Essay On Art / Expression Breadth Area

For this assignment I choose to discuss an observation that I located online. This observation is a sculpture titled Beetle Sphere (2013). Ichwan Noor, an Indonesian sculpture artist, created the Beetle Sphere, a vintage 1953 Volkswagen Beetle, in 2013. The sculpture is made of aluminum, polyester, paint and real parts from a 1953 Beetle. The sculptured beetle is an impressive sight with its bright yellow color and perfectly spherical shape. The immediate attraction to Noor’s 1953 Beetle is perhaps not the color or the spherical shape, but the fact that it is made from an everyday object, a 1953 yellow Volkswagen Beetle.
The aesthetic qualities of the 1953 Beetle come from the innovative way in which it is cast, the feeling of nostalgia it evokes, as well as its color and shape. The Beetle is very visually appealing. It’s large in size and bright yellow in color. The fact that the Beetle Sphere is a circular shape makes it visually appealing as well. The geometric shape is something we find in nature, and a shape that our minds are naturally attracted to. Like the sun, the Beetle is a yellow-colored, spherical shape. It is interesting to note the ways that the artist shaped the Beetle. The body of the car has been bent so that bumper touches bumper, and the wheels have been tucked into the middle of the artwork. The black colored wheels are the only other major color in the artwork besides the yellow. The license plate is blue, and the bumpers are metallic colored. The overall effect of the Beetle Sphere is that there is a great harmony and peace encapsulate within the sphere. This effect is brought about by the artist’s adherence to the elements of design and an overall intention on the part of the artist to make the work appear symmetrical, natural and harmonious.
Ichwan Noor’s sculptured Beetle is very visually appealing and is nostalgic of a more peaceful and intellectual era. The 1953 Beetle is reminiscent of rock and roll, worldwide protests, experiments with psychedelic drugs and in general a more intellectual era. The 1950’s were also the first decade when automobiles became available to many parts of the world. The Beetle is a sleek, stylish and light-weight car, and thus symbolizes the ways in which technology streamlined life for many who lived during the 1950’s and 1960’s. The Beetle Sphere coincides with a simpler time in its representation, color, shape and form. The 1950’s were a time for personal exploration and experimentation. Today, around the world we are confronted with a political and economic future that is uncertain and threatening to do us great and irreparable harm. The 1950’s were a time when many around the world were able to live according to their dreams and desires. Today we are facing a bleak future, and perhaps the artist is suggesting that we should all reconsider going back to simpler times. During the 1950’s it was the citizens of the world that prevented nuclear war and economic meltdown. It was art and protesting and experimentation that opened the door to a brighter future. Today we need the same thing; we need people protesting, experimenting and creating new ideas. This is perhaps what the Beetle Sphere suggests to its viewers.
This art work was recently on display at the Art Basel Hong Kong in 2013. This sculpture was easy to track because it is new and visually appealing. I located news sources on this sculpture in both the American press and in foreign presses. I choose this art work because it challenges the basic assumptions and definitions of an automobile. This sculpture defies traditional sculpture in its innovativeness and in terms of materials used. Ichwan Noor apparently creates many sculptures from old automobiles, using the leftover materials from these autos to make sculptures. The Beetle Sphere is an important artwork of our time because of its relevance to the current political, social and cultural context. The bright yellow 1953 Beetle reminds us of a simpler and more inspiring time when experimenting and creating new ideas were more commonplace. Thus, this observation located online is a good example of art / expression because it stretches the definition of sculpture and is an expressive of an important cultural experience.