Week Four: Sep 22-28: Weintraub, Linda To life! Eco art in pursuit of a sustainable planet: Read: (pp. 101-152) Carolee Schneeman; Bonnie Ora Sherk; Alan Sonfist; Mierle Laderman Ukeles; Brandon Ballengée; Beehive Colelctive; Mel Chin; Chu Yun; Critical Art Ensemble (pp. 101-152)
Just a few notes as we continue reading this book. Note how I highlight methods--meaning research methods--in my questions. Methods of research are ways to collect or create data/art/writing/etc. That could include ways (methods) of making, observing, listening, writing or filtering--different lenses to think about, think against, analyze, assess, etc. For example, autobiography/autoethnography/biography are ways to document/create personal evidence/research. Keep in mind that making art is research. But there are different ways--methods--to make art. Weintrub's book, for me, expands what I considered legitimate media methods. It excites me to read about social practice as a method. Performance as a method. Bio art...getting the picture? Lots of ways to create research; art being one; making or writing or performing or thinking--numerous methods--ways of doing that. This book is a great pioneer for us to get us away from Western Euro linear thinking about what is art and what can be art and who determines what is art.
John Berger's book Ways of Seeing (1972) is fascinating. He addressed some of these natural and normal ways of seeing art that he challenges. It was a BBC series. It's a small book. I think you can retrieve the series on youtube--fascinating to watch--where he challenges historians, and misogynies, and all kinds of bias--that I/we just take for granted--because that may be the way it is or the way I/we learned it. He delves into mystification and obfuscation. I found it an absolute delight and essential to read. What I am saying here is notice those different methods of making art--they are beautifully transgressive and creative.
Some comments from posts form last week... cadillac Ranch. Almost in our own backyards--and our multiple and conflicting reactions to it. What do I know about it? What am I sure about it? What don't I know and am clueless about it? Justin posted about unfinished work--collaborations--how can all this be done? Just thinking of myself as a solitary artist, working alone--that's an old and outdated concept for me, because I always work around others and am influenced by others and often get help from friends making stuff. Terry posted about Stanley Marsh--it even gets uglier with other social issues he got himself involved with in Amarillo. You can google him and find that out. Many of you are finding out how temporary art can be. Does it really stand any tests of time/s? Who's tests? Who's times? Nigel posted about simplifying.Katy posted about not understanding everything--and I/we/you won't, so take the pressure off and see if you can immerse yourself into "not-knowing" modes. Even after multiple reads, there is so much I don't get and newer connections I make.Justin posted about how not all reading is interesting about performance. And, some of the writing will never do the art or action or belief justice. What I am enjoying is how many of these artists are already working on many of you--as you create new classroom practices or alter things based on readings. Fresher approaches. Different... That's one immediate result of reading and talking about what we read, what we understand, what we don't understand, can't understand now, etc.
Just a few notes as we continue reading this book. Note how I highlight methods--meaning research methods--in my questions. Methods of research are ways to collect or create data/art/writing/etc. That could include ways (methods) of making, observing, listening, writing or filtering--different lenses to think about, think against, analyze, assess, etc. For example, autobiography/autoethnography/biography are ways to document/create personal evidence/research. Keep in mind that making art is research. But there are different ways--methods--to make art. Weintrub's book, for me, expands what I considered legitimate media methods. It excites me to read about social practice as a method. Performance as a method. Bio art...getting the picture? Lots of ways to create research; art being one; making or writing or performing or thinking--numerous methods--ways of doing that. This book is a great pioneer for us to get us away from Western Euro linear thinking about what is art and what can be art and who determines what is art.
John Berger's book Ways of Seeing (1972) is fascinating. He addressed some of these natural and normal ways of seeing art that he challenges. It was a BBC series. It's a small book. I think you can retrieve the series on youtube--fascinating to watch--where he challenges historians, and misogynies, and all kinds of bias--that I/we just take for granted--because that may be the way it is or the way I/we learned it. He delves into mystification and obfuscation. I found it an absolute delight and essential to read. What I am saying here is notice those different methods of making art--they are beautifully transgressive and creative.
Some comments from posts form last week... cadillac Ranch. Almost in our own backyards--and our multiple and conflicting reactions to it. What do I know about it? What am I sure about it? What don't I know and am clueless about it? Justin posted about unfinished work--collaborations--how can all this be done? Just thinking of myself as a solitary artist, working alone--that's an old and outdated concept for me, because I always work around others and am influenced by others and often get help from friends making stuff. Terry posted about Stanley Marsh--it even gets uglier with other social issues he got himself involved with in Amarillo. You can google him and find that out. Many of you are finding out how temporary art can be. Does it really stand any tests of time/s? Who's tests? Who's times? Nigel posted about simplifying.Katy posted about not understanding everything--and I/we/you won't, so take the pressure off and see if you can immerse yourself into "not-knowing" modes. Even after multiple reads, there is so much I don't get and newer connections I make.Justin posted about how not all reading is interesting about performance. And, some of the writing will never do the art or action or belief justice. What I am enjoying is how many of these artists are already working on many of you--as you create new classroom practices or alter things based on readings. Fresher approaches. Different... That's one immediate result of reading and talking about what we read, what we understand, what we don't understand, can't understand now, etc.
Now, this will sound very graduate schoolish--We have writing vs. visual art vs. perceptions vs. intents vs. knowable or not knowable. In grad school we can get ourselves into moments of not understanding, not getting things or something, not knowing--that may be interesting, frustrating, scary spaces to be in. We as teachers were taught taught that we had to know and grasp everything. Here, in this class, you do not have to. So, relish in some of those "what the heck is going on?" moments. You do not have to know everything--just be open to lots of new stuff.
In Week Four, we finish reading about Weintraub's short list of pioneers and move to 21st century eco art explorers. I am trying to use her concepts and verbs in my questions. Keep in mind the multiple methods used in making art. I am enjoying your personal comments, questions, and statements; how you are relating her knowledge to your personal experiences and professional lives. I especially enjoy your own questions to yourselves--quite simply, that's called creating a research agenda. You are forming initial questions that you may or may nor answer.
A few additional thoughts on some of your posts from Week Three. Some posted about consuming in one way or another. When is too much? What I ask myself is what else might I be doing if I consume or shopped less? I think I would be in my studio more. I think I might make more things than consume. Ideas of simplicity pop up. Are there organic/natural ways to highlight hair? Can corporations think less of profit and more about communities? What are substitutes for enamel paints that will work?
Every once-in-awhile, when I am driving from Milwaukee, WI to Manitowoc (my home stomping grounds), I often exit at Cleveland, WI, about 18 miles from Manitowoc, drive east, and head north on the old Lakeshore Highway. I drive slowly. I often pull over to let cars behind me move ahead. But, even though I am in my car, I can see Lake Michigan and trees and farms and homes--and I am in my forest. I am instantly reminded of the beauty of that stretch of land. I notice new homes; new businesses, almost anything that has changed. And, I am still in awe of that old road. As a kid, I biked it. I'll pull over from time-to-time, and stare at trees or the water. I feel at home. I smell. I can still hear, see and smell long-dead aunts, uncles, cousins and my parents--driving this road; talking about the road; being in their working lives. This can be a ebook, a poem, a story, a happening, a lesson, a painting, a movie, a script, a performance, a reading, a digital image, an imprint, a performance--just from this one drive. It could be an 5 minute audio of me talking you through my drive or reminiscing. It could be bio/performance/paint/design/social practice...catching my drift. In block four, I am going to ask you a bit about art making or what ideas are coming to mind and how you might structure them for a semester project. If nothing is occurring yet--don't worry, all is well.
As many of these methods get repeated, is anyone getting interested in trying something new out? Something different? Something scary? A method that is grounding? That might lead to a lesson (as Sarah was questioning)? Or not? That might help ground you on your art/writing/thinking journey?
These last comments were to prod you to begin to think about a semester project idea...just to BEGIN to think--or not...it may be way too soon to even begin to think about that.
Remaining Pioneers
ReplyDelete1. Carolee Schneeman
methods: paint/print/performance/deep and human ecology
Her Meat Joy is considered erotic. So one question might be, where is all of the eros and tenderness in our culture? Where or how to we teach that to ourselves and others? I liked the connection to dirty jobs. I could say it's a privilege not to have to do one--but then what am I saying? I'm thinking that the farther away I am from dirt, the farther away I am from the earth. Your thoughts? What is your version of a "real dance with the material"? We read Schneeman's. What can happen to me as an artist or teacher is I re-learn and reconnect to the earth, to what is really real?
2. Bonnie Ora Sherk
methods: performance/bio/installation/public/conservation/and all ecologies
The Farm. Magnet site of invisible energy. (Ever create something like this as a kid or adult?) Human/Plan/Animal--all performers. New ways to integrate: Not a farm; Not a school; Not a zoo, etc. Much more.
3. Alan Sonfist
methods: bio/generative/public/preservation/human ecology
Recreated Manhattan Island. A tree museum.
4. Mierle Laderman Ukeles
methods: performance/social practice/ecologies
Honoring Maintenance. A manifesto. Honor workers. Touch sanitation. Landfills are cultures/giant clocks.
The rest of her pioneers. I'm noticing the use of performance. Why do teachers not even "touch" on this method? Idea: video yourself working with the earth; helping it along. What else resonates with your with this last set of pioneers. What ideas or methods are catching your eye?
Eros and tenderness and the Art of Meat Joy. That would make a good title. I suppose that if I had nothing on my agenda and a friend said “Hey, would you like to go see half naked people roll around amorously in raw meat?”, I might consider the offer. However, I would not seek such a spectacle out, nor would I consider it a meaningful, or artistic endeavor. I did watch the performance on YouTube. If someone asked me to describe it, I would reply that it seems to be a deviant display of foolishness. That of course is my personal opinion. I'm sure those same thoughts have been considered regarding some of the things that I have done before, so I'll sigh and move along. I do not see how this should be considered Eco art. If I had not been given a script of what to think or believe about the performance, I would never have connected it with getting back to the earth, nature, respecting life or even questioning my connection with food. I must admit that I was not there and that I wasn't even born at that time, but I know the basics of where my food comes from: life feeds on life feeds on life, and so on. Even vegetarians are consuming life. This work did nothing to further that understanding. I also previewed Fuses and Viet Flakes. Out of the three, Viet Flakes seemed the most artistic and provocative. Its take on war is still very relevant today. I did like the idea of a video/ audio collage to communicate in a non linear fashion. I believe that with today's technology, and the digital habits of today's society, such artwork could be very meaningful and captivating. I think words and actions best teach eros and tenderness. Words alone are not enough; often they can hurt, but what helps is action. Showing that the earth and its inhabitants are precious, takes touch, sweat, and courage. As my children grew, I tried to show them the importance of life. I saved more spiders and bugs and wildflowers than I can count. I wanted them to know that to hurt or destroy life, plant or animal, was a serious concern and that the action of mindlessly, fearfully, killing a spider is no different that a human. Life is taken. Justification is the crux of the argument and should be considered delicately. The earth is the giver of life and participating in artwork that recommends loving and tending to it seems a great and meaningful endeavor.
DeleteCatch WK 2: Hans Haacke
DeleteThis section, to me, summarized in essence what this book is all about. In the first paragraph, the suthor speaks about ecology as "introducing assertions about our planet that may prove to be equally destabilizing" as was the notion that the world is not flat. It is all about challenging our concept of ecology and ecological art. What really made sense for me, and I think can be applied when trying to understand many of the artist's intents was Haacke's "Untitled Statement."
Make something that reacts to its environment and is non- stable. I'm not sure I have ever made any piece of art that truly falls into this definition. As a class we have made outdoor installations, but I wouldn't exactly consider them non stable or reacting to their natural environment, excluding intended audience. Make something that cannot perform without the assistance of the environment. That seems to be a constant and maybe a non-negotiable for many of these eco artists. Haacke's art is as much a biology experiment as it is art. Overall, this section made think, more than any other yet, what am I doing in my own art to experiment beyond the use of my own 'art materials.'
I think performance art requires a set of resources that have not really been integrated in the the general education institution. For example, classrooms are closed environments and class periods are strictly defined. The expressive activities of producing and exhibiting a meaningful, visually stimulating artwork is fundamentally hindered in such a restrictive environment. Of course, that is not to assert that it cannot be achieved. I have used role playing to investigate an artwork's composition or dramatic movement. Although this is a performance tied directly to traditional art media, it is certainly a possible point of departure. I have also seen teachers participate in art happenings, such as Pinwheels for Peace, who's artistic expression seems more a performance than a visual record of an artist's creation. I think a lot of 'traditional' based artists/ educators are introvert oriented and closely identify with the 'craftsman' aspect of artwork. Working with a small group of artists to create a larger work or exhibit a group show is still in line with that personal mode of expression. Such programs will not naturally lean towards performance art. Dance, band, and theater classes have traditionally served as centers for more extroverted expression. This is a generality of course, and there has always been artist and programs who have work individually or collaboratively to bridge artistic disciplines and expression. I think art teachers could use performance based artwork as a way to reinforce the current educational trend of collaborative problem solving.
DeleteWhere is the eros and tenderness in our culture? Notice how this performance took place in France. In America we still do not talk freely about gratifying basic needs of our bodies unless it's concerning nutrition! During the first part of the performance all my brain could do is shout SALMONELLA!
DeleteSALMONELLA! Through the rest of the film I kept thinking how nice to feel so free aka the First Festival of Free Expression in Paris in May of 1964. If MeatJoy were to be remade today I would expect to see the men in the performance being handled and carried by the women as the women (meat) were in the 1964 performance.
I didn’t get the feeling of Eros and tenderness from the performance art piece meat joy. I had to agree with the statement that it “went beyond the acceptable display of sensual material interactions”. It seemed more perversity as the conservative termed, it than courageous liberations the progressive termed it. I agree with James Brown when I say that it seemed like foolishness to me. The only thing tender about this performance was the meat. I also agree that it does nothing to further the cause for eco art. It seemed more a display of a fetish than connecting humans to the source of their food. For example, when the man and woman were wrestling over the chicken. Maybe for the time it was ground breaking but, I just felt that I was watching a blatant sexual act. It might be because I am removed from that time and era. But then again this is my opinion. Do I agree with the processes or practices that we use to insure that we meet human consumption goals? No! As I am teaching ESL here in Beijing this brings to mind a lesson that I just taught concerning future technology. We were talking about genetic manipulation. This was a good way to introduce the students to the idea while teaching them English and how to talk about such issues. In this we were able to introduce the idea of gene manipulation and get the students to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of such technology. Also we also introduced how to use persuasive language and expressions. A gentler approach sometimes makes a bigger statement than someone banging a stick i.e. Trump and his ideas. I believe a better approach is to lead others to form their own opinions about a subject matter through words or actions as James stated.
Delete
DeleteI was drawn to the image of the single delicate flower growing in the midst of a massive, roaring, industrialized landscape. I love the idea of it being the symbol for the entire population of plants, tress, insects, & animals. To me The Farm did more to promote eco art than Meat Joy. It “fostered a nurturing alliance that demonstrated the codependence between humans & non-human species in their diets” Sherks. It allowed people the opportunity to interact with animal species there by foster a relationship and connection that is generally removed from life. I feel that our ancestors had a better appreciation for the world around them because they had to learn about the habits of the animals that they consumed and knew the trials it took to hunt, gather food, and raise livestock. We need more natural interaction with our food sources and the animals on the earth than looking at them through bars, over walls, and through glass.
James, Deviant display of foolishness would certainly be a fitting description of many moments in my youth as well.
DeleteI didn't think to go see if there was a video to watch of the Meat Joy performance until James mentioned it. So I too went to watch it. I almost wish I hadn't. For some reason, the film in my head looked different than what I actually watched, although it was exactly as described. I am not someone that tends to shy away from gross materials such as raw meat, sewage, etc., but I also do not understand the pleasure from it. If I would have attended this performance, without reading the context of the author, it would just be weird.
I did appreciate the message conveyed, though. Schneemann people"tend to acquire the characteristics of the materials in which they interact." I definitely believe this to be true.
I see this with my students and they way their minds want to work in the classroom. They spend all of their time on their cell phones. When they want an answer, they look it up. Done. Whether it is asking a question to friend or Google, the answer is instant. They have no patience to wait when I am in conversation with another student. They would rather take a multiple choice test than answer an essay question because it merely requires regurgitation and no real thinking. Technology is the material the are most frequently in contact with. I see it in myself too, just being indoors for too long. I always enjoy getting off the grid on a hunting trip because I have little to no cell service. Irritating at first and then a welcomed vacation.
I also found the poetic vision of a single flower fighting for survival in its depleted environment compelling. I have had students before that were very distanced from nature and who would become fascinated when I included such topics in lessons and discussions. I could only imagine the impact of being isolated within a massive urban environment could have on disadvantage youth. It seems unbelievable that given the environmental concerns that have plagued our urban ares, that engineers and developers are not under civic and federal governmental pressure to implement substantial environmental balancing measures into their projects. It is admirable and moving when artists take on such tasks, but such action should not seem so courageous and groundbreaking.
Delete@BleuSKy. Paula, our Librarian has recently donated a huge collection of art books to my room. Last week I had the students go through the books and pick any picture they wanted to write an critique on. It went really well with a lot of discussion among the students... until one of the students found a book with nudes. Of course it would be my most immature class to find that book. Women, men an 80 year old nude woman. "Gross! how is this art?" It is a little too early to get into that conversation with my Art 1's, but I have an exchange student in that class from France. She found the conversation so funny. She said it was like sitting in a class with preschoolers. Hopefully having her in my class this year will open the minds of some of my students and the way they view art, the body, etc.
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DeletePerhaps some would say I’m a prude or not open-minded, but Meat Joy, to me, is wasteful and disrespectful. I definitely would not tie that to eco art. As was mentioned by James, life is precious and to have these animals killed not even for food, but just to simply be shoved down a man’s underwear and rolled around on is a waste of a life. It did seem more like a fetish and childishness rather than anything that would make a lasting difference. She gives such little credit to other forms of art that praise nature by trying not to duplicate it with “paint, plaster, celluloid, stone, paper”, but to pay tribute to it through a form of expression. By painting a flower or a bird or a fish I am not expecting to recreate it with these materials, but am studying it, reflecting upon it, and internalizing whatever I may be feeling or going through in my life at that moment in order to have a better understanding of things. The assumptions she makes with her statements about other artists is absurd. Actions and subtly are, indeed, more meaningful in supporting one’s message rather than violently loud and exaggerated acts of meaninglessness. Just my opinion, though…
Deletesubtlety
DeleteAll these artists were so interesting to read about. I enjoy learning about what makes different artists create, their methods, finished pieces, and choices of display. Everybody has the freedom to do as their own artist's soul expresses . Some I identify with and some not.
DeleteAlan Sonfist. Now his work excites me. I love the vastness of landscape and work of art tied together. His Time Landscape is facinating. Has ANYBODY SEEN THIS?? Knowing that he played in a hemlock forest as a child and watched that forest die out for reasons of humanity no doubt was a catalyst of himbecoming a pioneer of environmental art.
@Chase Lampley
DeleteThat is hilarious!- and just what I'm talking about . Lucky you to have that young lady in your class this year. Cool lesson too -thanks for sharing.
Mierle Laderman Ukeles is by far my favorite artist in this group. I loved her performance Hartford Wash: Washing Tracks.
DeleteI have had this idea that I was gonna scrub the entrances to my campus as a performance once when I was incredibly disillusioned and lost as a teacher last year. When I read her talking about maintenance as "consuming aspect of child rearing" something really clicked. If I think about my practices as an artist and educator in my own classroom, (cutting paper, mounting artwork, sweeping, wiping tables down, filing away paperwork, arranging my desk, entering grades, everything that doesn't involve talking to student and building relationships) I almost feel as if I am taking on a role of a healer in my classroom.
Candie, I can understand your perspective of Schneeman's work. However, I don't agree. Meat Joy, to me, is an exploration of identity. The idea "...that we become what we see what we touch" reminds me of Judith Butler's theories on Performative acts and gender. While I don't feel that gender is the only issue discussed in Meat joy, I do feel that the actions between the performers and the objects placed in front of them are related and help to create the identity of the performers while they are on stage.
DeletePussy riot did something that reminds me of this piece in a Russian supermarket. They masturbated with raw chickens, albeit this performance was more graphic due to there being no preparation for the audience and this performance was completed in a public space, in protest of Putin's condemnation and treatment of LGBTQUIA+ populations.
I think it is interesting to see people using their bodies as works and the interactions between objects as artful.
I want to reply without reading any of your posts about this piece. I am extremely confused even after reading about this performance art beyond our Eco book here. I can't seem to reach an understanding of the artist's intent and the purpose or contribution to the betterment of our planet and society as an Eco artist. Carolee states, " her art investigates women's bodies, lives, and roles in society". Sadly, that isn't what I thought about when watching her piece several times. How far can an artist push the boundries of Art and it still be art? Maybe I do have a issue with some performance art? She created this 50 years ago in the height of the sexual revolution of the 60's... And today it is revered as iconic and historical. ????.. I find it a little like Madonna and lady Gaga... While I admire the musical genius of these women there might have been an occasion I thought their "art" was attention seeking and theatrical. I feel this belongs in an erotic play theatre not in Eco art.
DeleteI was so excited to read about Bonnie Sherk's work, I honestly had no idea who she was before the reading. Her ideas and philosophies fit right in with some ideas I have had lately involving the greenhouse at my school. Lately the horticulture teacher and I have been trying to collaborate on a project and Bonnie's work is fueling my ideas even more. I love the idea of using gardening as a tool for learning. Many of my artist friends, including myself love to garden. I wonder why that is? Sherk says that art is the #1 teaching tool. Absolutely right! Other teachers and I are always joking that we wear many hats, because we aren't just busy teaching art but we take on other roles in the art classroom as well. I feel like I'm almost raising 200 hundred teenagers a day as well as getting them to produce, love and create art. Just today I had to pause class to help a teen in distress who was mourning the loss of a loved one. Yes, the current art lesson was important, but what was happening in their life at that moment took precedence. Back to the gardening, it was nice transitioning into Sonfist's work. He did nothing but protect the land. I wish I would have known about this site while I was in NYC years ago. I believe Lubbock has some land that has landmark status, north of town. “Tree museums” is such an interesting idea. Scary to think that one day they may all be gone.
DeleteJames, in response to your statement, "I think performance art requires a set of resources that have not really been integrated in the the general education institution. For example, classrooms are closed environments and class periods are strictly defined.", I created an Art 1 project based on conceptual and performance art where students had to use art to communicate something important to the outside world. It forced students to create art that would interact with the world outside my classroom, and to document that communication. I wrote about it on my blog if you're curious. I guess my point is, there are ways around the rigid school structure, but it isn't easy. https://artinsubordinate.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/my-fluxus-conundrum/
DeleteDebbie, doesn't all important art become tacky and popularized over time? I saw Gap Kids selling Basquiat t-shirts not long ago. Should that diminish or strengthen his importance to art history?
Delete“We (Americans) use a huge percentage of the world’s resources….So we make that big of a mess, but we also use that much of the world’s resources. Right. That’s dumb. There’s something really, not just dumb, but really wrong, really wrong in that equation.” This impacted me because I have lived and I am currently living in 2 of the world’s biggest consumers of resources. In America our trash is carefully hidden from view of the people. Here in Beijing, China you walk out your apartment and you can see bags of trash in the middle of the courtyards that are awaiting to be picked up. It made me realize how carefully curated life is in America. Also how I have become so used to seeing and accepting this practice here that I go about my days overlooking things. I have become desensitized to my environment.
DeleteAlso what stuck out to me was the line “the same detoxifying functions performed by our kidneys, intestines, and lungs are repeated by transfer stations, sanitation trucks, and landfills.” I had to question why we look down upon these beneficial institutions and people when we don’t look down upon our own bodies for doing the same basic functions. Is it because they are removed from us? Compared to Meat Joy I felt that this work had more impact and meaning behind it. I think this piece would still have a deeper impact even today. There is still a problem of looking down upon our sanitation workers for the necessary job they do.
Post marker.
DeleteI can see the point of view of people that think Meat Joy is a waste or ridiculous but I think it is immense. I feel that it demonstrates that time period. I understand that some people and even most people may not get the connections to Eco Art. I do feel that there is a connection. I also feel that many people may not be able to see past the shock factor but that is what holds your attention whether positive or negative.
DeleteI try to put the artwork into today’s perception. The first thing that comes to my mind (being from West Texas) is that the black paint could be interrupted as oil or that if it was done again here that they would use oil. Representing the bad oil spills and how they affect the world. Red paint and how it could be the blood of the animals that are suffering and the green paint portrays nature. I know that the dead chickens, fish, raw meat are a waste of good food but it is to make a statement. I feel that it symbolizes humans raping nature and wildlife. I use the word rape because it gets a response just like Meat Joy gets a response.
21st Century Eco Art Explorers
ReplyDelete5. Brandon Ballengée
methods: bio/generative/social practice/installation/preservation/restoration
Bio artist: beyond metaphor to living cells. Reclaims a species. Reverse breeding. Is it science or nature that holds promise for the future? (I would have said science; now I believe nature does.) Knowing the context of his installation, what do you think of his method and results? Can the earth be your studio? How?
6. Beehive Design Collective
methods: paint/print/social practice/design/social and industrial ecologies
The brutal realities behind coal. The conditions for workers. Was anyone else intrigued with "your" electronic dependency lifestyle? (Could make for a very interesting project.) Collaboration is essential for this group. Making is done together-never singularly. And they end up with handouts. Could any of this be done in classrooms: true collaboration? handouts? Viewers take something with them.
7. Mel Chin
methods: paint/print/generative/social practice/ecologies
soil remediation. Detoxifying soils. Pig's Eye and New Orleans.
What can we bring into our own art practices or classrooms? What social histories can be reversed?
I was moved by all three artists in this section. Each choose a major problem that society and humanity is struggling with. They worked to expose issues that people might not even know about, or who's basic/ common knowledge is of things distant, and easily ignored. I know that I am often reminded of issues that I feel strongly towards, but have chosen to do little about. It is easy as an individual to feel insignificant and overwhelmed by large social and environmental issues. There are even a wealth of 'sources' that will affirm that the efforts we could easily undertake are unsubstantial, or even just as negative as the problems themselves. As an public educator, I believe I have to do more to bring awareness and foster a sense of duty in today's youth. Art classrooms could become more that flowerbeds of visual creativity. They could integrate responsible management of classroom resources and wastes. They should incorporate social and environmental lessons, which not only examine, but allow students to problem solve and even work towards addressing important issues. When I was a child, I remember learning about a lot of local and global issues, but I honestly cannot remember anyone in grade school ever telling me that I, right now, could take action and bring about change. Today, with the digital resources that permeate our daily reality, I think the message is becoming clearer that we can, and are obligated to, address the problems that face our world. It would follow logically then, that as educators our role is to help empower students to pursue responsible advocacy.
DeleteWork like Ballengée's brings up interesting overlaps between art and science. There are many times that postmodern and contemporary art overlap with other "school subjects." By expanding on these thoughts there is room to develop new and interesting curriculum ideas and overlaps between core classes and the fine arts. We could be asking students to use science or math to create art. I often times tell my advanced students that the core classes are simply there to support their artmaking.
DeleteThe Beehive Collective offers a lot to reflect on. I was really intrigued on the process of creating their materials. I feel that this could be easily translated into a classroom project. It would be interesting for students to think about social issues they have a passion for. I like the idea of “picture lectures” because it proves how powerful imagery can be. I visited their website and I am so tempted to buy, or “donate” funds for a patch or two. The Beehive Collective reminds me of street art collectives almost. They want the art, or the knowledge, to be accessible and free.
DeleteThe section on Brandon Ballengee had me with the Burrough's quote to begin with. I've never considered myself a “science” person but when I examine my methods and practices in the studio, I guess I really am an art scientist in one way or the other. Color mixing is a prime example. His project with the frogs was so intriguing and complex. He talks about nature serving as a refuge and I absolutely agree. I think has a society we need to reconnect back to nature, back to where everything started. I am indoors all day for work and just today I was thinking about how much I miss the outdoors. Being outside clears my head, and I just love being in the sun. The fresh air of the mountains can't be beat. We were meant to be in harmony with nature yet we have grown so far from that. Many of these artists highlight that fact, showing our strong reliance on energy/technology, or the lack of respect for our natural resources and waste as a whole.
April, I agree that the beehive collective is very reflective and lends itself very easily to classroom pedagogy. Involving personal interests is the easiest and most effective way to get students engaged in learning.
DeleteI have to have my windows open in my classroom every once in a while to get rid of that recirculated air smell. My students really respond to it too, I can notice that some students seem more relaxed. I'm guessing because they feel less imprisoned.
The artwork discussed in this section is very interesting. Reading about for species were being reclaimed reminded me of a famous horse that was named "Work of ARt" or something similar. I cannot find the art history book I read this in, but essentially the breeder raised this horse and considered all the work that went into making it a race horse was a work of art in itself so the horse was a culmination of effort and beauty. I will post the source as I find it... It was too bizarre to forget. Raising, breeding, and training animals creates a strange hierarchy and when the artists discusses the complexity of raising frogs in a museum setting, it made me think that the life of the frogs and the growth of their children as a time based multi-generational artwork.
In response to my last post, the artists name was Mark Wallinger and the horse was named "A Real Work of Art". The artist brought a racehorse into a gallery and the piece was understanding the horse as essentially a ready made. You could appreciate it's beauty and understanding its "function" as a race horse gave the viewer insight as to how certain animals are treated and perceived by society. How do we utilize animals? Are they appreciated? What other functions do we assign living creatures?
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DeleteI LOVED the Beehive Design Collective. I would love for them to come here and talk to my students and the community. I really liked that he work was intentionally crammed and packed full of detail, requiring the viewer to really look at it to determine what is happening. I also like how they are partnered with a group that is attempting to do cleaner printing practices. It is great to know that they did extensive research prior to doing their art pieces. This, to me, is leading by example and taking action. With their imagery, as well as their production model, they have an environmental art group. I really like this concept.
DeleteI agree with James that as teachers we could teach the students about the different issues and start them thinking about the future and solutions. I teach elementary and have my students thinking about reuse, reduce, recycle, and renew.
DeleteI like the idea if doing collective artwork. At University of Houston in Clear Lake, I took a class where all 13 students worked together and made an art car for the Orange Art Car Parade in Houston. I learned a lot from the other students and feel that they learned some from me too. I like how they come together for and to help with so many different causes. I also, like the metaphor that they use to describe what they do. “Cross-Pollination is our core mission at the Beehive.” I feel that they created elaborate and detailed works that engaged the viewer and makes the viewer want to know more about the issue.
8. Chu Yun
ReplyDeletemethods: sculpture/installation/conservation/industrial ecology
Constellation. (Brilliant-my opinion.) Yun's values are consistent with mine. Growing up in the 60s, we did not waste anything. Coffee cans were used in my dad's shop. My mother baked bread twice a week and washed and reused other bread bags. I had to hand them out on the wash line. Thrift and collectivity. This could change a school. Change a community.
9. Critical Art Ensemble
methods: bio/generative/social practice/design/industrial and sustainable ecologies
Examining corporate products. Demystifying scientific processes. Becoming GMO watchdogs. I'm a label reader. A guest on a NPR talk show said that if a product has an ingredients list/label, it is not real food. Real food does not have labels. I grow some of my own things and purposefully cook and bake; to slow me down, to use real food, and to honor my ancestors when I make comfort foods. Kurtz was arrested. There's that fear thing again. Communities can beat corporations. Your thoughts on these eco practitioners?
I like how Chu Yun disappeared from the art scene in 1999 to live for two years in a dorm setting and do factory work on outsourced goods. It reminds me of myself and how I stepped out of my job of teaching and life in the burbs to go back to school and live in temporary poverty. It seems his time out of creating art out of disposable goods and working to create those goods with many others in a factory setting brought him a new appreciation of this collective work/production just as returning to art school and working side by side with younger students has gladdened my heart and filled my soul with satisfaction to see young students discovering & questioning the nature of art and its relevance to daily life.
DeleteChu is "never confrontational, always ingratiating." I think his art and his actions definitely demonstrate this. I wish I could feel the impact of the Constellation piece. It is so perfect and simple (but not), it shows our fascination with electronics instead of the beauty that lies before us naturally. I was not aware of how hazardous and problematic electronics in landfills are and to think that the toxic materials are being leached into waters and soils is alarming. There has to be a better way of manufacturing things to make them safer overall. I question how strict regulations/laws of materials being used in products are.
DeleteDuring a sculpture class at UNT I created an installation piece called, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” While this slogan was typically reserved for discarded items in our society, I felt it appropriate for my focus –the lack of staying power in marriages and how easy it is to discard women. Oh sure, this has been going on since biblical times for God even addresses divorce and the putting away of one’s wife but it has not always been socially acceptable to be a treasure for another man once discarded. In today’s times, marriages can be like garage sales- out with the old and in with the new. I find it a little beautiful and tragic at the same time that a woman can be trash to one man but a treasure to behold with another. Obviously, my work carries personal meaning and but I found comparisons between objects and people and “rampant wastefulness” while reading about Chu Yen. The passage spoke to me, “To consumers, they had become nonobjects, merely worthless of clutter” “the desire to own something newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary”. Selfish consumption is destroying our planet, families, culture, and lives…it is a matter of convenience and instant gratification.
DeleteSo this also had me thinking about someone who was a great influence on me as an artist and passively as an eco-artist. My grandmother was TAUGHT to preserve, recycle, be frugal, reinvent- this was the thinking in the first half of the 20th century. When she passed away, she had buttons from every article of clothing saved, mayo jars to store food, tools from early generations, every notepad (even if it had only a 3 sheets left ), I drew on her mail inserts and envelopes, she would cut open the toothpaste to scrap every last bit. This may not agree with some of you but she didn’t always flush when she urinated. She was a stay at home wife and mother and it was her way of preserving waste water. She was a child of the depression and this form of conscience preserving was essential to surviving, frivolous excess was looked down upon socially as irresponsible and of poor character. She was my pioneer. As an artist, I save all kinds of ephemera for my mixed media. I encourage my students to find new ways with ordinary objects that we do not always consider as a normal art medium, I hunt flea markets for containers to store and organize art supplies, and I donate excessive scrap to a warehouse in Denton, Tx. Check it out: http://scrapdenton.org/. One artist in particular who has created art out of waste is Lisa Hoke, check out her work. Impressive.
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DeleteAnd the last post/prompt that I posted about earlier. I would like for you to begin to think about ideas, reactions, thoughts, or thinking about what a project might look like for you this semester--for right now ideas for a work-in-thinking/progress. What's resonating with you? Challenging you? Enticing you? Calling out to you? Yelling at you? Grounding you?
ReplyDeletePublic notes to us--what you are thinking about to the class. You need to know what others in your class are thinking and writing. Not just me. Class members will have suggestions and positive praise for you/us. A project could be a manifesto to yourself. But for now, can you post your initial ideas, thoughts, concerns or questions. Feel free here to post back to each other--I expect you to. Don't wait for Ed's response that that is a great idea. It will be because it is you and where you are at. I'm hoping we might add to people's initial ideas. Add to your thinking. Add more questions. I not only think that that would be helpful but unconditionally valuable. Your thoughts.... If you have no idea--that's a great place to be and to begin.
What is resonating with me right now are the works that do not damage or misuse the environment to get their point across. I'd rather do a work that either does not disturb my surroundings, but rather helps them to thrive or exists alongside them. One of the artists that I have discovered that I like is Jason deCaires Taylor. If you have not seen his work, give it a peek: http://www.underwatersculpture.com/
DeleteIt just shows that human intervention can be delicate and restorative, if done with respect and truly thoughtful planning.
I am interested in finding a way to create an immersive experience. I want to design every aspect of the viewer’s experience, not just the visuals. I want to design the space, control the smells and the sounds, all of it. My plan is to basically build a structure out of paintings. I’ve been toying with is a little and have even started building the structure. At the same time I have been working to find new ways of combining the many visual elements I integrate in my paintings and broaden my technical approaches to applying media. I’ve been toying with the ideas for about a year now, but there has never been an opportunity to focus on developing it further. I have been experimenting with the painting process. I have 8 or 9 small pieces I am working on to see how many different ways I can arrange the same ideas and which I like best, but I can usually only sneak an hour or two to work on those paintings. I’m afraid a lot of these ideas will go unexplored until after grad school when my schedule opens up a bit.
DeleteI'm still not sure what I want to do. I have a couple of art production ideas in mind. One involves creating a multimedia work that explores how recyclable material are still wasted everyday, and aims to promote early awareness to the issue in students. The other idea involves organizing a collaborative project to uses non-recyclable wastes to create artwork. I like both of the ideas, but am going to keep brainstorming for a while. Personally, I am still coming to terms with the scope and nature of the class material. I have always considered myself to be an earth conscious individual, but artistically and educationally, I have never really explored topic such as these in great depth.
DeleteI was just thinking today about this desert cleanup project I have been doing with my high school students. We go out every Saturday for 4 hours and collect debris from the side of the road and into the desert. We are planning on turning the trash into art later. I have been amazed at the amount of cigarette butts we have collected. I am considering doing a sculpture with these items, but I want to avoid something literal or cliché. I need to think on this one more. I could approach it from an eco-friendly perspective or from a health one, considering my father has COPD and serious health problems as a result of smoking.
Delete(Week 4 post) I am finally coming up for air. Grades, P-T conferences, PLC planning, sick child, and a parent in the hospital have me a little frazzled this past week. I have had more time to read at the hospital than write… I really struggled with Schneemann’s Meat Joy, as I posted, but after reading and re reading all the comments, I have a broader sense of what she might have been trying to reveal. Discovering commonalities and the differences among us has definitely helped me grow already as an artist, so thank you. So I have been thinking about a project or an idea: I live in a small home, just myself and my two youngest children. So the task of keeping my abode “clutter” free is always a challenge and some days I am just plain frustrated and want to throw everything away. Yes, I am a bit of a “neat-nik” but I feel I have to be with home, art classroom, and kids. I am literally amazed at what comes home within one week, not from just school, but from everywhere! Most of it I try to take to my classroom or put in a bin for my own mixed media books- from junk mail to newspaper, to paper sacks, to just plain junk. Sometimes it has me pondering my neighbors junk, my neighborhood, nearby neighborhoods, much like a zoom out effect on a google map. Why has America become so excessive with stuff and consumerism? I consider the hoarders plight with a sadness.. as extreme as hoarding is, it is an accurate depiction of the desire to have more than what we need and man’s compulsive “I want” nature, including carnal desires? Maybe Schneemann was on to something? . Possibly I might consider investigating this further for a project.
DeleteI was walking down the street the other day here in Beijing after reading this post and was thinking about a piece juxtaposing pollution and smoking. It always amazes me that on polluted days where it looks like you walking through fog. You have so many people smoking. I know that in the long run that smoking is worst than breathing in the air here in Beijing. I was reminded about the work of Chinese artist Nut Brother (yes that's what he calls himself) who walked around Beijing collecting smog for a hundred days and made a brick out of it. https://youtu.be/HI8q_wDTARE How much more of an impact would it make if you built a building made out of smog bricks. My ideas was to do a painting, drawing, or taking some pictures at the same time everyday showing the pollution cycle in Beijing.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Nut Brother. I like the smog brick project though, thanks for sharing that!
DeleteI had also seen an article on that. It blew me away, and I was so grateful that I didn't live there... then, I took a deep breath and wondered... what's that odd smell? I try not to think about the dangers in the air, water and food that I contact each day. I guess that what corporations count on. We keep buying and trashing, driving and crashing... tomorrow's another day. There's always a junk yard and a garbage dump to take care of that, or a river and ocean. I was raised to reach for the American dream. Even knowing the orchard was a trap, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. I wonder how you can destroy the orchard, while saving the trees? I often ponder whether the current trend of globalization is making humanity more informed and empowered, or overwhelmed and less significant. Odd questions for an art course I suppose, but reading about all of these activist artists, many of whom were struggling before I was even born, leads me to a musing: does planting a tiny group of trees, or condensing toxic blocks actually contribute to the advancement of humanity more than a traditionally constructed artwork that attempts to invoke personal passion and determination? I do appreciate the artist's and what they are working to achieve and know that it is important to look for new solutions to our problems. Our cities are still as toxic as ever though. I know this sounds gloomy and pessimistic, but it is not intended to be (more that reality allows), just a divergent perspective.
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