Monday, April 26, 2010
Art and its institutions qustion
Art and institutions questions
Question on globalism and art
Thoughts on art and globalism
I was at the Hanging Fire Exhibition at the Asia Society several months ago. During the panel discussing with artists from the show there was quite a bit of discussion on the topic of art and globalism. And audience member asked the question: “Is there a difference, or do you notice a difference in your work than that of other countries. How is your work different or do you see it as different?. One of the artists responded that “we are all part of a similar negotiation. We are all urban. As artists in an urban environment there is a greater connection in the work between an artist from Pakistan and the United States than there is within the same country between the urban artists and the isolated village crafts person.” She went on to say that with technological advancement they are exposed to the same TV shows, news and internet that Western artists are and that in the university art programs they are trained in contemporary art history. The rural craftsperson however approaches making things with a very different mindset, being more isolated from current issues and focused on tradition and craftmanship rather than concept. This separation exists within every nation. She went on to say that this question of difference between East and West is something she thinks is no longer relevant.
thoughts on Globalism
In his book The Radicant Nicholas Bourriad poses this question, “Why should Patagonian, Chinese, or Iranian artists be required to produce their cultural difference in their works, while American or German artists find themselves judged on their critiques of patterns of thought, or on their resistance to authority and the dictates of convention?” (Bourriard, 28)
A viewer cannot be passive but must be educated and actively investigating in order to understand what they are looking at. This is true wether the work is American or Pakistani. In order to view contemporary Western art there must be an understanding of art history and the ideologies and dialogues of the 20th Century. Even with this knowledge the viewer must work to understand the unique visual symbols presented by the artist which often complex, sometimes personal and take some deciphering. In this age of highly conceptualized art, viewing should be an active endeavor. And isn’t this need for discovery part of what makes art interesting and engaging? Only those who take the time to investigate, think and look closely are rewarded with understanding. With a little work and some willingness we can overcome barriers and take part in global dialogue expanding our vision of the world.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Claire Twomey (art and its institutions)
Clare Twomey Exhibitions
Trophy: Victoria & Albert Museum, London. September 2006
Installation at V&A comprising 4000 birds made from Wedgwood Jasper Blue clay which flooded the Cast Courts over a temporary period and could be taken away by audiences.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
questions on art and technology
1. transhumanism: enhancing human condition through reason. This seems like it could be dangerous. Why would we want to be more than human? What is so wrong with being human?
2. enlightenment: desire to be liberated by faith. a worldview validated by science. romanticism: response against enlightenment. . . a fear of people playing God. What are the potential dangers of people playing God?
Questions on abstraction
1. What is abstract art for? What is the purpose of it? . . . For conveying experiences outside of language. . . things that words cannot express?
2.trying to find ultimate truth by removing everything human in an attempt to attain the essence of things, the truth of things. Why is it that these artist believe that removing humanity from art is more truthful?
3.Is abstraction in reality more universal? . . . or is it possible that it is less?
Drink Pee (Art and Nature)
Drink.Pee.Drink.Pee.Drink.Pee looks at the very personal environmental issues caused by flushing our pee down the toilet: harmful algae blooms in aquatic ecosystems and pee-derived pharmaceuticals in our drinking water. How do we deal with the fact that our planet’s water cycles through a closed system? How do we take control of fact that what's in our pee ends up in the water we drink?
The installation invites visitors to sit on the toilet while facing the water fountain, as if to drink while peeing. Standing in the center provides a visceral human-sized experience of the invisible water and life cycles we often unwittingly take part in. One path of tubing diverts urine from the toilet into the first aquarium causing toxic conditions similar to those created in waterways by our existing sewage treatment infrastructure. Another path diverts urine through a handmade treatment process, covered in scribbled personal notes, that extracts nutrients for use in a house plant and liquids for use in a healthy aquarium and water fountain.
The Urine to Fertilizer DIY Kit is a handmade kit that creates a personal experience of participating in a
Criteria for Criticism: Whitney Biennial and Armory
Asking a question
I began by posing a specific question to be answered. In this way viewing the exhibition becomes a form of investigation. I was looking for works that answer my question.
At the Whitney Biennial my questions were: “Is post modernism over? and “If it is over, what does today’s art look like as presented by this exhibition?”
At the Armory show my questions were: “What is the difference between modern and postmodern? Is there something new developing? What is contemporary as presented by the galleries at the armory show? How much influence does postmodernism still have on contemporary work? What artists are working in a new way, an “altermodern” way?”
A theory to be proved
The question took the form of a theory to be proved or disproved. My focus was biased in that I was looking for something specific.
Individual examples
I chose to focus on a select number of specific works to answer my questions and support my theories. While I did get an overview of the exhibitions so that I had a larger context for my writing I found that with the massive scale of the exhibitions it was helpful to find individual works to focus on to support my ideas. By describing and analyzing their work in relation to the ideas I was presenting I was able to give specific reasons that answered my questions or supported my arguments.
Historic and theoretic context
I tried to place my ideas within the historical context of 20th and 21st century art, briefly describing and defining the movements I was referring to. I used those definition to support my claims.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Art and Identity
why have there not been any great women artists?
"The problem lies not so much with some feminists' concept of what femininity is, but rather with their misconception-shared with the public at large-of what art is: with the naive idea that art is the direct, personal expression of individual emotional experience, a translation of personal life into visual terms. Art is almost never that, great art never is. The making of art involves a self-consistent language of form, more or less dependent upon, or free from, given temporally defined conventions, schemata, or systems of notation, which have to be learned or worked out, either through teaching, apprenticeship, or a long period of individual experimentation."
(Linda Nochlin)
This author is pretty audacious in her claims about what art is. The definition of art is always changing throughout history. . .and therefore what constitutes a great work of art.
Identity Questions Comments
"If there actually were large numbers of "hidden" great women artists, or if there really, should be different standards for women's art as opposed to men's--and one can't have it both ways--then what are feminists fighting for? If women have in fact achieved the same status as men in the arts, then the status quo is fine as it is".
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Shirin Neshat (Identity)
| |||
| |||
| |||
|
RobbinsBecher (Identity)
Global Village "The Global Village and Discovery Center in Americus, Georgia is a small "poverty theme park" intended to educate visitors about the living conditions of the world's poorest populations. The Global Village was built in 2003 by the nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity—an ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing worldwide. In 1976, Millard and Linda Fuller chose Americus, a city of 18,000 residents in Sumter County, Georgia, for the headquarters of Habitat for Humanity. The organization has been extremely successful at building affordable shelters around the world and is considered a model charity. This success is due in part to the Fullers's vision to educate and reform public opinion through a combination of tourism and volunteerism. Stated Millard: "People like to see what their money is paying for. It's been said that Americans will support anything they can take a picture of." In the 1930s and 40s, social documentary photographers such as Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange photographed impoverished living conditions as a means of “making real” the situations endured by communities otherwise invisible to the mainstream public. Today, individuals or organizations wishing to draw attention to such conditions have gone to further extremes to try to explain what it might be like to live in poverty.” One of the exhibits at the Center is the “Living in Poverty Area,” is a collage of some of the worst slum dwellings from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Connected by a meandering path, each dwelling represents a different communal function—a school, a store, or a home—and is based on careful research and photographs. The reconstructions refer to specific slums, but also involve a combination of objects—both imported and locally available. Because the exhibit is intended as an appeal to a public rather than an exposé; it treads lightly on public sentiments, and mostly places blame for global poverty on regional corruption and mismanagement. Overall, Global Village generally avoids a discussion of American responsibility, economic policy, and the historic role of Christian missionaries in the process of Colonialism. Ironically enough, according to the 2000 census. 44% of those under the age of 18 and 20% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line in Americus Georgia. Global Village has plans to include an example of poverty housing from America in the near future." text taken from the website of Andrea Robbins and Max Becher - 2003 - 2005 http://www.robbinsbecher.com/RBworks.html |
Monday, April 12, 2010
Arlene Shechet Paper Pulp paintings (abstraction)
meaning without intention
Spurce: Interventionalist Artists (nature and technology)
SPURCE (INTERVENTIONALIST ARTISTS) Many years ago we began as a rag tag bunch of artists, architects, BMXers, philosophers etc. We were curious and perplex by how things happened, emerged, and changed. And over the ensuing years we have often been categorized as “interventionist artists” or an “artist collective”. These labels and practices, while being interesting enough, seem far from our interests today. We still are a rag-tag bunch, there are more of us, and our work has expanded. But more than this we have grown and shifted both in our ideas, and our practices. Our curiosity, and the ideas that have emerged through working with others, have forced us to rethink and remake ourselves a number of times. Currently we rarely see ourselves as artist and rarely worry much about what is happening in the arts. We are most curious about systems -- systems that entangle us as humans with non-humans across many scales and logics. We are interested in experimenting on a systems level with questions and issues.
(Text from the web site SPURCE.ORG)
