Aspen is a place of extremes, where people love incredibly challenging physical activities—like climbing, skiing, or hiking. Endurance is considered routine, and while running the museum there, I wanted to think about how we could channel that extreme interest into culture. Part of that is understanding nature’s power in allowing people to be awestruck. Not every work of art can create that sense of awe, but some can. The seeking and openness are the same, so patterns can be replicated and practiced.
Lucio Fontana attacked the picture plane, slashing the surface as an extreme gesture. Today, we expect destruction and the challenging of cultural norms in artworks, but at the time, this was a radical action. As society and culture evolve, it is crucial to remember what to cultivate and protect. Art can be extreme in its call for our attention, and, as Mary Oliver wrote, “[paying] attention . . . is our endless and proper work.
