Sunday, May 30, 2010

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portfolio

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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Closing thoughts on audience presentation

While many of the questions were good and relevant to the subject matter, some of them we a little too complex and/or redundant. In some cases the questions weren't dealing with the core issue as. I thought the closing question that Emily brought up, "What is the role and the responsibility of the artist today?" was the most pertinent question. And something that we should all consider.

I think it is a complex question that I'm trying to grapple with. Since art eludes concrete definition I think that it is difficult to have a concrete answer to that question. Of course there are things that I wish that artists could and would do but the definitions and roles vary depending on the individual artist and the setting in which they are working.

Summary of art and audience presentation

RESONS FOR GENEROSITY AND EXCHANGE IN ART


gift sculptures: The audience is a guest. . . The art object is a gift.

Rirkrit Tiravanija

Felix Gonzales-Torres

Claire Twomby (Victoria & Albert Museum)


democracy projects: privilege of distribution, performance of funding is redistributed. community authorship and collective action

The Chiapas photography project


confrontational/detournment:

questioning the politics of unequal distribution of wealth

The act of giving becomes a criticism of not giving,

Guy Overfelt (Free beer)

Michael Rokowitz (Parasite)


social aesthetics:artists work collaboratively within a community to create something that directly benefits that community

Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel (Mnemonics 1992) (p409 Art and Today)

Some blocks were left open to be filled by successive graduating classes.


PARTICIPATION AND COMMUNITY


Jaemen: Christos & Jeanne Claude

Jaemen: HAHA + Flood


Ruth: Francis Alys

Ruth: Agnes Denes


PARTICIPATION AND ACTIVISM


Jaemen: The Yes Men

Jaemen: Monument Against Fascism (Jochen Gerz & Esther Shalev Gerz)


Ruth: Wafaa Bilal

Jaemen/Ruth: Santiago Sierra


INTERACTIVE ART


Jaemen: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer


Ruth: Claire Twomey, Consciousness/Conscience

Ruth: Olafur Eliasson (Multiple shadow house)


Jaemen: Maurizio Cattelan (Dynamo Secession)



MISCELLANEOUS: MOTIVATING AUDIENCE


Jaemen: Improv Everywhere (no pants subway, human mirror)

Ruth: Harrell Fletcher (The Sound we Make Together)


QUESTIONS ON ART AND AUDIENCE

When artists make art about a particular issue (such as war or immigration) what difference are they making? In what way are they helping the situation? Should they try to be a part of the solution and make a practical contribution?


What is the difference between an artist that is helping a community and a social worker or non-profit organization? At what point is it art? At what point is it social work? Does there need to be a distinction?


What is the unique roll of the artist. . . What can artists contribute that social workers or non-profits aren’t already doing?



How is authorship effected when the audience is involved in creating the work?


When the limits and direction are still created by the artist, is it truly the participant/audience that make up the work, or are the participants given the illusion of control while being in a loose cage created by the artist?


How does the lack of control or orchestration on the part of the artist effect the visual format?


When the work leaves the artist hand and becomes a part of the community is it still art? How is it art? What makes it art?


What is an appropriate setting for work that is relationally based in which a material object is not produced? Are the established art institutions appropriate? How does a work that is socially focused change when placed in a gallery and a museum? Is it still valuable or interesting in this setting?


What are the reasons that people give away their work to the viewers?


Why do artists use this strategy? How effective is it?


Should artists be giving things away? Why or why not? What problems/issues does it create when artists give things away?


How do these types of artists survive? Is it wrong to make a living with your art?


What are some of the issues/challenges of making art that involves people?


Appropriateness, in what cases are artists using people?