Time. Who has enough? In the frenzied lives of Berkeley students, it is especially difficult to justify giving time to understanding pieces of art that just don't make any sense upon first consideration. Call me impatient, but I don’t have what it takes to sit around analyzing an obscured image of a non-descript blob. Well, at least this was how I felt until Xie Nanxing's Untitled No. 1 (at BAM) helped me see the benefits that can come from giving up a little time for art: time to process and time to open the mind to the possibilities of its reality. The first time I tried to understand this splendid piece I was beyond lost – I had resorted to full fledged and, one might say downright pitiful, guessing. I thought to myself: ‘Maybe it's a dark and cloudy night concealing a small red balloon? Probably not.’ ‘It could be some blurry form of a one-eyed monster? Even less likely.’ The frustration that can ensue from gazing upon such an enigmatic piece is entirely reasonable - I mean, what is the point of art if no one gets it? However I can promise you if you give enough time to the piece that it will begin to reveal itself in unimaginable ways. After much contemplation of Untitled No. 1 I felt a much stronger connection to this piece than if the subject had been blatantly shown to me. Give Untitled No. 1 some time and you might discover it has its own message for you too!
Alyssa Sittig
Alyssa Sittig
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