Hello everybody and welcome to Episode 10 of What’s in that Hole?, a new series I’m writing for my blog.
In the last episode, we not only found a hole, but caught and released its occupant, saving the critter from my dad’s wrath and giving it a new lease on life. Today we take things in a completely different direction with a hole I found on a recent trip to Washington, DC.
Warning: there’s culture in this post!
The hole
Here is the beautiful hole:
The hole!
The occupant
Well, this time there is no occupant. This post is more of an educational experience. If you’re bitter now because you didn’t come here for an educational experience, oh well. Come back next time for a hole-residing slitherer with teeth!
I found this particular hole at the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, DC. Specifically, this hole was in the East Building, which houses modern and contemporary art.
From that, you’ve probably figured out that today’s hole is part of a work of art. And here it is, in its entirety:
It’s a beauty.
The artist is Lee Bontecou, an American artist born in 1931. She completed this particular piece, “Untitled,” in 1962. It’s composed of welded iron, canvas, wire, and paint.
From the 2 pictures I’ve shown you so far, the piece may look 2-dimensional. It’s not.
Peering in sideways.
I often get this look when inspecting holes.
See? Since it’s 3D, we do in fact have a legitimate hole, rather than just a 2D rendering of a hole. I know I’ve never clarified this definition before, but I’ve just made this decision so technically you knew as soon as I did.
Bonus hole!
Anyway, a look at Bontecou’s work reveals that holes (both legitimate 3D ones and 2D renderings) are an ongoing theme in her works, especially those from the 1950s and 60s. In fact, there is another such hole at the NGA itself:
A mini Bontecou hole!
You can’t tell from the photo, but this hole is much smaller; the work is a few inches wide/tall, rather than a few feet like the work featured at the top of this post. This one, also untitled, is a metal and canvas relief completed in 1960 and is again 3D.
Do you feel cultured now? I do! It’s nice to see what that feels like every now and then, before reverting back to my boorish self.
See you next time!
Go to previous episode!
Next episode: coming soon!
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