Titles

["Lesley Carruthers" <lesleyc118@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

John,

I was interested in your comments regarding not titling your abstract works.

-I take a
-different tract, and tend not to title my abstract works.  Seems
-to me that when I do, the viewer tries to see what the title
-suggests, and they miss seeing what the sculpture says to them.

I have one thought and one question:

question - How then do you label them in an exhibition? Do you use
'untitled' for every piece? And if so, how do you differentiate between
pieces?

thought - Many viewers are lazy, and will not make the effort to study a
piece in depth if there is no obvious 'way in' to the piece via a title. A
title at least gives them some indication of how to approach the piece.
Otherwise many people flounder. Easier if you are there to ask them what
they see in the piece, but not so easy in the anonymous environment of a
gallery.

I have had two interesting experiences recently regarding titling my pieces,
which are mostly abstract aluminium castings, though I still also do
abstract work in stone. I had produced a piece influenced by waves, which I
called 'Dance'. I was approached by a visitor to the gallery who almost
attacked me verbally, saying 'Oh I wish you hadn't called that piece
;'Dance'! I really like it but it reminds me of waves, and I can't relate it
to people dancing.' When I said it was inspired by waves dancing, he beamed
at me and said, 'Ah, that makes sense to me now', and bought the piece!!
I produced another piece inspired by the Iraq war, which I wanted to call
'war' as it reminded me vividly of the emotions I personally experienced
when that war was declared. however, a friend looked at it and saw someone
sad about a broken love affair, and another friend saw a  person meditating.
in the end, I called it 'Homo Sapiens' as it seemed to me to be about
emotion, which is what distinguishes mankind from other animals, but I'm not
really happy with that title either.

So I have some sympathy with your idea, John, of not titling your pieces,
and yet..and yet...leaving them without any title at all feels like opting
out. when I tried one exhibition with each piece accompanied by a short
paragraph explaining how the piece came into being the response was very
positive indeed.

Any thought, comments would be welcomed.

Lesley C