Week 8: Mar 9-15 (Spring Break)
Happy Spring Break. You may use this week to catch-up on any past posts. I'm glad our first book inspired and offered newer insights into possibilities and connections and collaborations of artists, art/s, and environments. I looked up suggested websites and youtube sights. Thanks for your contributions.
Our next book will be narratives from the bone--women who experience marginalizations and self-defeats--turning normative codes and histories around so they can flourish. But that starts next week.
ReplyDeleteLate post for week 7
Maya Lin
Her work, what’s missing, was amazing. The work was one of my most favorite so far. I checked the website of the project, and I spent more than an hour there. It was very informative and impactful. I was impressed by the substantial scientific research and statistics behind the content of the website. The design of the website, sound, and the visual quality of the videos and picture were aesthetically rich. In particular, I like the videos that were incorporated within the site.
Some parts of the website, however, seemed to me merely an educational site for gaining some information regarding the environmental issues. In other words, while looking at different sections of the website, I started to question if the website is a “fine art” project or it is “a web design” project in which one can learn about the environmental problems.
The question, “what is missing,” is a significant theme in the whole project. There can also be similar questions in different research or teaching projects. In the environmental destruction, we are missing things, such as clean water, trees, some animal species, etc. Moreover, global warming and other environmental issues are a matter of “changing.” Such matters are changing the earth and the lives of humans on the earth. Mass immigrations, water, and food scarcity, etc. bring about dramatic changes in the human life, not only in the environment but also regarding politic, culture, economy, etc.
I think studying the new changes that human being is encountering due to the environmental destruction is a significant matter. What are the changes and how we can adjust ourselves to the new changes? Thus, “what is changing” is another critical question that we need to address in our research and teaching practice.
post for week 7
ReplyDeleteRhim Lee, in her art work is looking at the relation between the human and earth from a distinctive perspective. I agree with Raha that after reading about Lee’s works, I thought of my responsibilities and impact on the environment even after I die. I had never thought about how the food I eat is not just harmful for me, but it can impact my environment negatively.
As she says in her speech, “we are both responsible for, and the victims of our pollutions.” This is a true, and tragic statement, I think. In our industrialized and consumerist world, we are facing such paradox. On one hand consumerism, and industrialization has become an inseparable part of our lives, on the other hand it is harmful for us and for the earth.
Such phenomena seem to me like a machine. A machine that is made by humans, and humans have become a part of the machine, though the machine is going toward disaster and destruction. At the same time, making any change in the function of the machine seem very challenging, because it is bigger than us. Thus, we run the system and also we are the victims of it.
Recently I have thought of this question a lot: how can we, as individuals, make a change in a bigger and stronger system in which we are placed? Sometimes I feel powerless to make a change in the systems that I live and made me a part of its life.
Week 6
ReplyDeleteFernando Garcia-Dory/ Eke / Fourier
I agree most with Sylvia when she stated “people could say, ‘Well, that's great that they're doing that, I'm glad someone is...but it's not for me!’ So since the work does not insinuate the application of a direct solution, as a viewer (someone experiencing the work second hand) I feel more inclined to examine areas of my life where I could take measures to increase my own accountability with my relationship to the environment.’ The reality of the world we live in today seems to be one that forces a life that either someone doesn’t life environmentally conscious or you don’t but the societal expectation is clearly one that doesn’t support a Shepard life. This goes beyond maintaining the lands but goes clearly into the problems of financial abilities for keeping land. The harsh reality is you really cant go off the grid and full conservational these days while owning land. Current administration has been making amendments to laws allowing government protected lands to be sold off to private entities as well as making it easier for government and corporations to forcibly buy out land for commercial use. The reality of our current world seems to be one of do the best you can because there is always a catch. The taxation on your land is used for what? The students who would come to the land I assume would at least come by motor vehicle and possibly plain or other means. Wouldn’t that extra consumption of gas and other expenses contradict any really environmentally positive impact? Just like the argument with the bagged water we discussed this is kinda a point of doing the best you can.
Week 6
ReplyDeleteFranceschini/Gelitin/Goldsworthy
David’s Prius response was what really struck a cord with me throughout these writings. The idea of an algae hydrogen kit while great intention seems to fall directly into the consumer based mentality of novelty over effective nature. Hobby Lobby (not exactly a green company) sell tons of little projects like potato powered light bulbs, solar panel kits and other “green” science projects but we all know that one week after using and it becomes more tash for the landfill. The ideas may be from the best intent but the reality cant really be a consumer good I believe or else it is treated as such even if it is diy with your own gatherings. That being said Gelitin’s Hare made me think of a Chia pet project to do on a more minor diy at home so you can see the progress as I feel if you do not physically see the progression the desinsitiitty of experiencing any other way just wont have the impact. The reality once again is that we don’t let decaying anything return to the earth, we box it up or burn it in most cases. A gold fish is iconically fushed and generally no one questions how it could have been better suited in the garden. Goldsworthy I believe brings the product to the forefront and makes earth product like it or not so in the end it will always stand in the way of itself in doing anything to positively assist the environment.
Week 6
ReplyDeleteGracie/Greenfort/ Haapojo
Following on the previous readings I believe these works tend to fall on the ears of the activist or the deaf. The messages such as climate control or circle of life processes are something that people generally are aware of or already quite well know and tend to have a view that the art work wont do much to change. I am reminded of my first wife being a spokes woman for MADD. She lost her step father and had a brother in a comma for months while she had to go to highschool, pay the bills, run the home and take care of her little brother. Her story was heart breaking and brought tears at so many talks but one day things became clear. The ones who were effected generally were already do conscious of the problematic nature of drinking and driving they just wouldn’t. Those that could possibly be changed to care either thought they were above it and were clearly more skilled or they just blew off the talks a boring obligation. The argument became”well if I can reach just one person” but the real reality is didn’t effect the students at all but what did was when they lost a fellow student. The truth is that we can produce artwork about the cycles but unless you already buy into it or have life altered in a way, the works aren’t going to do much.
Week 6
ReplyDeleteGeneral
How affective is the art or are ecoartist preaching to their own choirs? I feel there is a lack of a grand audience that is going to passively be affected by these works. There are observed by the interested by ignored by the larger masses and blocked by those that may oppose. It seems that there is a dire need of methods much like social media and trend integration to make impacts that touch beyond a microcosmic culture.
Week 7
ReplyDeleteHehe/Jeremijenko/Yun Fei Ji
I think David hit the nail on the head when stating this group addressed things in ways of virtually teaching instead of activism. These works spoke to me in ways of research and development that pose questions to the viewers and offer considerations that should lead to new perspectives on life. I feel these artists have worked in a method that encourages discovery of the overlooked without making overt demonizing remarks or claims. This is not to say that most won’t come to that conclusion but to do so is a drawn conclusion of the self-realization of footprint and not a direct statement. I can truly appreciate the method of leading the flock towards the river but not demanding that it is there. We all come from various backgrounds and cultural. The practices we are most comfortable with seem the best at conveying our teaching and teaching style. Yun-Fei Ji utilizing a tradition of informative narrative is precisely the idea I think is so strong about an art based educator who can pull from so much history and culture to portray a message we are built to understand.
Week 7
ReplyDeleteKac/Lee/Lin
While I appreciate the idea of addressing ecoart through a lens of cultural alteration I find these artists to be quite the opposite of the last grouping and consequently bring more of a discredit to the purpose. I think there are assumptions being made that there is a mass ignorance of the effects humans have on the planet and the screaming voices are a method of waking up the populous but I simply do not think that is the case. It would seem to me that by in large people either care and just are ill equipped, or lack the knowledge to make more productive decisions or they simply don’t care. The idea of “I don’t know” as David addressed is such a nonrealistic argument in the world. We do know at least minimally so we are either apathetic or we are more unaware of certain impacts than we realize. These artists I believe delegitimize the arguments more than they do help by being a little to bold on the statement. You can’t change culture by telling everyone they need to, you have to introduce ideas that people can manipulate themselves that evolves into a collective shift in ways of life and hence a cultural shift. I for one realize as an educator I can not demand my students follow a method but instead lead them to seeing a benefit in using it with open directions of how it may be advantageous in other ways. The students will then most likely view other applications without denouncing a ‘this is for this’ mentality.
Week 7 Mandiberg/Ngo/Potrč
ReplyDeleteThe idea of technological integration into the works that allow for a more contemporary entry point is a quintessential notion I believe these artists recognize. The fact is people want to feel empowered by the point of view they have on a matter. Viet Ngo’s view of a more proactive approach to helping our environment places a prideful position for the willing participant to see the good in which they are willing to do. Mandiberg reminded me so much of the current political divides that are driven consumers to choose which brands to support and which to boycott over personal beliefs. The more we address ecoart into a realm of social media the more it empowers the individuals to be at least in some degree an activist. They may not be full on save the earth zero footprint but that are at least more conscious and aware and will be more likely to do something. The apathetic wont as always but more will be done to save what we can than the efforts had before.
Week 7
ReplyDeleteExtra
In response to David’s post on the Boycott App I wanted to thank you for sharing. I use the website 2nd Vote. Politically It is a very conservative website and I was very skeptical to use it however the research to unveil the petitions, lawsuits, and deals it addresses through each company allowing it to be used either direction. Ironically it has become a strong progressive tool and is often used for the very reason of ensuring dollars don’t go to conservative anti-progressive companies.
Project Idea - I am currently working with Future in our Contemporary Visual Studies course on a community "garden" space. I have been cultivating mint by propagating cuttings that can be used as a cyclical thriving green life that wont need attention once established. The environment itself is being re-imagined in a way that I believe will almost subliminally make people re-envision their own space. I am documenting the process and would like to see how the continuous site altering manipulation generates increased observation of space potential and plant inclusion.
ReplyDeleteWeek 7 - Late Post
ReplyDeleteI must say, these were my favorite readings thus far too! David hit on an important aspect of Eco art when he mentioned that HeHe does not shame the citizens. I believe that when art confronts consumers with the consequences of their consumption, it can be tricky to do so in a way that avoids putting people on the defensive, which ultimately works against the cause. In HeHe’s work there seems to be a good balance of direct and indirect confrontation. Indeed, there is no overarching or blatant scolding going on, rather the unembellished, non-judgmental use of light/color to call attention to the emissions. However by speeding up the action-consequence time, passive disengagement is discouraged.
The encouragement of active discernment is important to me as an artist. I had heard about the Onetree(s) project by Natalie Jeremijenko previously, but I gained a new appreciation of the work after reading Weintraub’s analysis. By providing a set of controlled circumstances from which observations could be made, she is enabling “citizen-scientists” to draw their own conclusions, thereby encouraging viewers to practice critical engagement with “nature.” I also really enjoyed reading about her Feral Robotic Dogs project, and the process that led to the project’s function manifested a unique ontology of the artwork. I feel strongly about the importance of working to debunk the conviction that there is an unquestionable chain of causality, and I think the lightheartedness of her work helps to dissipate fears that could be associated with letting those beliefs go.
Week 7 - Late Post
ReplyDeleteI think I mentioned this at some point, but I struggle with Kac’s work because it seems a bit convoluted to me at times. In this analysis of his practice, Weintraub wrote (exclusively if I remember correctly) on his use of biotypes. While I appreciate that they resist perpetuating the illusion of static artworks (i.e. paintings), I don’t feel completely satisfied with his explanation of his participation in their development. For example, while I accept his efforts to catalyze the processes (interactions wherein he is acknowledging his involvement), I can’t see how this relates to the aesthetic forms/devices he arrives at in the image. I guess it feels imbalanced in that way for me, because I really do appreciate how he is relinquishing his exerted will to chance (other organisms’ wills/environmental factors), but it just seems like the aesthetic object itself is more powerful than that aspect of the work.
I was really glad to be exposed to Jae Rhim Lee’s work, but I found myself being a bit more interested in the focus and direction of her research rather than the project itself. For example, the artist’s consideration of narcissism in children versus adults coupled with her empirical observations about her own psychology, and finally the associations made between the circumstances of contemporary existence and resulting behavioral reactions. I also appreciated her idea of the body (in a material sense) as being an active participant in the pursuit of sustainability on Earth.
In contrast, I thought Maya Linn’s work employed an effective methodology in captivating the public’s attention regarding eco issues. In describing how the work operates Weintraub writes, “Casual skimming is not an option.” I love this! I am very interested in confronting the audience/viewers with what has decayed in memory or what history has not recorded. I think passivity can be dangerous in this way. Yet artists are uniquely positioned to derive meaning from the passage of time by taking note of the disappearance of things and the emergence of others. I think Linn’s work uses strategies to show how an expectation, or what is considered normal at present, is merely a consequence of a certain prolonged experience. At the end of this section, Weintraub mentions a question that appears at the beginning of Linn’s video that asks, “Can we humans balance our needs with the needs of the planet?” When I imagine viewing this video in Times Square, I can feel just how powerful it would be to be confronted with that question inside an environment that represents the epitome of American consumer culture.
Week 7 - Late Post
ReplyDeleteMichael Mandiberg’s work was the most relevant to my practice thus far. I was ecstatic to read about his subversive use of internet platforms. I love the idea of transmitting material/tangible comprehensions into data! To me, his work is a great example of useful eco art in that it takes a process (digital media) that homogenizes meaning (renders information meaningless through abstraction/standardization) and hijacks it. The work both confronts consumers with material reality and presents alternative options, all while parodying advertising strategies.
I also appreciate how Mandiberg thinks about information dispersal and clarity, commenting that, “The information is more prominent than the work’s identity as ‘art’.” In my own work (social practice), I have been rightfully questioned many times about the significance/setback when deeming my projects as works of art, so I found Mandiberg’s determination about reaching non-art audiences or those who are not actively seeking an art experience to be quite intriguing. The aspect of his work that most significantly resonated with me was that it functions as a “consciousness-raising” device. I believe that creative thinking and the implementation of collaboratively/interdisciplinarily produced design strategies could be used to combat the diminishment of criticality when engaging with digital media. Thus, Mandiberg’s approach involving hacktivism and information design was incredibly beneficial to read about!
Week 7 - Late Post
ReplyDeleteI have had mixed feelings about Marjetica Potrc’s work for a while now. The main issue I struggle with regarding the existence of her work is its translation into the gallery space. Admittedly, Weintraub dealt with this issue extremely well by emphasizing Portc’s process of necessitating the idiosyncrasies of the gallery workers’ individual choices into the construction of the “case studies”. However, I’m inclined to believe that the kind of raising of awareness of issues that occurs due to the work’s being shown in a pristine gallery setting – where it is so abstracted from its contextualized purpose, is limiting.
That being said, I absolutely find value in Portc’s considerations of culture in designing solutions (i.e. DIY strategies) for communities living in slum conditions. The idea of independence from relying on civic infrastructure (core units) is empowering, I just struggle with the justifications of the work being shown as art as “case studies”. I don’t quite know if a traditional art setting is the most plausible place to produce the best response. Unfortunately, oftentimes projects displayed in this way can produce a false sense of “dealing with the problem” in audiences.
Completely off subject, just thought I would post here because I am enjoying the calmness and new found sanity. Just received the news from my pet scan and I am still in remission. The days leading up to the results have been filled with fear and anxiety. So forgive me while I post randomly.
ReplyDeleteFyi, mine are all late posts, they are posted under the assigned week. Thank you.
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