Immediate response: When I first saw Mindy Shapero’s piece, Lost in Space, it reminded me of a tree ring due to the presence of ovals in the middle of the piece. This made me think of what a tree ring often means. I know there is a belief that tree rings tell the story of the tree and how old it is. I started thinking about the story behind this piece of art. I also noticed the colors in the piece and how they were all shades of blue, green, purple, and gold, which made me believe that the artist associates these colors with “space”, which is in the title of the piece. The title of this piece also made me feel a sense of mysteriousness when I read it because I associate the word “lost” in a negative way and I think of the unknown when I see the word “space”.
Objective Description: Mindy Shapero’s Lost in Space is a large piece that takes up most of the wall in a room. It consists of multi-colored bead-like marks and dots that form shapes such as squares and circles in the piece. It consists of black, white and rainbow colored “beads” on the borders of the piece. the white “beads” are arranged in clusters that form slight rectangles and squares. Some light-brown dots are also scattered on top of these dots. There are light-blue marks that form a rough outline of a wide oval and black and gold “beads” form a more defined oval inside of that oval. Then dark blue and gold marks form the third circle, then different shades of blue and green form more ovals until the middle of the piece, which is a light blue circle. There is a total of twelve ovals that are in the middle of the piece, similar to a tree ring.
Technical Decisions: The construction of Shapero’s piece is interesting because most of it seems to be cobbled together, but there are certain sections of it that seem to be planned, such as the shapes formed. It is incredibly detailed because there are so many small dots and marks as well as a multitude of colors used in the piece. The presentation of the piece is that it is hung on a white wall in a bright room. The dullness of the wall makes the colors on the piece stand out. The piece is huge, 92 x 70 inches, so it takes us the entirety of the viewer’s view when standing in front of the piece. The materials used include acrylic, spray paint, gold and silver leaf on linen. These materials are used to create small bead-like shapes that form together to resemble space. This can be overwhelming to the viewer because it is very detailed and the shapes can remind the viewer of how little of space is explored and how unknown it is. However, it can also cause the viewer to feel calm because of how the colors blend and combine swiftly.
The Work in the World: This piece resembles outer space and the idea of it being endless. The multitude of ovals in the middle of the piece suggest that space is endless. This can relate to the study of outer space today and how NASA is trying to expand our knowledge about other planets, stars and dimensions. Additionally, the materials used to make this piece relate to objects from history. The use of the gold leaf to form the gold dots and marks, has been used in art for more than 8,000 years. Spray painting and stenciling are materials used in the punk counterculture.
The Story it Tells: To my understanding, I believe the meaning behind this piece is that it brings together the notions of time and space by depicting the different parts of outer space. Each one of the “rings”, or ovals in the middle of the piece represent a portal to a different area of outer space, and the fact that the circles do not end suggest that space is endless and limitless, and therefore the viewer is “lost” in the piece. All of the portals are different and most likely shed in a negative light because of the mysterious feeling it causes the viewer to experience. Some viewers might feel uncomfortable because the piece reminds them of the idea of the unknown and how little the human race knows about outer space. They may also think of the idea of being “lost in space” as frightening. However, other viewers might feel the that the piece is positive and may feel a sense of comfort and peace when looking at the dark colors. I arrived at my interpretation of the work by considering the title while observing the piece and paying attention to the materials used, as well as the detail created by the artist.