Photos courtesy of the artist and DCKT Contemporary.
o r th e in fo rm e d a ccid en t w e k n o w fro m
S u rrealism . In m y m in d , th at is p a rt o f th e
e x p e rie n c e in h ere n t in th e w o rk in g m eth od
o f p e o p le w h o are en g a g e d w ith m a te ri-
a ls.” T h e artist, she sa y s, “ sh o w s w e can be
attu n ed to th e e x c ite m e n t o f th e ran d om .
B u t w ith th at co m es certain im p licatio n s,
th e re c o g n itio n o f an en d gam e. P o ssib ly
e v e n a m oral reso n an ce. It is n o t n e ce ssa r-
ily p ro fo u n d —y o u h a v e to th in k a b o u t th e
c o n s e q u e n c e s .”
T h e co n seq u e n ces can b e m o v in g and
e v e n e x tra o rd in a ry . H e le n A ltm a n ’s see d
sk u lls tran scrib e a ce rtain ele g a n ce o f d e -
c a y ; fa b rica te d fro m b ird se e d , th e y w e re
le ft o u td o o rs, th e ir fo rm s scu lp te d and fi-
n a lly d im in ish e d b y th e b ird s n ib b lin g
and p e c k in g a w a y at th em . In h is re c e n t
ex h ib itio n in N e w Y o r k C ity (“ N e w Y o r k
D ir t W a te r L ig h t”) , A n d y G o ld s w o r th y
u sed c o n c re te sid e w a lk s and w a te r to ech o
ch an ce p a tte rn s o f e v a p o ra tio n ; a p o o l o f
w a te r b e c o m e s a d isc o f m o istu re , its im age
sh iftin g w ith lig h t, sh a d o w , p e o p le ste p p in g
across and arou n d it. T h e w o r k o f th e B ra -
zilian artist R iv a n e N e u e n sc h w a n d e r relies
on th e u n p red ictab le b e h a v io r o f ants, the
ep h em eral n atu re o f soap b u b b les, th e im -
p r o v is e d m e ssa g e s w r itte n b y v ie w e r s on
p ap er and then p rin ted on silk rib b on s.
W h a t all th e se d em o n strate is th at th e ran-
d o m -w h e th e r in cu rre d b y n a tu re , w e a th e r,
th e p assage o f tim e , o r sim p ly u n p lan n e d
h u m an e v e n ts and e n c o u n te rs—can its e lf
b e a p p ro a ch e d w ith a sen se o f fin e sse, a
sen se o f d iscrim in atio n . T h e rational and
irration al w o rld s can in fo rm on e an oth er.
S im s su g g e sts th at th e c ra ft p ro c e ss
“ e n c o u ra g e s us to ta k e th e ran d o m a c tiv ity
o f w o rk in g w ith and th rou gh m aterials and
m ake it m ore co n scio u s. B u t a sen se o f re-
sp o n sib ility is in v o lv e d in th is c o n te x t. T h is
ty p e o f a c tiv ity has a p u rp o se and an e v e n -
tu al en d p ro d u c t. R a r e ly is it g r a tu ito u s .”
M a y b e the p o in t is that ex p lo itatio n o f the
ran d om finds g re a te st m ean in g w h e n it e s-
tab lish es a rh yth m w ith th e in ten tio n a l; th at
th e u n e x p e c te d , ch an geab le, in stan tan eou s
can b e fo ld e d in to th e c a lc u la te d and d e lib -
e ra te . A s in life its e lf, w h a t’ s c o m p e llin g
is th e c h o re o g ra p h y o f w h a t w e co n tro l and
w h a t w e can ’t. A n d h o w w h a t w e ch o o se
m anages to co in cid e and c o e x is t w ith w h a t
w e can ’t, d o n ’t and w o u ld n ’t e v e r.+
A kiko Busch is the author
o/'N ine W a y s to
C ro ss a R iv e r
and
T h e U n co m m o n L ife
o f C o m m o n O b je cts.
Top:
Helen Altman
Green Mung Bean Skull,
2009, green mung beans,
wire, glue, lead, J hook,
6V2
x 5'/2 x 7 in.
Middle:
Helen Altman
Fennel Seed Skull,
2009,
fennel seeds, wire,
glue, lead, J hook,
6V2 x $'/2x7 in.
Bottom:
Helen Altman
Aniseed Skull,
2008,
aniseed, wire, glue, lead,
J hook,
6 V2
x 5
'/2
x 7 in.
Opposite:
Andy Goldsworthy
Gutter Water-Night
to Day, Sixth Avenue at
comer of 51st Street,
March
j,
2010,
2010, suite
of 21 unique inkjet prints
[pictured: images 15-17,
19-21], 14 x iol/2 in. each.
oct/nov 10 american craft 059
