This installation, “Notation 2008,” exhibited at Woburn Square Studios in London, UK, stands as a pointed inquiry into the signifying practices that govern the art world, particularly concerning the commodification of creative expression. Through the seemingly simple presentation of a receipt machine upon a plinth, the work initiates a performative act that deconstructs the very notion of artistic value in a market-driven society.
With each press of a button, the machine dispenses what appears to be a randomly generated musical score – an ephemeral act of creation rendered tangible as a printed receipt. This transformation of a fleeting, sonic possibility (or at least the symbol of it) into a material object, typically associated with commercial transaction, lies at the heart of Abel’s conceptual gesture. The receipt machine, a ubiquitous instrument of commerce, is repurposed as a tool for artistic production, directly challenging traditional romantic notions of artistic authorship and the inherent worth of creative output, especially when reduced to a seemingly arbitrary, reproducible form.
“Notation 2008” thus becomes a critical discourse on the complex semiotics of value within the art world. By imbuing the transient nature of musical creation with the physicality of a receipt, the installation probes the intricate relationship between artistic endeavor and its subsequent metamorphosis into a marketable commodity. The seemingly arbitrary act of pressing a button, mediated by the unseen workings of a computer and software, mirrors the often-opaque processes by which artistic merit is translated into economic value in the contemporary art market. The random nature of the dispensed “scores” further emphasizes the potential for meaning to be assigned even to seemingly nonsensical outputs, simply by virtue of their presentation within an artistic and commodified context.
The installation subtly underscores a postmodern sensibility, blurring the established boundaries between the artistic and the commercial. The receipt, typically a mere record of exchange, is here recontextualized as a bearer of artistic information, forcing a reconsideration of the metrics we employ to assess the significance of creative work. Furthermore, the element of chance inherent in the random generation of the scores subtly undermines the traditional emphasis on the singular genius of the artist, echoing Abel’s broader critique of modernist paradigms.
“Notation 2008” operates not merely as an artwork but as a philosophical meditation on the mechanisms by which creativity, particularly in the digital age, is increasingly subjected to the dynamics of commodification. It reflects Abel’s ongoing exploration of the intersections between art, technology, and commerce, and how these intersecting domains shape our understanding of meaning and value within the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art.
Materials Used: Receipt machine, plinth, button, computer, software.
Exhibited at: “Notation 2008″, Woburn Square Studios, London, UK.
