"Rigging" Richard Serra

Serra talks about how he began by only using his hands and necessary tools to create his art, but as it grew he had to use machinery. He refers to rigging as not using machines and tools, but more of a hand-extension. "All technology is a hand extension -- electricity is a central nervous system extension. He also says that you must rely on your previous experiences to assist you with rigging; that there are no directions or guidelines to follow.

Serra also stated that sculptures shouldn't "attend to architecture" but the art that "has the potential to create its own place and space, and to work in contradiction to the spaces and places where it is created..." I like the idea that the sculpture is its own environment, not relying on its surroundings to create it.

Serra thought that art was being used as a scapegoat by political figures to avoid the real issues at hand, i.e. "the misuse of their taxpayers' money in terms of urban design." It seems that art is an easy target to get upset over and start disagreements, when there are bigger fish to fry, so to speak.