WP-3 Precursory Assignment 4

In this the fourth pre-writing assignment for Writing Project 3, the historical and cultural context of the sculpture "Arch Falls", created by Bryan Hunt, will be analyzed.  Hunt is known as a modernist sculptor and focuses many of his works on interpreting nature.  "Arch Falls" is a "gestural" perspective of a waterfall, as if the cascading water and falls were removed from the cliff and river above that create such a natural phenomena.  Aesthetically, the sculpture is made of cast bronze and is a representational form of the falls.

Art objects, and art in general, are devices whose argument speaks differently to each person who views it. As soon as a sculpture is created, it offers itself to the opinions and judgement of the critics.  Furthermore, representational art by definition, needs only characteristics and aspects that would render the piece recognizable.  "Arch Falls" may have the general shape of a waterfall and the textures of of water and rocks, but the fact that the falls stand alone clearly defines that this could never be takes as a photograph.

Art has various meanings dependent upon the culture and the type of art present.  One possible argument or purpose that may be pertinent is that art is a recording or to capture a moment in time.  Art such as "Arch Falls" gives its audience the chance to see the backside of a waterfall, something that would normally never be possible.  The fundamental definition of art is something that causes controversy or discussion due to the complexity of its nature.  From this definition, we can derive that art, especially a representational art object such as this one, has multiple meanings and whose meaning would be impossible for anyone to predict (even the creator).  It is for this reason that Bryan Hunt's "Arch Falls" may have been created for simply an interpretation of a waterfall, but by now has evolved into something much more.  Namely, a chance to view freedom and escape in nature itself.