ART@NAC
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The Chandelier
Untitled by William Martin, one of the most photogenic artworks in NAC.
About the Artist:
Who Is William Martin?
Graduated from the Ohio State University, William Martin became to work as a navy radio technician and later a salesman. However, he did not like his job. Meanwhile, he got interests in arts under the influence of a Boston writer. Martin then went to Boston and studied painting at the Boston Museum of Art. Three years later, he decided to focus on sculpturing.
To decorative the building, the NAC established a visual arts committee to oversee the commissioning of artworks. It reached out to specific artists including Martin, as an emerging artist that the time, to prepare the artwork.
Introduction to the Artwork
Test Your Knowledge
Anecdote
The work is built outside Canada and then transported into the country. When it crossed the border, the artist and NAC carefully called the work a chandelier instead of a sculpture. Because purchasing furniture rather than artwork can avoid significant tax and save the budget.
Discussion
There is a change that appeared in public art in the late 20th century, when some artwork held moral or ethical arguments, while others only act as decorations to enhance visual effects.
Martin said, there is no deep or inner significance in his artwork.
Is the Chandelier an artwork or just a functional object?
What defines the concept of artwork?
Can an independent entity only served practical purposes be considered as an artwork?
Do artworks always need to make arguments for specific ideas?
……
Opinions
See ideas and works from two furniture designers who held contrast opinions
It doesn’t matter what the art looks like but how it’s used.
Franz West‘s “Uncle Chairs” feature colourful, interwoven bands on the back and seat. It reminds the viewers that the artist does not only consider the aesthetic but also sit on it.
Functionality was always integral to West’s practice, no matter how the public chose to label specific objects.
Reference: Alina Cohen's article
"These Artists Would Love for You to Sit on Their Work"
from Artsy 
The intent of art is different from that of furniture, which must be functional.
As a Minimalist, Donald Judd drew clear boundaries between his furniture and art practice. He argued that functional objects should be reduced to its necessary elements.
Other Daylighting Practice
Chandelier uses natural light to make the stairwell brighter. What are other means to achieve this?
Read this presentation and learn more approaches used to improve the lighting.
The End.
Known by every visitor to the NAC, the Chandelier is incredibly popular. Discussions on the sculpture have never stopped. Is it artwork? Or its functionality outweigh the enjoyment? Anyhow, the Chandelier is well-known to the public and becomes the visual fabric of the Centre.
PROJECT DISCLAIMER AND THANK YOU
The Art@NAC project is a student assignment within MPAD2002: Basics of Visual Communication. Research, narratives, and development are conducted by Bachelor of Media Production (BMPD) 2nd-year students at Carleton University and it is not an official National Art Centre (NAC), Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS), or Carleton University project. Special thanks to the NAC, CIMS, and Carleton University for their support.
All photographs and videos are provided by the NAC Archives, Carleton Immersive Media Studio, and BMPD Students’ Joe Creech and Eddie Benhin, unless otherwise noted.