Jim Campbell, Shadow

Jim Campbell’s artwork, Shadow, is an intriguing piece because the ability to see its details is impossible. The piece is seen from afar as a Buddha in a square glass box. Upon approaching it, smoke fills the glass box, making it impossible to see the intricacy of the piece, leaving only a shadow of the Buddha inside. Campbell describes his work as frustrating. It is this frustration that controls the interest of its viewers. Because the viewers would soon lose interest if they could outsmart the piece, Campbell dedicated most of his efforts to ensure there were no holes in the interface, which would hinder the viewer’s attempt to sneak up to the object. I found it comical that the Buddha is sitting atop a scientific journal article from 1993. This is ironic because it is impossible to get close enough to the piece to read it. As I stood in front of the piece I found myself running up to it, as if I could move faster than the smoke within the box. Campbell’s piece was extremely interesting because we are able to interact with it, but is also frustrating as he described.

Campbell also described his work as a, “one liner.” As I sat there, I became somewhat disappointed as Campbell seemed uninspired by his own work. Many individuals were enthusiastic, asking questions and finding new ways to interpret the meaning of the piece. I felt like everyone was looking too far into the piece, whereas Campbell saw it as just a Buddha in a box. Campbell’s lack of enthusiasm caused me to question the true meaning of art. Are we looking to far into it, trying to find meaning that does not exist? Or can it be interpreted in any way, differing with every viewer?

The video Campbell showed was attention grabbing, because you really had to look at what you were watching in order to understand what is truly there. The video started out as a blurry mixture of colors, but as I watched, it slowly began to develop into movement. Eventually I was able to see it for what it truly was, a boxing match. Campbell said that this type of art is very interesting because every individual who experiences it is different. Some take 10 minutes to see it for what it is, whereas for others it takes 10 seconds. These videos provided art in which the viewer can interact, making it more appealing as well as entertaining.