Installation art resists definition because of the impermanence of its exhibitions, and because it has picked up influences everywhere, from Futurism to Dada, from Assemblage to Minimalism. Nonetheless, this artistic form, in all its guises, definitively explores the notion that space... [more]

Installation art resists definition because of the impermanence of its exhibitions, and because it has picked up influences everywhere, from Futurism to Dada, from Assemblage to Minimalism. Nonetheless, this artistic form, in all its guises, definitively explores the notion that space and time are, in and of themselves, fodder for artistic consumption. An artist takes over an installation space like a temporary squatter whose clutter of possessions challenges boundaries and sparks dialogue between the space itself and its contents. Installation art is site-specific and usually consists of an ensemble of objects or effects that work together to create a whole. Artists deal with their own thematic concerns and consistently string certain elements throughout their installations. Judy Pfaff installs thousands of disposable items over the surface of a space in order to evoke the feeling of an underwater garden or some other dreamlike fantasy world; Daniel Buren applies stripes to architectural structures as a comment on the physical or social character of the site; and Donald Lipski gathers together hundreds of manufactured objects to create witty, three-dimensional variations on all-over painting. Despite the fact that Installation art usually presents itself in the context of the gallery, it is not typical gallery art because it has little, if any, commercial value. Installation art must be displayed and subsequently dismantled, leaving documentation as its only trace. [show less]