liz sergeant
Fig 1. Diagram Showing the Power of Art
Mixed Media 2m x 2m
June 2010
Playful Fridge Magnets, Serious Academic Model or Awful Art by Committee?
Commissioned by Islington-based Qualitative Research Agency Spinach, the work represents the artist’s own attempts at Q. R. Interviews were conducted with Spinach staff to try to determine what makes a successful piece of art in the office. The premise: can better art be created with a better understanding of what the market wants?
The research revealed similarities in the language describing the work of a Qualitative Researcher and the power of Art ('capacity to transform' and 'emotional response'). The resulting matrix references the Johari Window, an authoritative academic model; yet, super-sized and mounted on magnets, it becomes playful, hinting that there are no right/wrong answers. Does the work invite consideration, encourage discussion or provide inspiration? Or does it fail on all accounts, proving that it's impossible to make good art by consensus?