Bringing the Public into Art

The use of conjoining the public with artwork can be very effective. By involving everyday people into art it allows for viewers to create a stronger connection with the piece. Some examples of artists that use the public in art are Gillian Wearing, Vanessa Beecroft and Jeremy Deller.


The artist in which involves the public in the most unique and interesting way is Vanessa Beecroft. While other artists try to incorporate "street people" to create a lens onto the non-glamorous part of society, Beecroft has a very distinct image for the people of her work. Beecroft focused on the idea of "sameness" which made her work very controversial. Otherwise classified as "hooters for intellectuals" there are very strong opinions as to whether Beecrofts use of what resembles runway models in their underwear is art. Through her art Beecroft reformulates ideas that have been around for decades in many fashion magazines. Despite much criticism the shock value of Beecrofts work seems to achieve the standards by which "art" is defined. Beecrofts ability to bring sexuality into galleries adds an entire different aspect of the art world that many other artists would not explore.