Week 6: Oct 6-12
Week 6: Oct 6-12: Weintraub, Linda To life! Eco art in pursuit of a sustainable planet: Read: HeHe; Natalie Jeremijenko; Yun-Fei Ji; Eduardo Kac; Jae Rhim Lee; Maya Lin; Michael Mandiberg; Viet Ngo; Marjetica Potrč (pp. 205-252)
One more week and we finish with this book.
A few comments from Week Five posts. April posted about a Trashion Show. James about what is safe to eat? From a store? Local? Note how unsafe hospitals are and what you can catch in them. I trust local and not stores. Eating dirt is good for me. Local dirt.
The tourism essays got me to thinking about HGTV and why I bought this copy of Texas Monthly to read about the Gaines. Very interesting. With a downtown market they developed, something like 31,000 tourists flock to Waco a week. A very interesting read. Debbie posted about the idea of smells. Makes me think of one of John Waters early films that had a scratch n' sniff card that you scratched and sniffed during the movie. April posted about creating a kit--that's a project idea. Candy posed about integrating what we are learning into class lessons (another project idea). James posted about individuality--a good read to check out is William Ayers, On the Side of the Child--he writes about love and freedom and learning. A nice read.
One more week and we finish with this book.
A few comments from Week Five posts. April posted about a Trashion Show. James about what is safe to eat? From a store? Local? Note how unsafe hospitals are and what you can catch in them. I trust local and not stores. Eating dirt is good for me. Local dirt.
The tourism essays got me to thinking about HGTV and why I bought this copy of Texas Monthly to read about the Gaines. Very interesting. With a downtown market they developed, something like 31,000 tourists flock to Waco a week. A very interesting read. Debbie posted about the idea of smells. Makes me think of one of John Waters early films that had a scratch n' sniff card that you scratched and sniffed during the movie. April posted about creating a kit--that's a project idea. Candy posed about integrating what we are learning into class lessons (another project idea). James posted about individuality--a good read to check out is William Ayers, On the Side of the Child--he writes about love and freedom and learning. A nice read.
Thanks Candie for posting pics. Great project. For those interested, the Beehive people/artists travel around the world. We had one of them at Tech ten years ago. They will come to schools. Contact them. Nigel posted about using alternative materials to create light installations--all brilliant ideas, projects, lessons, etc. James and others posted about how most of us are working from or with very narrow Western Euro trained minds in terms of art or what it is or what it can be. Debbie and James and courtyards. Another great idea for a project. Doesn't have to be finished this semester. You can post and write about how you are beginning as a project and together if you'd like.
We are half-way through the class. I'll post a section about project ideas again for class members to share progress, or no progress. It's all about ideas. We will shortly and vastly change the focus of methods with our next book--so be prepared. If you fall behind, just post in the current week. Great posts this past week.
1. HeHe
ReplyDeletemethods: social practice/digital/public/conservation/social-urban-insdustrial-human ecologies
The cloud belongs to everybody. Toy emissions.
2. Natalie Jeremijenko
methods: generative/social practice/installation/public/design/social-resotrative-ecosystem ecologies
Varying growth patterns.
3. Yun Fei Ji
methods: paint/print/conservation/preservation/industrial and ecosystem ecologies
Techno artist. 1.5 million displaced by damn. Are we all lied to? Churning factories not the seasons determine people's lives. Handprinted watercolors.
These articles/artists remind me/us how important background information and histories are to a project. How are histories impacting you in making art, teaching, thinking about a project or social action? Histories are pivotal in grounding our arguments and informing others about particular histories and events. Your thoughts?
Are we all lied to? Certainly, people are constantly being misled and outright lied to. I don't think that it is reserved for any certain group or done by isolated entities. I believe that any self serving institution, be it a governing agency, social/ cultural organization, or even acquaintances and loved ones skew reality to their advantage. History is rife with such indiscretions and the academic practice of 'History' is ever susceptible to self-serving deceptions. I find the Yun Fei Ji writing very engaging. I was drawn to how he lamented the loss of the traditions and wisdom of his ancestors. As s child, I was exposed to stories and images of rural Texas and as I grew, I witnessed most of those traditions fade away. A lot of my figurative artwork is steeped in this nostalgia or addresses my relationship to how life has changed. It seems that there is a modern American sentiment that looks at hanging onto past traditions as a negative tendency. I think progress is so engrained within American systems that grasping at meaningful traditions is detrimental to that march. This plays out in varying degrees throughout social, commercial and governmental institutions. An American artist who's work predominately looks back endearingly to the past, would most likely be seen as trivial or even detrimental in relation to contemporary art theory and popular culture. It was also interesting to read about how the revolution eviscerated much of Chinese culture and ushered in the industrial juggernaut. This seems to be a glimpse into a very dark modern reality: in order to reverse the apocalyptic tide threatening our planet, abrupt and drastic changes in global social, political and economic paradigms is needed. This change would alter the power structure of civilization and would be counter to centuries of progress. Such a 'voluntary' deviation seems highly unlikely, and the alternatives (war, pestilence, natural disaster, etc) loom like a dark cloud over humanity. Our world has become so interconnected that I doubt a significant curtailment of industrialization and the meaningful revival of sustainable traditions could ever be viable on a global level. America seems a good example of that supposition. Our nation seem more divided than ever culturally and politically. Creating significant socioeconomic change is most often a slow and haphazard endeavor. Even if Americans could resolve to live an Earth friendly philosophy, What would it take to secure a global alliance? I suppose that leaves plodding ignorantly (the industrialized default) into the consumer culture or doubling down on technology's ability to save us from itself. My life follows the mechanical beat of a digitized clock, and seasons change the department store more than my daily habits. I think that there is a kernel of hope in there somewhere, but it seems hard to pin down, constantly shifting and morphing depending on perspective and intent. I believe eco-art is powerful in that it questions systems and beliefs and even offers alternatives for consideration; however, I lament that the problem is not a lack of knowledge or understanding as much as a fear based denial, over stimulation and the stupor of convenience.
Delete(Week 4) Ballengee certainly breaks down barriers of what we think art is today. It can be difficult to expand ones thinking to new and different realms of what “art” is and can be. I consider, generationally speaking, it is difficult for someone grasp new art forms within the current times. I find Ballengee’s art respectful and responsible and I applaud his obligation to the frogs to take care of them until the last one died. But, scientifically, I feel his work leans more to the study of zoology or paleontology rather that eco art. Ballengee raises so many questions about what art is and is not. Can one say all genres can be art? Or within all disciplines there are many that can be called artists within that particular field? What truly defines art anymore? Have the lines been blurred so that everyone and everything can fall under the big art umbrella? Will art as we traditionally know it become extinct? If the science lab comes to the museum, can the studio come to the science lab?
DeleteAndrew, your post regarding the horse as a work of art and the science/art behind the breeding was thought provoking. I began to think about other situations where man has manipulated science to begat a prime specimen. Foods?.. Cloning?.. Medicine? ..Plants?.. Do we consider it art then?
(week 5) I am catching up due to an extremely busy two weeks. I believe I accidentally posted some "catch ups" in the old week instead of the new. My apologies- lack of good sleep I suppose. You will see several of mine this week.
DeleteIn this life of get here on time, this sporting event, that entertainment, shopping, keeping house… this life of business… or rather busy-ness.. Angela, I agree with and understand the need to embrace and experience our surroundings more. Slow down. Observe. Think. So much of our daily living has become the “art of being busy”. I spend nearly 3 weeks in Italy this summer. My partner’s parents and family live in Ostia seaside. Apart from them wanting my vacation to be the trip of a lifetime, I spent a lot of time relaxing. This is was a different experience –living with the locals rather than being a tourist and just visiting. Yes, the trip was amazing and Rome thrilled the art teacher side of me, the Amalfi coast took my breath away with its topographical beauty. But what do I really miss the most? The quiet of their home with the absence of tv. How much time his mother took to prepare a meal with fresh food from the local markets (meat, fruit, cheese, bread). Eating on the patio every day., conversation at every meal, no TVs at restaurants- I did see them in the pubs but never at restaurants. Italians like to eat outside and with each other. Eating is their luxury but over eating is excess. Yes, they have several plates or courses but it is NOT how they do it here in the states. Here it is giant portions, overcooked heavy sauces… everything bigger, excessive. Actually, I think the whole “eating out” experience here in Texas is disgusting. I am not talking about unique restaurants who pride themselves with good food and the experience but rather the restaurant chains loitering our highways and landscape. Its almost like they travel in packs : chili’s, cheddars, bbq, bj’s, etc.. fake food and piled high. The whole experience is: wait and hour to experience frozen microwaved food within 35-45 minutes. Music is loud, people are loud, people playing on their phone.. Sad.. so SAD. Middle America calls this the dining experience. Candie, I agree with you.. I hate eating out too.
I did not have an international plan on my phone and his parents did not have wifi- I checked in with skype on his parent’s computer. I basically lived without my phone- and air conditioning. The later was the most difficult. I wish I could tell you the Italians do not believe in air conditioning due their environmental concerns but it is more of their belief that refrigerated air makes you sick. I enjoyed doing nothing when we did do nothing! Beautiful experience. They are so proud of their country and land. I wish America had more of that mentality. I am not saying the Italians are eco people but their way of life is less excessive and exorbitant than what we know here in the states.
(Week 5) I feel that the nation is in a frame of mind that we want to “Do-It-Yourself” weither it be fixing things or making things. I think it all started with the idea of saving money. Money is a great motivator. I hope we are turning into a “Do-It-Yourself Energy Generation” as well. My ex in-laws have a place up in the mountains of Colorado that is off the grid. I feel that more people are turning to energy saving appliances and electrical devices. I hope more people will find ways that they can produce their own eco energy and be off the grid. I find Hydrogen fuel cell technology fascinating. It just maybe the way of the future. I am curious about the different ideas of sustainable possibilities and the future.
DeleteAmy Franceschini was quoted as saying, “The most exciting place to be is on the edges of that island bordering the Sea of the Unknown. If you know what you are doing, your job is over.” I definitely do not know what I am doing. This makes me ponder what I am doing and where I am going next. I do like being on the edge of the unknown.
(Week 5) Terike Haapojo reminded me of a mice in a maze. When they do controlled experiments. Whistling reminded me of being conditioned by a response. I did love the idea behind the decaying bodies. It got me think about when were are developing which body parts are formed first. Do we decay and develop at the same rate.
DeleteI feel like the article about Yun-Fei Ji was one of the more relate-able pieces for me in this book. I believe James used the word engaging and it certainly was. There is no unbiased recording of events. Everyone and every group has their own agenda. I have a hard time even watching the news, public programming that is designed specifically to be unbiased and report the events. But we all know that is not true, no matter what format you are watching. But it happens so often that I think everyone just accepts it now- Are you a conservative or a Liberal? Ok, so you must watch (blank). It feels like we have got to be the worst about this, but I know we are not and this article is proof of that. Many countries like China and Korea flat out re-write the history books to reflect history the way they want everyone view it. The author had to leave his own country just to find out the truth about its history. We all want to be proud of our country and our heritage, but not at the expense of a lie. Sadly, I don't see Ji's narrative of the truth changing anytime soon. As far as his painting, it is kind of reminiscent of many other events in history with people being displaced. I think of Katrina and New Orleans, obviously different scenarios, but similar in the governments failure to handle the situation. Ji's real life experience and graphic imagery make this a really appealing piece to me.
DeleteIn regards to your last question on this post: I can't say that I never think about the history or background of a subject when I am making art, because it it very much in my thoughts while working. However, just being a part of this program has made me really dive in to the research aspect of my art making. I have always tried to incorporate things into my art that make it more meaningful to me or my intended audience, but now the research and planning part is more than half of the project. I try not to let it consume me or I will never actually start any art, but it is so much a part of my process now that I don't feel comfortable beginning a large work or series without really doing my due diligence. I love this process and am now incorporating this into my lesson for my upper level students. One third of their grade is based on their research and planning. I want to see thumbnails, artist inspirations, influences, color schemes, themes, etc. My hope is that the hard work shows through in their work and mine. This is my first year to go this in depth with the planning so I'll let you know how the students react.
DeleteI was also very engaged by the Ji reading. I appreciated his process and respect for the traditions. Something that stuck with me was “To serve the country means bringing knowledge into human relationships”...powerful statement. Not just for teachers, but for everyone and anyone. As a society we really our losing personal connections and ties to traditions. Ji also says that poetry and art need to change because they have lost their sources of inspirations. Histories and background stories are important and people are forgetting this. I would love to see one of Ji's pieces in person. The images sure don't do much justice for the work!
DeleteHeHe and Jeremijenko really bring public problems to light in the most creative ways. The Nuage Vert was so interesting to learn about because to be honest, I have never really lived in an area that relies on coal. I can remember learning about power sources way back in 7th grade or so and thinking “Wow coal is not good for the earth at all why are we still relying on it?” and 20-something years later we have countries still heavily relying on it. I feel like we have the scientific advancements and power to utilize renewable sources more but someone/something is holding back on the move for America to make advances. I am a junior conspiracy theorist (ha) because I question EVERYTHING. Yes James, you took the thoughts right out of my brain… There will always be interests groups trying to control things and biased information thrown at us. I don't even want to watch TV/news anymore and use very few sources for my news these days. Sometimes I feel like the majority of America are just sheep being told what to do.
Chase- I'm right there with you and sometimes get caught up in the logistics of things and always regret it. Sometimes you just have to make! Think later.
Hehe's Nuage Vert was really interesting to me because I've never even considered knowing the data their art machines produce in real time. The accessibility of their artwork seems like its a barrier. Might be cool to see a live stream of their works.
DeleteI think my favotire section this week though has to be Yun-Fei Ji. The flow of his section of the book was great to read. the long conversational quotes made it feel like a more natural dialogue about the work.
It was interesting to see the perspective of China being pressured into changing their culture to fit the new world market place and to avoid being "beaten down". In my young American mind, I always assumed that China was industrial, since growing up most of my toys and clothes were produced there.
In Critical Pedagogy we were also talking about collective histories and memories and their importance to sharing information. The histories in the presented works are interesting to think about as there are ancient histories that are manifested in traditional materials and ideologies and then there is the history of our consumption and pollution being put on display and measured in real time.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Delete(Week 5) Candie, I agree with you that Goldworthy’s artwork has a feeling of Buddhism and I love how you put it “change happens”. I am motivated and inspired by Goldworthy’s artwork. I get a feeling of calm and tranquility when studying his artwork.
DeleteChase, I agree with you that Goldworthy’s artwork is a “master of illusion” and that it is a one point perspective or perception of the art. I do like that he did take multiple pictures of some of the artwork to give you different angles. I really enjoy the pieces of art with circles or spirals. They give me a feeling of unity and harmony.
Yun Fei Ji is one that I like because he really investigated his culture, the art, and the politics before making his work. It is incredibly important to know about your past because it helps to inform you about why the preset is the way it is. I think that is something that we need to encourage more in our students...hell, in myself even. We, as a people, seem to have lost this. We have information at our fingertips, but it's almost so overwhelming the amount that we have and the speed at which we can acquire it that some very important things have been lost. So many people would rather play mindless, simple games or complain to one another on Facebook about why their chosen presidential candidate sucks and other, more productive research and findings are never unearthed.
DeleteI read today that a researcher was explaining that he thinks we haven't been visited by alien life, not because they don't exist, but because as life evolves and technology becomes dominant that they eventually mess balances up so much and are inclined to have massive wars, etc. that they kill themselves out before they can get far enough to explore our world. He went on to suggest that he feels we are heading in that direction. Self-destruction of a species.
Sometimes I look at how we have messed up the balance of things so much (the yin and the yang) and I think about how much we are like parasites. Here is the definition for a parasite: an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.
This is what I feel we are to the earth sometimes- parasites. I know it may sound negative and I don't mean to be, but it seems like we just swarm in, take what we want until it's no longer available, and then move on. I wonder how long we can keep this up.
HeHe's Nuage Vert was such a massive undertaking in all the collaboration, research, and paper writing that was done! Indeed, Andrew Hernandez, it is a fascinating real time announcement of resource usage. Reminds me of the water meters on the sinks in a hotel that I once stayed in London. Be not wastful! Is Nuage Vert the largest human consumerism digital art piece ever done? Definitely Cosmic!!
DeleteThe toy car runnjng around the crosswalk with colored smoke bomb smoke pouring out the back of it had a huge impact on me as well. Both videos get the point of human consumption, pollution across so well and are at the opposite ends of time and resources used to the same end, sort of. I got a kick out of that comparison. Well done!
Wow, Candie! Yun Fei Ji struck a sensitive cord in you! This perhaps went along with some environmental political experiences we all were witness to. A few of us watched the town hall debate in the wheel room at the annex. Let me just say, all the coning up and down of my clay not only kept my blood pressure down-It had not a single air bubble! Great way to watch these current debates.
DeletePost marker.
Delete(week5) Fournier truly is a maverick. Not only does she teach us about poly culture and community gardens, her activist work for reuse begs for attention. Here is an article I found fascinating about her.. very interesting read…..
Delete3Rs: Nicole Fournier Activates the Second 'R'
on Wednesday, 30 July 2014. Posted in Blog, Artists
“3RV” is a visible reminder to reduce ‘residual’ waste that appears throughout the world. The three ‘R’s are lined up in a meaningful sequence, beginning with the most desirable environmental outcome and ending with the least. The first ‘R’ stands for reduction at the source; the second for reuse; the third for recycling. While recycling waste is the least beneficial, it monopolizes the attention of environmentally-conscious municipalities and good Samaritan consumers everywhere; neither seems inclined to reduce consumption or seek new uses for unwanted objects.
As a result, her method is as environmentally instructive as the installations they generate. Fournier applies the re-user’s environmental ethic to discarded winter jackets and snow pants. She selects only those that are polyester and nylon because these materials are an environmental nuisance that begs to be addressed. Both substances are petroleum-based. They are, therefore, implicated in the detrimental consequences of oil extraction and refinement. Furthermore, both processes consume large amounts of water and energy. Polyester manufacture uses contaminating lubricants, and nylon manufacture creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In addition, neither is biodegradable; it takes decades for these materials to break down. Fournier specifically addresses the hazards associated with ‘micro plastics’ that are formed as synthetic clothing degrades in the oceans. She comments, “Research shows that the problem does not exist in the soil. The reasons would be because of the biodiversity in soils…. The chemical processes and biological micro-organisms in the soil and plants ingest and transform the micro plastics from textiles.”
These troublesome discards are the medium Fournier used to create an installation entitled “Emballe Toi” (2014) . The work’s initial function was, therefore, to manage a harmful consumer waste product. Her process of acquiring these rejected polyester and nylon items occurs just-in-the-nick-of- time. The clothing she rescues was not only discarded by its owners, it even failed all the tests for recycling conducted at Certex in St-Hubert, a non-profit company in Quebec that was founded to recover and recycle textiles, while providing a workplace for people with functional limitations. Fournier gathers their ‘non-recoverable’ trash just before it departs for the landfill.
Fournier applied her re-user’s mentality to these hopeless items. Since their original function was clearly impossible, she searched for a new form of possible ‘employment’. This entailed focusing on their material attributes instead of their intended purpose. The nylon and polyester could still resist decomposition, withstand harsh weather, insulate, and retain moisture. Fournier compiled these attributes and determined that worn-out winter gear could be used to construct containers for plants, protecting them in hot summers and cold winters.
Bleusky,..In Europe while in staying in a hotel, in order for the lights to work, you have to insert the key card into the key jack in the wall. During your stay, if you leave the room for the day or whatever, you take the key out of the jack and the lights/air conditioning/wall plugs shut off to conserve energy. Should the land of plenty reconsider their hotel energy consumption? I know that most places have made a conscience effort to conserve water consumption but maybe Motel 6 outta rethink their "we'll leave the light on " slogan ???
DeleteI was writing about how cool I think Natalie Jeremijinko is and lost it all going back to kindle to check the reading.
DeleteI would love to see her instructions for altering toy dogs as open-source software. Excellent video on feral robotic dogs. Lucky kids who got to participate in that study.
DeleteDebbie Caillet - yes! I am cracking up. Excellent point.
DeleteAndrew, thank you for your comment on the HeHe essay. I was really struggling with it, but once you said something about knowing the information in real time, it kind of clicked for me!
Delete
DeleteI also really enjoyed the Yun-Fei Ji essay and agree it was probably the most readable section in this week's readings. I highlighted the very first two sentences and it stuck with me as I was reading. "When you see that the people have been treated badly, you can be sure that nature is being treated even worse. When you defend one, you defend the other." It actually casued me to relate that to my work environment. Lately our staff has been beaten down, and we've inadvertently let a lot of things slide in the maintenance of our school. I've let our garden become overrun with weeds, for example. It's an interesting connection to make between valuing people and their environment.
4. Eduardo Kac
ReplyDeletemethods: paint/print/bio/generative/ecosystem ecology
Bio-types. Feeder tube and electric lights. he encourages forms and conditions. Represents dynamic flux. Art responds to light.
5. Jae Rhim Lee
methods: performance/bio/generative/installation/
design/conservation/human and ecosystem ecologies
Urine and corpses. Urine can revitalize plants. Her perfected urine. She gives back rather than degrade the earth.
6. Maya Lin
methods: photo/video/digital/public/preservation/deep ecology/ecosystem ecology
What's missing? How could we utilize similar questions in our research or teaching?
What is missing? For me, I ask similar questions each school year: How did it work? What came up short? Who had problems... What kind? Why? What do others do? How is their method better? What should be changed? Added? Questions that evaluate the effectiveness and shortcomings of our processes can bring new perspectives and solutions to our daily systems, which often become accepted routines.
DeleteThe readings in this group were very diverse in method and scale. The biological paintings of Kac were interesting to me. I think it would be fascinating to do an outside mural using different types of plants, such as lichen. The basic design template could be solid and lasting, but the pigments and textures would be organic. The image would change with the seasons. I did not find the Lee very engaging. The breeding of fungus specially designed to devour human flesh seems sketchy to me. Given the taboo nature of her work and the religious traditions associated with burials, I think her ideas will fight an uphill battle. The Lin project is quite intriguing, but the time frame and complexity of the project seems problematic. Its impressive that she is dedicated to something so demanding. It is difficult in dealing with ideas such as extinction. It's similar to the climate change issue in that since there is a natural cycle to such happenings, there will probably always be a population who denies the problem. It think art like Lin's can be used effectively to reach people on a more emotive level, which might soften their intellectual agreement.
Jae Rhim Lee. Ok, so I wasn't exactly sure what to think about this one. There were some good talking points and quotes, but confusing in many ways. I think most people in the world would like to lessen their impact on the physical environment. Going out of your way to recycle and picking up trash are one thing. Installing solar panels on your house is another. Although well intended, there is a big difference in both. I think most of the world is willing to jump on board as long as they are not going out of their way to contribute. But Lee took this to the extreme almost to a comical point in my head while reading. I just can't imagine spending your whole life trying to figure out how to get a plant to eat you when you die. So I did some additional research for a better context. Found a TED talk where Lee personally is explaining this Infinity Suit. I recommend everyone watch this short 7min TED talk. Lee is wearing the suit so you can visualize it and she is very comical about it herself. She is totally serious about this suit, but laughs at herself knowing how crazy it sounds to most.
DeleteHere is the link if you want to watch it:
Deletehttps://www.ted.com/talks/jae_rhim_lee?language=en
About Maya Lin, I felt ignorant in the midst of reading because I only ever associated her with the Vietnam Memorial, and was oblivious to her more recent works. She poses the question- Can we balance our needs with the needs of the planet? It relates back to the yin and yang that Ji also mentions. It's always about finding a balance in everything-taking the positive and the negative together.
DeleteI really loved the idea of Kac's living paintings. He mentions that in today's world there is no longer unidirectional discourse and his paintings are a metaphor for this. He uses these paintings as communication and tells us that the viewer can observe, empathize and imagine without affecting the work itself. After reading about Jae Rhim Lee I couldn't help but think back to Terike Haapojo and ideas on death. Even though the urine idea is very radical, I think it could change many things. Very weird but interesting to read about. Her bodysuit for burial is very intriguing. I think I may want to invest in one some day…even though the idea is far-fetched for most, maybe in years to come people will be more open to this. Death is a very spiritual thing for some so I can see where some conflict may lie. But in reality, we all come from the earth so why not put ourselves back in the most nutritional and efficient method? The statistic given that 93% of people have pollutants lodged in their bodies is alarming but makes perfect sense. The saying “You are what you eat” no longer cuts it. I guess it's more of “You are what you live in.”
I like the idea of Kac "collaborating" with the bacteria as opposed to simply controlling it.
DeleteBut, I don't like the traditional painting orientation he gave his work. I feel as though the process is more interesting than the artwork, so a more lab like setting (having the artwork arranged so that the view can magnify certain areas of the art to get a glimpse into the hidden beauty of the work) would have better fit the avant-garde media he is using.
Andrew, interesting you should say "more about the process", as a teacher I feel this is the direction art making is going. "It’s not about the destination but rather the journey" mindset is growing rapidly in the art world and into the curriculum/assessment of public education. While I am still of the more traditional thinking that the final product is just as good, if not better, than the process, I learn of art teaching which focuses more on the process-the process is the work of art. I wonder what our museums will look like 5, 10, 20, even 50 years from now. Will the art be permanent or temporary? Art’s traditional medium for centuries was oil paint, then acrylic- I wonder what the “new traditional” art medium will look like in the future?
DeleteI am touched by Lin's work. I think it resonates with me and makes me sad. The issue of extinction that she addresses is unfathomable and for her to put it in a way that shows you what it would be like with that lose is shocking. Issues like this overwhelm me. I know that I shouldn't shut down and feel hopeless because that definitely doesn't do any good, but it's hard sometimes. I have hope that engineers, artists, environmentalists, and inventors can create new technologies that will allow us to exist yet have less of a negative impact on our surroundings.
DeleteIt was great to read about Maya Lin and how she grew as an environmental artist. Such a powerful way to display our endangered species. I can definitely see a project here!
DeleteI absolutely loved the Maya Lin essay! The concept of "landscape amnesia" is one that I hadn't heard given a name before, but that is an excellent term. We, the collective we, often forget what was here before it is too late to save it. I spent two weeks in Trinidad a few years ago working with Leatherback Sea Turtles. We were tagging and collecting data on the females that came ashore to lay their eggs. It caused me to realize how much in jeopardy the species was and wanted to find a way that I could help make a difference. I have to be honest, after reading this essay, I spent quite a bit of time on the What is Missing website, specifically looking at the stories section! http://whatismissing.net
DeleteMaya Lin's work has really taken on several great landscape statements.I like her river series Silver Upper White River as well as her Earth Waves.Both remind me of the Mississippi River and Cahokia Mounds in Illinois near St. Louis where I was born and raised.The Mounds are a world heritage site built by Mississippian Native Americans nearly 1,000 years ago.For them, land was their canvas!
Delete7. Michael Mandiberg
ReplyDeletemethods: Social practice/digital/public/conservation/human ecology
What artists are to cathedrals/artists are to cyberspaces. Combines math and art.
8. Viet Ngo
methods: bio/generative/design/restoration/urban-industrial-ecosystem ecologies/sustainability
Sustainable technologies--raw sewage treatment technologies. Promote eco-tourism. Nuture endangered fauna and flora.
9. Marjetica Potrč
methods: social practice/installation/design/conservation/social-restoration-urbam ecologies/sustainable ecologies
DYI renewable. She visits slums and slum conditions. Individuality and creativity abound. Assists with full-scale renovations.
What resonates with you with these very large attempts?
It was interesting to read that Marjetica (cool name) focuses more on improvising with what is available on site rather than wanting to scrap everything and start fresh. I also thought it was fascinating that she sends the pieces to museums, but gives them vague instructions about how to assemble it and allows for them to make some of the decisions with color, etc. to get the "local flavor". Things like this throw me because I have such a set expectation about what art is going to be. You often think of the traditional sculpture, drawing, painting, etc. If we go by these standards, however, then even the people living in these slums are artists themselves, since they have come up with the ways to survive in this manner well before she arrived to document and recreate it. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about her statement that apartment dwellers have no self-reliance because they aren't forced to be creative with what they have and they rely mainly on government and corporations to supply them with things. I agree, in some respects, but also think that's over-generalizing, as well. Hmmm...I need to think on that some more.
DeleteI agree Candie. Her methods were unique and fun in a sense. The "local flavor" idea is intriguing. It creates a dialogue which is “more prodcutive than a monologue.” Potrc along with Ngo focus on local needs and the local peoples. They can serve as inspiration for us because I think focusing on local is most important. Maybe if everyone would we could see some change? Plus, locals know the needs better and are more informed of resources rather than some outsider coming into a region to try and make change. I like how Mandlberg explains that he needed to know the rules first before he could break them. I think as an art teacher I can take that philosophy with me back to the classroom. “Situationism” of the 1950s-60s was the theory that human behavior is determined by surrounding circumstances rather than by personal qualities. I was once was planning to become a psychology major so I am drawn to these notions and how people act. In my opinion, it is a mixture of both however. Both the environment and personal qualities effect a person's actions. But the more and more we read, I am finding we are more one with the environment than we ever imagined.
DeletePost marker.
DeleteAnd finally...project ideas milling about? Uncertainties? Certainties? It's fine if there are none.
ReplyDeleteOk- so I know last I mentioned I'd wanted to do a sculpture with the cigarette butts, but now I am upset about the overwhelming amount of plastic we have found in the desert. I am not only noticing the debris in the desert, but how much plastic I dispose of in my own home. I have been saving and washing my recyclables to take to the school for our project. I am amazed at how much waste, I alone, have created in just two weeks! I have had this mulling around in my head lately, then someone posted an article on Facebook that upset me and got me to thinking even more. This article talks about how multiple whales washed up on the shore in Germany. It has been discovered that their stomachs were full of plastic, netting, and car parts. Because of the emotions I felt when hearing about this and how much it has bothered me, I think perhaps I could/should do a piece with the plastic bottles we have found.
DeleteHere is a link to the article: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2016/04/sperm-whales-found-dead-in-germany-stomachs-full-of-plastic-and-car-parts-2.html
I know what you mean. I moved last year and went from a community that had recycling to one that does not. For a while I grumbled and bit my lip, but I've also started taking my recycling to work. After recycling for so long, it was disgusting to throw away so much waste. I am also thinking in the vein of recycling and waste for a project, but I'm still mulling over my ideas.
DeleteI have absolutely no idea what I want to do for a project! I've been kind of in a slump (artistically) lately. The harder I try to think about it, the more frustrated I become, too. :/
DeleteI went to the Calyspo Farms website and found that they have a blacksmith classes. Growing up, I watched a lot of westerns and was always drawn to the blacksmith trade. I also learned pretty young that blacksmiths were obsolete, so I let go of that dream. I guess I've always been drawn to the artistic trade tradition. It is interesting that a lot of the eco-artists that we have read about are purposefully mixing work endeavors with artistic thought and aesthetics. Instead of concrete products like swords and horseshoes, these tradesmen of today seem to be tackling monumental human concerns, such as pollution and sustainability.
ReplyDeleteI think you should, James! It seems like such a waste of materials to use for a second then toss. It would be interesting just to learn how to work with a new material, anyway- like a challenge. I was thinking maybe I could do sculptures of animals (a whale, for example) using the very materials that are harming them in nature (plastic bottles and netting).
ReplyDeletePost marker.
Delete(week 6 reply) Candie and James, the retail store Anthropologie has window designs that they create every month or so. The window design team is given certain recycled materials and they have to come create a window display with only the supplies given. Not all of the supplies are 100Q% recycled but the majority is. May not be a huge change but small is still a step.
DeleteYou could get some ideas for recycled art projects from their displays.. They are quite beautiful and ingenious.
DeleteDebbie- thank you! I will look into that!
DeleteI looked over their website and this collaboration with farming and art reminds me of the Fernando Garcia-Dory artist we discussed. I really wish I could apply for a residency at something like this. It would be nice to be in the country, away from distractions and just focus on the land and art. Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteI see that Calypso Farms is building an addition as well- a Fibers building! This sounds like a great opportunity, too bad they are located all the way up in Alaska. Growing up, we had school field trips to The Outdoor Learning Center. It was a little farm right in the middle of Dallas that had animals, farming and fishing. I remember it so clearly because it was like a foreign land to me at the time. I grew up around concrete so being out in the “country” was like a vacation. Fresh air, bugs in my teeth and fresh dirt under my fingernails. I can almost smell the manure now… I think that something like this is more manageable than most think to bring into the community. Schools could be a part of it (funding) and local neighborhoods could share a space.
ReplyDeleteJames- me as well, lately I've been watching that show Forged in Fire. Blacksmithing seems to becoming a lost art trade so it is good to see people keeping it alive. Very interesting.
Post marker.
ReplyDeleteDebbie- interesting that Anthropology does that. I like the idea, but then I look at their prices on their clothing and where it is sourced. I think they could do better. They just recently started caring Fair-Trade certified merchandise. The aesthetic of that store is great, the morals of the company is what I question (as with every corporation).
ReplyDeleteAlso, reply to James' comment above about recycling. It took me forever to get the school to start recycling here. They claimed it "cost too much". Finally a student organization took the lead and there are now recycling bins in each classroom. I feel like this was something that should have been done years ago however. Think about all the paper waste alone in one school building. Now it has me thinking of other things we could do with the paper!