If art is truly the reflection of one’s soul, then Steve Lambert is spot on in his assessment of himself. In a short interaction with him before his lecture, it is evident that he is every bit as funny and engaging as his artwork. Although most of his artwork seems to to have a root in some social critique or activism, he does not paint himself to be the person with all the answers. Instead he seems to be focusing attention on the audience themselves. In works such as Capitalism Works For Me True/False and Simmer Down Sprinter interaction between the work and audience provide food for thought in a simple capsule - but give plenty of room for deeper meaning to be contemplated and realized on one’s own. Even in his works that require little involvement on the part of the viewer, Lambert maintains a stance of criticism and (just a little) humor to his societal comments. Works like Wish You Were Here and Everything You Want Right Now are non confrontational but creatively woven into areas of society in need of a second look. In short - Steve Lambert is an impressive artist/activist that seems to intuitively take large subjects of criticism and make it accessible, open, and best of all: fun. His lecture was a combination overview of works he’s done and thoughts behind them - but also a little biography and history how he found himself creating art. In addition to the history lesson, he gave a little inspiration to all attending - Art is a superpower we all have should we choose to use it.
Two questions I would ask are: If he did the “I Will Talk To Anyone About Anything” alone or switched off with anyone. He said he switched off with people for “Capitalism Works For Me” but never mentioned the previous work. I would also ask what he enjoys about viewing art as a superpower. Does he ever wish for a different one?
No comments:
Post a Comment