There are 550 pieces of white computer paper taped to the northeast wall of the Top of the Hop. They are arranged in an unobtrusive rectangle, and they do not seem to catch the attention of the few dozen students studying there on a quiet Saturday afternoon.
However plain their appearance, though, these papers comprise AREA's latest art exhibition. AREA is the name given to this wall in the Top of the Hop, established recently as a space to exhibit student art.
Upon closer inspection, the pieces of paper reveal themselves to be computer printouts of an extended BlitzMail correspondence among several people. The names "Katherine Grayson" and "Laura Tepper" show up often amidst a large collection of other names.
The emails date from early January to mid-February and are arranged chronologically. In case it is not readily evident that these comprise an actual art exhibit, the rectangle is marked with AREA's yellow three dot logo in its top right hand corner. Some of the blitzes are also marked off with red tape. Beneath the exhibit, the letters "A" and "E" from "AREA" rest a little sadly on the floor.
Perhaps there is some symbolic significance to these fallen letters. Or perhaps not. Either way, the overall effect is to make it seem as though AREA has fallen into disrepair -- as though its caretakers have been a bit negligent about its upkeep.
The effect is unfortunate, because it undermines the underlying message of the exhibit, whose aim is to show the dedication of the people involved in establishing AREA, which was only established this past February. It would be sad if the vision that brought about the exhibit had already dimmed. In a school brimming with student talent, any venue that exists to display that talent is an unequivocally good thing and ought to be maintained.
That said, the email exhibit represents both the best kind of selfless dedication and the worst kind of selfish self-indulgence of that talent. Taken purely as a work of art, the exhibit comes up short. There is little artistic skill involved in printing out emails and tacking it in rows and columns on a wall. The exhibit is not visually pleasing, nor is it emotionally or mentally challenging, mostly because there are too many blitzes to read and one can hope, at best, only to skim a few clusters here and there.
If one does take the time, however, to read the emails, the exhibit gains a whole new dimension of meaning which perhaps makes up for its lack of artistic merit.
The correspondence reflects the process through which AREA came into being, from its conception as a mere idea to its inception as an exhibition space.
On the one hand, passing this off as a work of art seems rather egotistical on the part of the students involved. To broadcast one's efforts so blatantly may strike some as tasteless and unnecessary. In theory, the artwork displayed in AREA should speak for itself -- its merits should not have to be reinforced by knowledge of the work that went into exhibiting it.
On the other hand, the exhibit represents a dimension of student talent that is not often publicly recognized. The sheer number of emails is testament to the immense effort and dedication of the students involved. In light of the recent vandalism of works by senior art majors, this demonstration of dedication and firm belief in student art is especially timely. The fact that some of the very people whose art was destroyed were actively involved in creating AREA is even more poignant.
Undeniably, the students who worked hard to establish AREA should be commended for their dedication, commitment and effort. But whether displaying email messages as a form of "artwork" is the best way to do so is questionable.
