[UN]INTENTIONAL Art Analysis- “Erased de Kooning Drawing”

My first gaze is fixed upon a piece of artwork that, on the surface, appears to be
nothing more than a blank sheet of paper. As I contemplate this work, a number of
thoughts and inquiries explode through my mind, creating a series of contemplation. Is
this what an art embodies? Is this what others perceive as art? What is the significance
and meaning of this artwork?

Upon closely looking at the artwork and further inspecting it, I see the presence
of numerous dots scattered across its surface. In my own personal interpretation, I
thought that just maybe, this piece seems to be a reflection of life itself. The paper,
bearing the subtle traces of age and slight crumple on itself is adorned with sporadic
dots, much like the unpredictable occurrences in life's journey. It's as if this artwork
encapsulates the essence of existence moments of insignificance punctuated by
occasional events of consequence. Just like a person's life where someone failed to
fulfill their purpose and wants, it becomes similar to a blank piece of paper. It becomes
nothing, boring and bland, Life wasted, paper wasted. Both a an unfulfilled life and a
blank piece of paper lost the purpose of existence. It failed and was not fulfilled. Failed
to do its purpose.

In contemplating this piece further, it evokes a sense of emptiness and sadness

within me. It prompts reflection on the potential inherent in every blank canvas, be it a
sheet of paper or a life yet to be lived. It elicits the question of whether this unadorned
paper truly qualifies as art. In my perception, art typically involves the infusion of
creativity and expression into a medium, yet this piece seemingly defies those
expectations.

This then leads me to ponder and think what is the interpretation of art itself.
Does the artist's intent hold more weight than the interpretation of the audience or its
viewers? Are we invited to interchange thoughts and opinions on the artist's artwork?
Which opinions matter more, the artist or the one viewing the art? Artistic interpretation
is so complex and probably has no right or wrong answer to it.

After thoroughly reading and comprehending the article in regard to the artwork
“Erased de Kooning Drawing”, along with gaining insight into the underlying purpose
behind the artwork's appearance, my perspective and impression of the artwork
underwent a notable transformation. Initially, I candidly shared my immediate thoughts,
which can be summed up as follows: "It's quite amusing how my initial interpretation of
this artwork significantly diverged from the true intentions of the artist." This realization
highlighted the disparity between my initial perception of the art and the actual meaning
intended by the artist. What I perceived it to seem very far from its initial meaning and
reason for how it was created. But then again, art is subjective with its factors of
interpretation and appreciation based on the viewer's perspective and thoughts.

Just like what happened to me, even if artists create goals and purposes for their
work, audiences like me might not be aware of their goals and might interpret the
artwork differently from what the original intent was supposed to be. Viewers are bound
to make different types of understanding and interpretation of what the art implies.

But the purpose of the artwork “Erased de Kooning Drawing” came into place
when and because Rauschenberg previously experimented with erasing his own
drawing but found it unsatisfactory because it only displayed and represented the
creative process. Now erasing someone else’s art like an artist like de Kooning gave
him the idea of a new concept of art which is erasure. De Kooning had first thought of
hesitation because of the fear of the idea of destruction but eventually agreed to
Rauschenberg's intentions. They then worked with complex work which made the
erasing process difficult. Actually took Rauschenberg around a month to erase the
artwork and took numerous erasers. Then finally resulted in a blank piece of paper with
some smudges of the original drawing.

His goal here wasn’t to attack abstract expressionism or to dismiss popular

artists of the time. His goal was, in the same spirit as Dadaism, to redefine and
rediscover the limits of art. “Erased de Kooning Drawing” dives into a deep dive of art
exploration of the act of erasing art in the context of the world of art. It shows that the
process of creating art can be just as important as the end product and celebrates
erasing as a creative act in and of itself. This serves as a pathway to questioning what
and value art has in regards to how it is created. This all boils down to highlighting the
artwork's understanding of the art process of destruction, transformation, and finally how
it is interpreted.

With the artwork being traces of the original works of de Kooning, this leaves
audiences like me to think about whether the act of erasing is art. Also sparks
controversiality on the established norms and values. Questioning the sanctity and
value of famous artists like de Kooning having his artwork erased. In addition, this also
challenges viewers like me to ponder and gain our own personal insight. This also
raises another question of who the true artist is, is it de Kooning, the one who drew the
artwork? Or Rauschenberg, the one who erased it? Could be both perhaps since they
both contributed to the work itself. Just like that, these are some of the many questions
that are raised. Truly, in my eyes, this is a controversial art. Never seen or thought of
before. It is a one-of-a-kind thought process.

In summary, artistic freedom and experimentation really ensuites in the work of

both de Kooning and Rauschenberg with their artwork the “Erased de Kooning
Drawing." It gives us a bigger understanding of the ever-evolving world of art. With its
limitless possibilities of what art could be. Its nature of art pushes us to act in a creative
way and challenges traditional forms of art. Though sparks debate on boundaries and
expressions in the world.