought, and they can’t do anything else without creating problems with their employers. That’s why what Mierle did was art. She was willing to do it herself and had a choice to do it or not. She was in control. When someone expresses their own ideas, whether its on a canvas or an action, that’s art. All canvases are art. They’re someone’s ideas and emotions expressed on a canvas, its setting makes no difference. It can be in a museum or a home, but its still considered art. “Woman’s Work” is no different. In my eyes its all art. When it’s referred to as cleaning like Mierle did, I think that’s art. No one is pressured to perform these tasks, they come out of their own will. That’s art. It’s also not limited to woman either, men can perform these tasks as well. Personally, given the recent tragedy that just occurred, I’d get down to clean Kobe Bryant’s star. I’m a huge fan. Now with his passing, if I were to see it dirty I’d definitely clean in.

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