WP3: Prewriting Assignment 4

Torso is located in the middle of a college campus. That is it's audience. And in a way, it might help us to understand the message the object and it's creator are trying to convey.

When we think of college campuses, we must think about what exactly that represents. Men and women between the ages of 18-25 (generally) walking around in a free environment for the first time. Free from their parents, high school problems and on their own in a new world. It's exciting, it's scary and it's a time in our lives for exploration and new experiences.

Then there is torso. A figure representation of the female body. The sexual organs are in tact and fully displayed. The woman has no clothing whatsoever and is what many men would consider to be attractive. She is fit, formed and certainly brings attention to the female anatomy.

So why would someone put a figure like this on a college campus? Well like it or not, college campuses are filled with young men and women who are indeed exploring things for the first time. This often includes sex. With no parents to worry about coming into the room, and no curfew to prevent late night activity, things happen on a college campus that we don't see occuring anywhere else.

But wait a minute. Perhaps this figure is sending the opposite message that one might think a hot shirtless woman would convey. For when one looks at torso closely, you begin to notice some things. While the female anatomy is intact, torso has no arms or legs. And because it has no face, this figure lacks a soul. We feel no emotional connection to it. It's not a person, just a body. And I think that's what torso represents. And I think that's why it was put on a college campus.

Basically, I think the message here is that sex is not what life is about. Sure, it feels great and can be an amazing experience with a special partner. But without the emotional connection to our partner, it's just another fun night that doesn't really mean anything. It's incomplete, worthless. Just like this torso. Without a face and arms and legs and emotion, it means nothing.

On the other hand though, you can look at Torso from Zorach's perspective in a positive way. Instead of being a message of sex, this figure can be interpreted as a figure of beauty and respect towards the female body. Torso was created in 1932 during the Great Depression. And currently we are in a recession through difficult economic times. I believe Zorach's message is as clear today as it was back in 1932, and it's environment could not be more appropriate.

As young people, we face a challenging future. And because we are in college, many of us don't have a lot of money. Torso reminds us to appreciate the simple things, such as the love of a beautiful girl.

And so, I conclude that this is the message to torso's audience of young men and women. Youth exploring the world freely for the first time. Remember the lessons that you learned. Take pride and value in the relationships of those around you. And keep life simple when you seem overwhelmed. Zorach may have been born in a different generation. But his values and lessons are valid even in today's rapidly changing world.

WP3: Prewriting Assignment 3

Torso is located outside of the Sheldon Art Museum, surrounded by green grass and dozens of other artistic exhibits. And because it is not located indoors, the audience probably approaches it a little differently than they would a typical piece of artwork in a museum.

When a person is inside a museum, the way we behave and perceive our environment changes greatly. One is generally expected to be quite and respectful of others when inside of an artistic, old fashioned building. And because we are in an 'art museum' we probably look around more, come in with a different sense of expectation and just change our attitudes to reflect the environment.

However, when you are viewing art outside in a more relaxed and open environment, the atmosphere changes greatly. As a viewer you are probably more relaxed, casual and more yourself, so to speak. You act more like you would in a typical situation.

But more importantly, because it is outside, I believe Torso probably attracts a younger audience. Simply because young people don't tend to visit museums unless it is required by a class they are taking. Let's just be honest here.

Museum doors can probably seem a little bit intimidating or uncomfortable, especially to young people. You probably see many more UNL students casually stroll through the park where Torso is located, then going inside of the actual art museum. And if anything Torso is seen by more UNL students just walking around because of it's placement outside.

By the same argument, if Torso was meant to be seen by an older audience, I think placing it inside would make more sense. But it's not, and that is part of the message here. Torso is aimed at young people.

We might also consider the overall natural environment in which Torso is located. Instead of being in a synthetic environment such as the inside of a fancy museum, we see this object outside. Torso gets rained and snowed on, and spends many days out of the year baking in the hot sun.

It is also surrounded by trees, grass and everyday people walking around as opposed to four walls and museum goes. Because torso is dealing with the issue of sex, I think it is only natural (no pun intended) that it is located in a natural environment. After all, sex is essentially the most natural of human behaviors. And I believe this goes a long way in amplifying it's overall message of sexuality and what it means for the everyday person.

Many of the pieces of artwork inside of Sheldon are very unique, beautiful and stand out greatly. This is not to take away from Torso, or to say that it isn't beautiful and special. But let's be honest, this object isn't all that glamorous. It lacks color, arms, legs and any emotional connection due to the lack of a face.

In fact, when I was wandering around the outside area looking for torso, I had trouble finding it. It doesn't stand out initially. Why is that? Why is this structure not given more prominence. Why didn't the creator make this torso more colorful, or add those features that would make it appear more human. This is another example of the everyday object and theme that Torso seems to be going for. It's not flashy, it's not in a typical museum environment. This is something different.

In a world consumed with sex filled messages, Torso conveys an everyday message that is often ignored by society. Speaking directly to students as they walk around campus, Torso is the definition of what is wrong with sex culture. It's not about the lust we have for a body, or the status we achieve by getting with that attractive person. In essence, it's not about what we see openly displayed on Torso.

It's about love, and emotion, and caring and the relationship we form with a partner. All of the things that are lacking in Torso. This message is stronger due to it's environment outside of the Sheldon Art Museum. I am excited to explore these themes further in my final project.