Untitled (Steam Work for Bellingham)

Robert Morris

Robert Morris was known for task-oriented dance; and played an essential role in developing the art movements of Minimalist sculpture, Process art, and Earthworks. His focus and interest in dance led him to participate in a group of dancers in which he choreographed multiple works for. Morris actually incorporated his earliest Minimalist objects as props for his dance performances. These “props” were exhibited in entire rooms and consisted of nondescript architectural elements. Morris shifted into a more detailed industrial-type processes for his Minimalist sculpture, using materials such as steel mesh and aluminum. In the 1960s, Morris continued with industrial-type fabrications and created a series of Neo-Dada sculptures which were meant to challenge the myth of self-expression. These sculptures included ironic self-portraits which were inspired by Marcel Duchamp.

 

Robert Morris’ “Untitled (Steam Work for Bellingham)” is reminiscent of the Land Art movement. Morris incorporates natural components: stones, wood, and steam. One main difference between Morris’ piece and the Land Art movement is that natural components probably were not taken directly from the landscape for “Untitled (Steam Work for Bellingham).” The appreciation for our Earth that emerged in the 1970’s is clearly demonstrated in Morris’ piece. 1974 was also a time of unease and anxiety both nationally and globally. “Untitled (Steam Work for Bellingham)” created a calming atmosphere to offset these feelings of unease through its stackable rocks and relaxing steam.

Our interpretation

Robert Morris tends to focus on the physical interactions of the viewer with his art pieces. For example, in Bodyspacemotionthings, viewers interacted with the piece by climbing on beams, platforms and spheres. Robert Morris also performed unconventional dance pieces. One such example is “Site” in which Morris moves around plywood as if he were a construction worker. Typically, passerbys of “Untitled (Steam Work for Bellingham)” will interact with the piece by stacking or rearranging the rocks. Instead, we hope to tap into the relaxing feelings the piece produces by “letting off steam” via dance.

 

As a collaborative group, we propose to honor Robert Morris’ passion for task-oriented dance as well as channeling our feelings of peace and tranquility of his sculpture, Untitled (Steam Work for Bellingham), by performing our own spontaneous task-oriented dance performed during dusk at a local scenic outlook near Western’s campus. 

 

Credits:

 

Dancing in video: Estelle Ronayne, Elle Roberts, Jaliyah Putney

Video recording: Nikole Chernery

Text: Estelle Ronayne, Elle Roberts and Jaliyah Putney

 

Works Cited:

Bryan-Wilson, Julia. Robert Morris. Vol. 15, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2013.

der Kunst, Haus. “Ends of the Earth: Land Art to 1974.” e-Flux, 20 Oct. 2012, www.e-flux.com/announcements/33569/ends-of-the-earth-land-art-to-1974/.

Johnson, Ken. “Robert Morris, 87, Dies; Founding Minimalist Sculptor With Manifold Passions.” The New York Times, 29 Nov. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/obituaries/robert-morris-dead.html.“Robert Morris.” Guggenheim, www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/robert-morris.

Spivey, Virginia. “Sites of Subjectivity: Robert Morris, Minimalism, and Dance.” Dance Research Journal, 35/36, no. Vol. 35, no. 2 – Vol. 36, no. 1, 1 Dec. 2003, pp. 113–130. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/30045072?refreqid=search-gateway:7d6356c3f933889152509609597a6fa7.