Why is there no title?

We recently received a comment from a five year old museum visitor who was curious to know why Harry Bertoia did not title his art work. What has been so great about our comment board is that it has allowed interaction, both direct and indirect, between our visitors, as some people comment on the reactions and thoughts of those who came before them, or inadvertently write a few sentences that pertain to other questions and ideas already posted. In this case, a second visitor also shared in the five year old's curiosity and shed light on the answer to the question. "I wonder why the artist sometimes doesn't name the work, " wrote the commenter. "I don't mind because it allows the person looking at it to personalize it with their own ideas, connecting artist and viewer." In the case of Harry Bertoia, this is exactly why he did not title his work. He did not want the title to fix the meaning of his work or suggest what it was "supposed" to look like. He knew that his pieces would be received differently by each individual who viewed them and that was what he wanted to happen. I hope this answers our junior visitor's excellent question.

Visitor Comments

I Don't Get It has been viewed by hundreds of museum visitors now as it enters its sixth week on display. In addition to starting this blog, we also hung a comment board in the show's gallery to invite questions, ideas, and reactions regarding the non-objective art on view. This not only allows us to answer your queries and pass on additional information, but it also lets us know what you think of the art work and the exhibition as a whole. Comments have been left by visitors aged five to sixty five, in English and other languages (I keep meaning to find a Chinese dictionary), that range from expressing a simple liking of a particular piece and an artistic rendition thereof, to some interestingly thoughtful reactions. Here are some highlights:

"I liked this exhibit!! It's nice to decide for yourself what the art is."

"This art is meant for the interpretation of the individual. One person may see one thing but another person sees something completely different. I find it amazing."

"Very creative, some of them I did not get though! I LOVE places liked this and it made me think. This place was very inspirational."

"This exhibition is truly magnificent. It was well worth the drive. Very well done!!"

"Abstract and non-objective art is essential because it invites the viewer to participate in making 'sense' of art in myriad ways. We loved this exhibit and felt fully involved in these works."

"It's hard to let go of the habit of relating what we see to someTHING we can recognize or identify. In a sense, this is art in its purest form - color as color, line as line; not used to help outline or define an object. It's challenging. I like that."

"The difficulty: how do I know that I understand something when understanding (at least in our culture) is a function of words, and when the object I wish to understand is non-verbal? We think we understand representational works (portraits, still-lifes, etc.), but it is an illusion created by our ability to name the parts. If you can't understand abstraction, you also don't understand representation. At one level, enjoying abstract art is akin to the joy and wonder we experience in the presence of a well-known quilt. But they can (and, for many, do) operate at deeper and more substantial and satisfying levels. This is a quite good collection."

Do you agree? Disagree? Have any comments? Let us know.