Western Art - Process Art - The Story of the Journey, Not the Destination

Process Art - The Historyforms of nature, which are often subject of the
The exact origin of Process Art is considered to beother art forms.
somewhere around mid-1960s. Considering the humanThe Artists
inquisitive disposition, it can be said that it originatedProcess artists often prefer anonymity to popularity.
around the time when the world was trying toBut, the fame achieved by great artists is always
understand the reasons behind their acts during andwhen they expected it the least. American sculptor
post the world wars. Process Art began in theLynda Benglis (born 1941), British-Sri Lankan artist
Americas and Europe, spreading soon to the rest ofChris Drury (born 1948), German-American sculptor
the world. The Drip Paintings of the American painterEva Hesse (1936-70), and American artist Bruce
Jackson Pollock (1912-56) are often credited with itsNauman (born 1941) are often considered as the
onset.leaders of this art form. However, artists like Robert
The DetailsMorris (American - born 1931), Christopher Le Tyrell,
Process Art is a revolutionary movement whereand Alan Scarritt have also made a mark for
creativity is the focus, rather than the form of art,themselves in the genre. Their masterly use of
such as paintings, sculpture, and pottery. It iscutting, hanging, dropping, and other organic
concerned with the process going into forming anprocesses used to bring out the essence of Process
artwork. It is more of a ritual, a realization ofArt.
performance, and the sense of pride. Process ArtThe Art Works
treats creativity as a beautiful journey and not as aProcess artists accomplish their artwork by the use
means of obtaining a product in the form of a workof perishable and transitory materials, such as dead
of art. The most sought after themes in Process Artrabbits, steam, fat, ice, cereal, sawdust, and grass.
are change and transience, which are a driving forceIts forms of shamanic and religious rituals, sand
of life. Process Art involves improvisation, adaptability,painting, sun dance, and other cultural forms are well
change, and liberation. Use of materials, like wax, felt,known. However, the most famous Process artwork
and latex are more common than paint and colors,is the construction of a Vajrayana Buddhist Sand
which emphasizes its ephemeral nature. In fact, itMandala of the Medicine Buddha by the monks of
aims to laude nature and not represent the variousNamgyal Monastery in Ithaca (2001), New York.