A response to the performance art experiments, 9/3/14
Today, exercises in performance art were explored. First an article was read, that was just as ambiguous as one might expect, mentioning properties that could be focused on to build a work. Then assigned tasks were performed. The assignments included drawing the imprint of one's own body on the floor on a sheet of paper, Drawing the sounds you heard, drawing the smells, drawing all of your experiences in the small room on paper, really. Then a game of follow the leader was played, which seemed irrelevant, but then I don't understand performance art in the first place. Then access to a camera was provided to 3 groups, and each group had to create a performance piece. Our groups filmed pupils dilating when exposed to natural light filtering through a window in the same small room, which was interesting only in navigating the small obstacles surrounding its filming. I personally dislike almost everything surrounding performance art in a fine art context such as this, and today did nothing to change that impression.
Today, exercises in performance art were explored. First an article was read, that was just as ambiguous as one might expect, mentioning properties that could be focused on to build a work. Then assigned tasks were performed. The assignments included drawing the imprint of one's own body on the floor on a sheet of paper, Drawing the sounds you heard, drawing the smells, drawing all of your experiences in the small room on paper, really. Then a game of follow the leader was played, which seemed irrelevant, but then I don't understand performance art in the first place. Then access to a camera was provided to 3 groups, and each group had to create a performance piece. Our groups filmed pupils dilating when exposed to natural light filtering through a window in the same small room, which was interesting only in navigating the small obstacles surrounding its filming. I personally dislike almost everything surrounding performance art in a fine art context such as this, and today did nothing to change that impression.
Sound file:
https://soundcloud.com/craig-langworthy/makinandmeaningcrap
Environmental Semiotics
My process for this work was as follows: I started a far point of the Boneyard Greenway in Champaign, a fairly urban area and walked for 20 minutes down the Greenway trail. Along this walk, I saw very little in the way of greenery, but a lot of graffiti and trash. In the absence of any trees or living plants, the Greenway was positively gray and barren, and very unattractive. Without the intended purpose of having a green nature walk cutting through this urban area, the graffiti that littered numerous objects became the only colorful and visually interesting thing about this trail. Seeing this I decided to contribute my own street art (via photoshop), to add to the collection of graffiti on the greenway. I chose the contradicting terms of vandalism and art and spliced them together in this piece, to make the viewer consider what should count as vandalism and what should count as art when the art is the only visually appealing thing in the entire vicinity, especially when the initial function of this public space cannot be fulfilled due to lack of vegetation and being cut through by various construction projects.
My process for this work was as follows: I started a far point of the Boneyard Greenway in Champaign, a fairly urban area and walked for 20 minutes down the Greenway trail. Along this walk, I saw very little in the way of greenery, but a lot of graffiti and trash. In the absence of any trees or living plants, the Greenway was positively gray and barren, and very unattractive. Without the intended purpose of having a green nature walk cutting through this urban area, the graffiti that littered numerous objects became the only colorful and visually interesting thing about this trail. Seeing this I decided to contribute my own street art (via photoshop), to add to the collection of graffiti on the greenway. I chose the contradicting terms of vandalism and art and spliced them together in this piece, to make the viewer consider what should count as vandalism and what should count as art when the art is the only visually appealing thing in the entire vicinity, especially when the initial function of this public space cannot be fulfilled due to lack of vegetation and being cut through by various construction projects.
mm_final_prewrite.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |