Monday, December 13, 2010

Thesis Hypothesis

I believe that my work has been not consistent in nature. It is a constant goal to leave art school with a body of congruent work. This is something that i have already begun to fix as we have started this break. I believe that research is extremely important to the making of art. I plan on having six pieces done and ready to frame by the time that break is over with. I would like to continue to research entropic and iconoclastic ideas, and the possibility of converting those thoughts into images.

Semester Plan

My goals for the semester were met. I finished the amount of pieces that I claimed that I would for my senior show. I succeeded in making two prints a week in the Printmaking labs.
For Orals i plan on making one hundred prints. I also plan on making six hand framed photographs with text hand carved into each photo. I had also planned to do research on the concepts that I believe go along with my current art. I have ordered a book titled "Entropy and Art." The book was recommended to me by a professor, and I plan on reading it and using it to validity the thoughts behind much of my current artwork. 

Application

For my application I requested to do an internship at a gallery in miami. I emailed the gallery director, met with him, and was granted an internship. The internship lasted one month. I experienced the various things that go into running a gallery.

Christine Mehring-Emerging Market

The negative and positive aspects of art fairs, and many mini art fairs, that are currently occurring is discussed throughout the article. The author uses moths fluttering around a flame to reference the massive amounts of people that attend these fairs yearly. A positive aspect of these fairs is that the types of people that attend these fairs are extremely varied. The visitors of these fairs are extremely varied in nature. The notion that capitalism and wealth play a large part in the success of a gallery, or even artist for that matter, is discussed in the article. KUNSTMARKT 67 is spoken of in the article as an answer to the rich and wealthy art collectors that thrive in areas like New York City. It seemed as though the fairs that occurred throughout the sixties went through many trials and many errors, but in the end succeeded in capturing that is what should properly occur at an art fair showing what is actually new and exciting. I believe that much of the excitement at these early german art fairs may have come from political dissent that the country was experiencing at that time. 

Burgess/contemporary art

I could not tell if this video was meant to be a funny representation of the art that they are discussing. THe video was four minutes long, and shot in a "andersonesque" style. They discuss early art throughout the first minute of the video. Towards the middle the narrator discusses the fact that conceptual art can be anything. He claims that it "can even be candy on the floor." In the end he makes a joke about taking the notion of the video out on a date. I did not really understand the video.

Digital Nation

I believe that this video is completely relevant to many of the art pieces that are being created in this day and age. The way that we we interact is one hundred percent completely affected by technology. In the beginning of the video they address the fact that technology literally affects every aspect of a persons life that lives in the United States. Not only does it affect how we work, but it also affects the ways in which we play. I believe that things like this should be analyzed as it is an obvious sign of our time. There are many negative and positive aspects that come with technology and the affect that has on our society. My favorite part of the video was the discussion of wether or not addiction to the internet is a public health crisis. The discussion of South Korea and its gaming and the discussion of the many negative experiences that their youth have had with adapting to actual reality is discussed. The topic of children being overwhelmed by the internet is also introduced into the discussion. Children not being taught to use computers responsibly is a discussion that is also introduced as a solution to the problem of their disassociation with reality.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Mark Byrne-Marina Abramovic-Red Velvet Rope

The article discusses the various negative criticisms that Abramovic has received about her latest piece at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. There was a man who claimed to have waited in line for nearly eight hours multiple times just to experience her piece. Bjork as well as her family were allowed to skip a large portion of the line, which made it hard for nearly anyone of the public sector to view the piece that day, even though many had waited in line to do so. The problem was supposedly addressed by the MOMA staff, and VIP viewing of the performance was taken away to nearly everyone. The only VIP was marisa tomei who skipped the line on the closing date of the performance, and viewed the piece before the museum opened. I believe that the museum does need to take things like these into consideration when having a piece on view in their museum.

Zizek on the Sound of Music and Crossdressing

Zizek discusses the possible deeper meanings portrayed throughout the music "The Sound of Music." The possibility that the roles were subconsciously reversed is brought up towards the beginning of the discussion. While the family portrayed in the musical appears to be austrian and anti-facist, Zizek explores the possibility that it is actually quite the opposite. The family is portrayed as blonde, beautiful, and all similar in nature. He also discusses the presentation of the nazi officers in the film. He claims that the officers were actually portrayed as what would be defined as the cosmopolitan jew of the time. In the end he claims that all these subconscious factors may have contributed to the huge success of the film.

sound of music video

This video was extremely strange. At the beginning of the video the sound of music starts playing. People start performing a choreographed dance to the video. Towards the end of the video the music breaks into what appears to be a techno remix of the song. More dancers pour into the auditorium through the stairs from upper levels. Extremely strange.

Crits.

Critique 1-
I met with nathan to discuss my ideas for my senior show. we spoke about different ideas that I had for the
event. we spoke about the content of the photos that i was going to possibly use for the show.

Critique 2-
I met with Kim the following week to discuss possible arrangement of pieces for senior show. We also discussed how I was going to present the work.

Critique 3-  I had the visiting artist Harmony Hammond visit my studio to discuss my work. We analyzed the content of the photographs that I presented to her. We discussed the notion of feminism, and it's role in my photographs.

Critique 4- I spoke with Nathan in my studio about the ideas that I have been having on creating work for orals. We also discussed some tactics that I could possibly use to help my orals run smoothly, as I am not comfortable with speaking in public about my work. As a  result of the conversation I have been keeping a notebook to take notes in, and will prepare a key list of ideas to discuss during orals.

Group Critique 1- The class critiqued my senior show. The class questioned my arrangement of the work. I considered the ideas presented, and changed the arrangement accordingly. The idea of using text in combination with the work was also introduced.

Group Critique 2-The class viewed the work that i have been working on in preparation for orals next semester. I also introduced the idea of presenting two separate bodies of work during orals.

Agnes Martin

The video with painter Agnes Martin was extremely refreshing to watch. The poor audio quality makes it hard for me to make out a lot of the ideas that Martin speaks of throughout the interview, and her aged voice does nothing to aid it either. She discusses various ideas that have influenced her work throughout her life. Agnes martin discusses nature and how it has influenced her work. She responds that people make emotional responses to her work that stems from their view beyond nature. This I believe is a very important concept to keep in mind when viewing her paintings.

Susan Sontag-Against interpretation

Mimesis (Ancient Greekμίμησις, from μιμεῖσθαι 'to imitate') is a critical and philosophical term that carries a wide range of meanings, which include: imitationrepresentationmimicryimitatio, nonsensuous similarity, the act of resembling, the act of expression, and the presentation of the self.[1] Mimesis has been theorised by PlatoAristotlePhilip SidneySamuel Taylor ColeridgeSigmund FreudWalter Benjamin,Theodor AdornoErich AuerbachLuce IrigarayRené GirardPhilippe Lacoue-LabartheMichael TaussigMerlin DonaldPaul Ricoeur,[citation needed] and Homi Bhabha.
Art is broken down, and analyzed through the texts of various philosophers. The philosophers theories used throughout the text range from those of ancient origins, to those who have been alive within the last hundred or so years. The notion that art can be experienced on many different levels is spoken of throughout the article. The author makes an excellent reference to dante at one point in the article referencing the levels in which art is viewed. 

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Three readings for the Ball.

"Who needs a white cube these days"
Roberta Smith analyzes the various events that have currently been happening in New York city. She give examples of galleries sharing spaces, and artists. The article does not necessarily  demonstrate a negative or positive view on the examples that were given. The article ends with examples of those who have strayed the furthest from the white cube. I believe that the questions that Roberta Smith asks are extremely pertinent  to the current situation of the New York gallery/market situation.
"A new boss, and a jolt of real world expertise"
This article delves into the various power struggles that are currently happening with the MOCA in Los Angeles. Roberta Smith states various facts that could have possibly contributed to the appointment of Jeffrey Deitch as the new director of the museum. The claim that the appointment of Deitch due to his world experience with his own gallery is also made.
"Anti mainstream museum's mainstream show"
After reading this article I instantly thought of a term used in marketing called a "mook." The strategy is to use something that the public would as being against the product, and in turn sell the product. An example of this would be a basketball player endorsing a product, and at the same time make a mockery of how much money he is receives to do so. Sprite had a series of commercials in the late nineties using this strategy. The main artist that is attacked throughout the article is Jeff Koons. Smith asks the question of wether or not he had possibly destroyed the museums non-mainstream image. At one point in time Smith goes as far as to claim that "Barely any intellectual glue holds the show together." Of all three articles this is by far the most opinionated. 

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

In the article "The Birth of the Big, Beautiful Art Market," Dave Hickey breaks down the contemporary art market. He also draws many comparisons to the way that art is sold, and many other forms of marketing. The article ends with Hickey speaking in a negative tone about the current state of the art market. 
The video had a bearded man attempting to make a funny video portrayal of contemporary art. "with old art you aren't allowed to touch it." I really do not know how to break this video down. I can't wether or not the video is supposed to be perceived as comical or serious.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

AND found something that reminded me of when life didn't suck.

This art show that I put a photo in ended up on the viceland blog a while back. Check it out. http://www.viceland.com/wp/2008/10/vice-pics-maggie-lee-visits-allston/

surrounded by horrible people.

scouring the darkest corners of the internet early this morning. found an interview with weirdo dave about his zine "fuck this life." Pretty amazing, and somehow uplifting.
http://vice.typepad.com/vice_magazine/2008/09/literary---fuck.html

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

self monitoring skills and incompetence

     Dr. Dunning is scared that in this day and age people suffer from an abnormal level of incompetence. The article speaks of various tests performed on individuals, and how it has led him to believe the truth in his theory. Towards the end of the article they discuss a possible treatment that was tested to correct the heightened sense of self perception, and inability to correct themselves. In conclusion i can't tell if the article is a joke or not.

     Zizek draws many comparisons to the way that the United States acted while occupying Iraq, and how the Occupied Iraqi government acted while being occupied. He also compares the treatment of war prisoners by by American guards to the hazing that more than likely occurred to bush while joining the skull and bones fraternity. Zizek also discusses the notion of community and how it can be portrayed in its purest and true sense when one of these inhumane acts occurs. Zizek cites the inhumane torture practices committed by the United States and its various organizations that patrol the world, throughout the world. My favorite reference was that of the CIA and its involvement in educating many South American and third world countries on the subject of torture, and how it should be carried out properly.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Who are you? Who are you people?

Why do I do art? It is nine thirty in the morning. I am in the library. Blah Blah Blah. I am scanning as many images as I can before I fall asleep of instances that I believe are motivating, and crucial to the creation of art. Blah Blah Blah. No one is ever interested. I know that we had Allen Scarrit, or Allin scaritt, or Allin Scarrit. I do not know how to spell his name. In the time that it took me to spell his name three times I am sure that i could have figured out how to spell his name by typing his name into a search engine. But he is not important right now. What is important is my description of the people that created art during his era, and how they have impacted my life/made beautiful meaningful things. I don't mean to pull the whole I-ME-I-ME garbage, but I genuinely feel that this man is much more important. I took the time to scan these photos onto this picture machine. If you take the time to read this, I thank you. I will start that conversation with a basic piece of Dennis Oppenheim. The use of basic materials to change the earth. There is no fancy circles. When slightly fancy circles are used, they are generally referencing something other than face value aesthetics. 

This next one is amazing.  Oppenheim installed guard dogs around the MFA in Boston Massachusetts. I think that it is self explanatory that he was making a commentary on high art. I believe that a piece like this is a big middle finger to people like Nicholas Bourriaud. He was trying to take a stand against the preciousness that is placed upon an art piece when placed inside of a museum. I think a simple concept such as this highly exaggerated can be a beautiful thing. The idea of using the same breed of dog that was once used to brutalize mankind in concentration camps to guard pieces of art if beautiful and ingenious. It's too bad that the guard dogs weren't there when I visited the same museum this summer for a Picasso exhibition. 



The piece above is also a Dennis Oppenheim piece. I think that it is amazing that he can make such beautiful intelligent pieces out of near to no medium. When i first saw this piece i was roughly twenty one years old. I paid five bucks to visit the harvard museum. I was really depressed at the lost money until I wandered to the back of the museum. There was a video playing in a small closet of an older man drawing on the back of a small child back, and vice versa. I found the piece to be intriguing without knowing why. As is turns out the artist was delving into time travel. By drawing on the back of his son, and having his son transfer the line that he feels upon his back onto the wall, he is essentially transgressing his past and future state of being. 


And last but not least the big "fuck you" to painting, as well as art history/historians. For an artist to transgress to transgress medium is a hard and long journey. To transgress painting and medium in the broad sense is beyond achieving zen, or whatever ridiculous term you would want to use for referencing being at peace with yourself. He speaks of the color red and how he can control the exposure/intensity of the pigment. He claims that he "feels" the act of becoming red, which is my favorite part of the whole performance. He also references the fact that artists/painters generally artificially instigate color activity. The use of his body to reference such color changes brings the conversation into a whole new realm. 



Tuesday, October 5, 2010

CB and NB. I am not a francophile by any means.

CB talks about Bourriad and his relationship to relational aesthetics. She references the two prime examples that Bourriad references to be examples of that specific type of work. Tiravanija and Gillick being the two artists referenced. She claims later on in the reading that there are two other artists that better serve as a prime example of the movement. Those two artists being Laclau and Moffe. She claims that these two artists are a better reference of art that is not unclear and undefined. She also claims that Bourriad "ignored" these artists. It almost seems as though she was offended by the fact that he had done so. The artists Santiago sierra is also referenced towards the end of the writing. CB claims that this artist is a direct reference to much of the conceptual and minimal art that occured throughout the seventies. Marina Abromovic and Chris Burden are used as reference tools to give a clear non visual portrayal of her work.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

whee eee deee theees.

I yam an arteest becayuz eeet feeyuls gewd. I mayude a profeyushunal chowice tew be an ayurtist.
I think that the surroundings of my youth pushed me to make art. The first time i viewed a series of Rudolph Schwarzkogler photographs it pushed me to take my views on, and the production of, art in a more serious manner.

I think that my time spent in grade school, as well as high school, has lead me to undertake the project that i am currently working on. I believe that my current projects are an extension of my early innocent views of people that I felt were living on the outside of society, and the beauty that I felt was viewable in their lives.

mocko statemento

                                                 “sometimes i sit and look at life from a different angle.”

                                                                           Tupac Shakur quote
My work consists of separate attempts to document my views and experiences with low brow culture, and the relationship that it shares with  mass culture. The struggles and fears of the general population to understand youth and counterculture are coped with visually through the means of photography and installation. The attempt to portray beauty through those pushed to the edges of our  society is a constant struggle in the work. The cliche of  a troubled youth  is broken down, reassembled, and portrayed in a completely different manner than it would have been portrayed  through the eyes of someone living within the boundaries of common society.

summary of readings for the day...oh no.

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction-
     I do not understand why the author has to be so neurotic when delving into the reproduction of art. It is a widely accepted fact that when art has been massively reproduced it becomes more accessible to the masses. I believe that when art theorists speak so vaguely about art, they try and sum so many different groups of people in to one body that functions as a whole.
     One must make obvious decisions when contemplating wether or not to reproduce a piece. If one has not taken such things into consideration i do not believe that the piece may even be called art.

What are some negative aspects that could possibly come about when reproducing a piece?
How does this article apply to todays art world/market?
Why does the author speak of art as though it has a spirit?

The Death of the Author- I was confused when The "person" of the author is being discussed. I saw no relevance to the "person" and capitalist society. Roland Barthes speaks highly and nostalgically of the author, but at the same time he speaks very critically of them throughout the article. I would like to state that this article has no relevance or impact on the process in which I create art.

Why does the Author come off as being a smug asshole?
What positive impact could reading this article have on my art?
Are there other philosophers who would categorize themselves with this author?

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

OH NO.

The reading today was insanely neurotic. I don't think that this chapter will aid me in anyway shape or form in the way that I create or hypothesize art. Lastly... I hope that I end up reading something worthwhile for the next assignment that will actually motivate me to be creative.