'Process Art' is a type of art that focuses on the process of making and evidence of making, with the end product seemingly not as important. It seems like a strain of conceptual art, in which the end product means less than the idea, but becomes a much more physical rather than metaphysical way of creation, where the appearance of the end product is determined by the process instead of the idea, making the object a pivotal part of the work. The process of making is not hidden away, and even becomes the subject of the work. As Greenberg says, the role of modernism in art means that art can be about itself, with no defined representational subject.
Eva Hesse is renowned for her work with latex, using it for it's experimental properties, it's positioning in the realm between painting and sculpture and it's bodily properties. Using latex that can be painting in sheets, Hesse created Augment in 1968, layers of latex partially stacked over one another and placed on the floor. These rough edged layers do not shy away from their process of creation, but what is most important about latex is the ongoing process it goes through in it's life. Starting life as a pale, flexible and rubbery surface reminiscent of flesh, through humidity and oxidisation the latex begins to harden, yellow and eventually crack away, slowly but surely disappearing. This ongoing process can be seen as being a trope in Hesse's work, who justifies the change by saying 'art doesn't last. Life doesn't last. It doesn't matter'. Whilst this may be the case for the artist, it has been a substantial problem for museums and galleries who show Hesse's work.
At the 2013 Venice Biennial, there was a re-staging of the 1969 show When Attitudes Become Form, curated at the time by German Celant. Augment was one of the works to feature in the original show, but due to the process of change that the work had undertaken over the last 30 years, the work was damaged and cracked and the top layers, and the sheets had to be changed around and moved in order to re-exhibit the work. Thankfully the lower layers had little oxidisation deterioration and could be utilised. It is this type of 'process' that vex's museums today, but captures the artists intent perfectly.
Process art can also link directly the post-studio art that was spoken about in the last post. Keith Sonnier's Red Flocked Wall also utilises latex, and is created by painting it directly onto the wall and the peeling the lower part off so that the latex covering hangs. The process of making is evident in this work, and as it is not made in the studio it is original to each gallery space it is presented in. For Mel Bochner in 1 language is not opaque, the same process occurs but this time with paint, each time the drips are in different places and the process of making is transparent.
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