Mona Hatoum's " + and - "
I went to the MOMA last Thursday to see "Out of Time: A Contemporary View" (and some of the Dada exhibition as well). One of the most interesting works was "+ and -", an installation by Mona Hatoum. The work is a large circular sand-bed with a toothed mechanical arm that draws concentric circular grooves on half of the sand-bed while it simultaneously smoothes out the other half. The armature rotates 5 times a minute,which is a steady enough pace to create tension in the work. As the title would suggest, there are clear visual cues to the positive/negative, destruction/ healing, and ying/yang as themes.
Additionally, there is an audible element to the installation if the viewer is perceptive enough to lean in close to the surface of the sand as the armature rotates. There is a soothing/meditative quality in hearing thousands of grains of sand shift and slide around.
My thoughts on the work are that as a minimalist work, "+ and -" is elegantly descriptive of its subject matter, inevitable cycles in nature, such as creation and destruction and the seasons of life.
The experiences we as viewers bring with us inform our perceptions of an artist's work, so it's telling to discover what artists choose to title their works (as well as write in their personal statements). I prefer to view the work prior to reading the title or the history of the artist. This enables me to have a more genuine dialogue with the work/artist, and to question what I or the artist(s) may have missed. In this case, "+ and -" is certainly an apropos title.