Week 12 Readings

love this (Robert Frank)

Road Show: Robert Frank
by Anthony Lane

Robert Frank explored America in the mid-1950s with a Guggenheim Scholarship on his hip, taking photos of all things American. His works were exhibited recently in the Met, where viewers could experience mid century America at its purest. He was criticized by Americans when he first exhibited the work, saying the pictures were too critical, too anti-American. He was even arrested at one point, suspected as being a Communist (although this happened to many, many artists and writers). However, this criticism was undeserved, for his depiction of America was not intended to be mean-spirited, but rather honest.

Week 11 Readings

"The Death of the Object"

Karel Appel

This article begins by discussing the political movements and social unrest of the mid 20th century and the art that came from it--Surrealism, decollage, Situationalism, and finally Conceptualism. During this time there was a growing tension between artists and galleries/museums, arising from the anti-institutionalism feelings of artists such as Daniel Buren, whose painting was removed from the Guggenheim for this reason. At the same time in Italy, Arte povera was taking shape, a step away from Minimalism and with more politically charged subject matter. The move toward conceptualism brought art such as Body Art and Performance Art with notable artists like Acconci, Mendieta, etc. In a way this was the turning point of art--deconstruction had reached its peak and future artists would start the reconstruction.

"Western Disturbances"
by Calvin Tomkins

Tomkins describes a visit to the home and studio of artist Bruce Nauman (and wife Susan Rothenberg) in which he gets to see Nauman's work in progress (Days/Giorni Project). As a young artist, Nauman struggled with finding his medium, trying everything from painting, to using his body, to sculpture, to films. His adoption by Castelli into a gallery solo show finally brought him to the forefront of contemporary art, and from there he was to bloom into some of his most famous work. At the age of 31, Nauman exhibited a Retrospective which would cause his reputation to go into decline, and his ability to work shriveled for a number of months. He divorced his wife and moved to New Mexico with his daughter's kindergarten teacher. In the early 80s he made a work called "American Violence" involving neon tubes and phrases such as LOVE AND LIVE and FUCK AND DIE. Later he would marry Rothenberg, and his art, coincidentally, became softer--he returned to using videos and starting using audio technology. The article ends with a view of Nauman's next project: perhaps some self-portrait drawings.

John Cage

What a funny dude. John Cage's music borders on performance art--he was always trying to do something different, unexpected. For this he was greatly criticized--I actually know a John Cage scholar (least likely person, too) who will perform his pieces sometimes. It's interesting--but I can't knock it.

Presentation Woes

This presentation is really getting to me! My artistic vision isn't so strong yet, I'm still trying to work out some kinks in my process. So I'm not sure I'm really going to be saying very much tomorrow, just babbling. After seeing Vivian Beer speak last week, I was so impressed with how articulately she described her artistic process and how aware she was of her inspiration and motivation. Her work was also breathtakingly beautiful. It just makes me feel as though I have a very, very long way to go. Which realistically I do.

We'll see how it goes, I suppose.

Self Portrait in Blue and Red (gouache on paper)

readings (so terribly late)

Anytime, Anywhere  

Sasha Frere-Jones

Frere-Jones is reviewing West’s new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I’m no grammarian, but I think it may be missing a few commas. That aside, Kanye’s career has seen many twists and turns over the last few years, with some good moments (his music) and bad moments (anytime he speaks candidly). I still think he’s a cool guy with some serious sanity issues, so I’m going to check out this album. The guest artists are all awesome too! I’m so out of the loop with this type of music.

Fancy Footwork

David Denby

Black Swan:

Now I totally wish I had gone to see Black Swan! It’s not that I didn’t want to, I just never had the chance. Although I haven’t seen it, I do find this critic to be extremely harsh on the subject of artists and morbidity. Perfectionism is a dangerous thing and while Black Swan may bring this to extremes, I can relate to some of Nina’s anxiety and the physical effects it has on the body and the mind. We’re all a bit insane, and this movie dives into the darkest realms of artistic insanity.

Love and Other Drugs:

I haven’t seen this either, I am such a hermit! Denby loved this movie, and now this leaves me with the conviction that he is the type of critic who LOVES to be contrary to the popular opinion (which isn’t necessarily bad) because most critics loved Black Swan and felt apathetic towards Love and Other Drugs. I still would love to see both movies!

Ladies Wild

Sasha Frere-Jones

I have always admired Gaga for her gutsy genius—she’s screwing everyone over by accessing the heart of human nature and completely exploiting it—I love her! This article also discusses her business smarts and her understanding of collaboration with the right people.

Abstract Art's New World, Forged for All

Michael Kimmelman

I was actually recently listening to an interview with Richard Serra on PRI’s Studio 360. I can’t wait to go and experience his sculptures—descriptions don’t really seem to do the trick. This article is about his installation in the Bilbao Guggenheim (they designed specific sections of the museum for his work—imagine!) and a review of the pieces there, which are going to change the way the world views sculpture.

Serra Smiles

Peter Schjeldahl

This next article about Serra discusses his piece Switch, which induces pleasure as a piece of beauty, not fear as did Tilted Arc. Schjeldahl also discusses Serra’s evolution from his 1960’s gravitational works of lead, to Tilted Arc, which was hated so much that it was uninstalled and put in government storage, to his works today which are incredibly beautiful and widely acclaimed.

Off the Rim

I wish I had heard of Jim Carroll before this article. I think it would give me some more context of The Petting Zoo. As far as I can tell, the author did not enjoy the Carroll’s book as much as his earlier work, it was as if he had grown tired and lost his youthful spark. I’d like to read his earlier work, I’d never even heard of the movie adaptation. Again, I am a hermit!

blue

I thought a lot on the drive home tonight, and anger started welling up in me.

I think a lot of it is anger toward myself, and toward society, and myself in society. We're given so many opportunities that no one else has, and we take them completely for granted. Tonight I was thinking specifically of education, and how disgusting the system has become. I was frustrated earlier because I was reading the "Avant-garde" article and I had absolutely no context to work with because I know nothing about modern and contemporary art. Then I went to the library, picked up some books about Modernism and started to read, and I realized I had very little context to work with there because I know hardly anything about World War I and Russia and Socialism. I think much of this is my fault because we must have learned it in grade/high school, but I must have crammed for the test and then forgotten all of it after. I was a straight-A student, too, scored in the top 3% on my SATs, and was fairly close to the top of my class. How the hell did I get through high school and emerge with a completely inadequate education and still be near the top of the class?! I feel as though I've been cultivated to be lazy about learning. I have never felt dumb in my life until this year, when I realized I really know a tiny bit about a lot of things and a lot of bits about nothing.

I want to say so much more but I feel as though I've said enough. It's just frustrating because now there's so much catching up to do and it will take a lot of time and concentration, both of which I'm sorely lacking these days...

will you take me as I am?

I've seriously waited till the last minute, but I am excited to read the articles.

This week has been the craziest of all. We had a new baby in the family, and a death. A life for a life. Too much to think about. And then one must keep going: I still have to work shifts at Starbucks, and the Slide Library, and finish my pot for Ceramics, and write a paper for Dave Smith, and blog, and  make art, and wake up everyday.

I'm not Catholic (quite the opposite) but I went to Thursday Vespers this week at St. Anselm in Manchester. If anyone has not experienced this, go. Basically we sit in the choir of the church, with pews on either side of the altar facing each other. Half the crowd (mostly monks) sits on one side and the other half on the other, and we sing the Psalms to each other, back and forth, occasionally joining in all together. It was truly an artful experience.

 I am for an art/ Happenings
I wish very much to experience these Happenings. In the second article, Kaprow is attempting to explain/rationalize the Happenings as art. They seem to be an extremely sensory experience, engaging sight, smell, sound, touch, maybe not taste (who knows). He describes them as "melodramatic" and talks about the artists and their perceptions of fame and death. The first article is a description of what these avante-garde artists are trying to convey in their art, of which is delicious, disgusting, tangible, intangible, everything.

The Enveloping Air John Berger
Very pretty little piece about Monet--although nothing very new. He's writing about Monet's color, light, and "instantaneity." He refers to the painting of Camille on her deathbed as one of the greatest paintings of mourning, which maybe I don't agree with.

I love this Monet, another of Camille, but with his signature feeling of detachment:

The Theory and Organization of the Bauhaus 
Walter Gropius
The Bauhaus is a movement where artistic expression and creativity are preceded by a rigorous academic program where students are taught the practicalities of creating art. Then after the individual student's gifts are established, they can build upon these talents. The point is to make prolific, creative artists who are also intelligent and practical.