Normally when I experience abstract art, nine times out of ten I won’t understand anything and become easily frustrated by it. But after watching “Commissioned Works,” I think it’s sometimes better not to totally scrutinize and make sense of everything, and rather, just experience the art as a form of entertainment more than anything else. I was continually reminded of Bragaglia’s accusation that if I cannot understand his art, then I’m probably just too stupid. Well if not understanding why a man in a mask danced around naked with his junk tucked between his legs for exactly 4 minutes makes me stupid, then I’d be the first to admit it.
Immediately following the masked nude was another clip much more relaxed and pleasing to the eye, titled “Please Stand By.” A series of quiet landscapes and sceneries were displayed one by one, almost as if with the purpose of helping the viewer to mentally erase the image of the naked dancer. However, neither of the clips were made in reference to another, which suggests that the commissioner of all these short films, James Melchert, had his own artistic touch in the final compilation. Because the films were so diverse and varied, any order in which Melchert put them together could easily have a very different affect on the audience.
Ultimately, my favorite was the clip of William Wegman throwing a ball to his dog over and over. The goal was for the dog to drop the ball and make it into a tin can, which took a series of repeated failures before the dog finally, and unknowingly, made the shot. What I enjoyed most about the clip was that it was easy to relate to considering we’ve all had a pet of some sort that can be a trick in itself to train, but also the film had deep-seated meanings that artists can appreciate on that Bragaglia level. Perhaps the dog resembles ourselves as humans, doing tricks for a goal we’re completely unaware of, such as getting an education when we don’t even have a remote idea of a career in mind. Or maybe the repetition of catching the ball but missing the shot conveys the frustrations of striving for a goal, getting so close, but only missing by a few millimeters. The point is I have no idea because one, Bragaglia thinks I’m stupid and two, there really is no one answer. This compilation of films illustrates that the real meaning of modern art is to make your own interpretation regardless of what the artist originally had in mind. While many of these clips stumped me completely, I like to think there are at least two different interpretations even if I can’t think of one.
Anthony Castanos
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