Objectology Explained

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Objectology is an artistic philosophy concerned with the relationship between objects, art and human meaning.Objects are never entirely neutral. They carry histories, functions, associations, memories and identities. Some are deeply personal; others reflect the culture and society in which they were created and used. Objectology explores what happens to these meanings when an object enters the context of art, and how something familiar can become a way of questioning how we see ourselves and the world around us.

 

Sometimes the object comes first, provoking an observation, question or idea that becomes the starting point for a work. At other times, an idea comes first and an object is deliberately sought because its identity, history or associations can express that idea. The object may remain unchanged, or it may be altered, combined, reconstituted or placed in an unexpected context. The physical transformation is not essential; what matters is the relationship between the object's existing identity and the meaning it acquires through its new context. The object must retain its essence and remain more than simply raw material.

 

Objectology sits between object and art, function and aesthetics, familiarity and discovery. It uses the familiar as a starting point, creating a moment where something recognised becomes something reconsidered. Through objects, it can explore everything from memory, nostalgia and personal experience to technology, religion, politics, culture and changing social values. The object is both the medium and the meaning.

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