Summaries of Readings:
Taylor: Performance art acts as an active medium for the artist to experiment with the body and radical concepts.
Introduction: Albero introduces Fraser’s work as an unprecedented use of literary essays that complement and context her contemporary art work.
A Gallery Talk: Jane acts as an awkward museum guide to provide commentary on the city of Philadelphia and the museum’s structure.
A Letter to the Wadsworth: Fraser’s performances use candid language to criticize the ignorance of class conflict in Hartford and explain its reasoning.
A Sensation Chronicle: Addressing the Sensation controversy, Fraser emphasizes voices in the art world and the different autonomies that govern the field.
Andrea Fraser’s ‘Box Set’
Response:
As a conceptual artist, Andrea Fraser mainly uses the active medium of performance for her work. She differentiates herself from other performance artists by using museums as the location to provide commentary on the local community. In Welcome to the Wadsworth (1991), Fraser acts as a tour guide of Wadsworth Atheneum who indirectly explains how the patronage history of Hartford leads to the city’s current ignorance of class conflict. The subject of Fraser’s Welcome to the Wadsworth continues to distinguish her method as she enters an artistic safe haven of Hartford as an outsider and critiques the community. On the surface, her approach seems like a rather rude, creative intrusion. Nevertheless, Fraser creates a tangible subject for her audience, unlike other artists who address more broad subjects. Certain artists decide to tackle overarching themes, such as racism and sexism in America. Such works inform and involve the audience in ignored topics but distance the viewers as they attempt to understand the broad themes which may appear unfeasible for them to influence. Whereas, Fraser’s performance addresses the ignored issue of class conflict on the local level of Hartford. Viewers who are moved by her Welcome to the Wadsworth are more likely to address the issue in the neighborhood than a viewer who feels that they do not have much influence on racism in America.
Nevertheless, Fraser still creates distance between her performance and her audience. In Welcome to the Wadsworth, she makes her tour attendees feel rather uncomfortable as she blatantly expresses disgust for the urban poor and migrants who are changing the scene of Hartford. Her harsh words are meant to articulate the unexpressed thoughts of the middle class and above who are disturbed by the changes. Although Fraser’s statements contain truth, their abruptness catches the tour attendees off guard which can prevent them from understanding her performance. Like the work of other artists’ who tackle broad themes, Fraser criticizes her subject and fails to provide a way for the community to tackle the issue. Hence, viewers of her performance may still feel isolated from the topic of her work, although it addresses more tangible and local issues.