I went to gather some primary research in order to validate my investigation and aid the progression of my project further. The idea was to see how people responded to the art in this formal environment, and how the walls of the gallery, and pressure of people around, changes the habits as well as the types, of people visiting.
The gallery is a really gorgeous space, and unlike most, as there weren't people on look out in every room, it felt much more relaxed and free roam. The rooms that did however, were tenser, and I found myself reluctant to take pictures despite that being allowed.
The cameo prints below, are extremely popular in current day high street fashion trends. Here we see ways where fashion and high art can interconnect in populist ways - presenting a forum that could be used interchangeably - e.g. using the Gagosian rebrand to promote fashion prints and styles in some way.
The contrasting large white walls again the viewer is overpowering and belittling. People tend to stand a meter or so away from the piece, often pondering to themselves - due to arts intrusive nature. It is important to understand the human activity / body language / character traits within the gallery space, in order to see how to break through these barriers. For example, if the walls were brightly coloured, or the rooms were more busy and had less empty space - more art in one room, or even less quiet - played music in the background - given headphones and a music player device, then a more colloquial setting would occur.
In terms of a wayfinding system, the viewer could even be invited to view the piece from different locations around the room, possibly by marked circles on the floor, in order to create a greater understanding or appreciation for the work, and thus a looser relationship with the space, as it would have been explored.
The idea of repeating populist signs with different bright colours is an interesting style that definitely links to the tackiness associated with popular culture and design. The $ (dollar) sign, for example, is a clear example of how Warhol used these everyday symbols to break the barriers of the high art and commercial world, ultimately mocking it in the most ironic sense.
I then found in the gift shop this colouring book, which I found particularly relevant to the idea of lowering the statute of acknowledgment for high art through the commercialisation of it into consumerist goods. The colouring book that was aimed at young children epitomises the idea that his work has been belittled to nothing less than a money making scheme - if this is the direction of art, then it is highly relevant for these institutions to shout to a wider market. If they are willing to sell products as such in their shops, they are obviously open to the commercialisation of the art itself.
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