Reading
Responses
The Ecstasy of Influence
Reading Questions
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Jonathan Lethem points out many instances of artistic “borrowing” by well-respected artists, musicians, and writers. According to him, what does this say about the concept of plagiarism?
The author quotes someone describing the act of borrowing akin to magic in that it combines the very best out of any source and makes it into something that while borrowed, is entirely new. Plagiarism is now seen as something that can capture the raw beauty in life rather than a negative thing.
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What does it mean to “make the familiar strange,” and why would artists want to do it?
In his writings, Lethem describes in this text that many are born into a world of labels, a world where one grows up describing such things as adhesive bandages as Band-Aids, Q-Tip, and other brand name objects as such in order to better understand our abstract world. This means we very quickly adjust to hearing these products as such and if artists can somehow “rename” these objects figuratively we can alter people’s perception of the world and successfully create an illusion of entering an “alternate world” as Lethem describes.
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The author discusses two “economies” that art participates in. What are they, and how do they operate?
Lethem explains that within our society works of art are placed in one of two categories, a market economy and a gift economy. A gift economy involves an item being traded in a thoughtful manner with emotion. The example in the text describes a stranger offering a cigarette to someone adjacent to them explaining the shared connection these two directly share by the interaction, wherein a market economy involves an exchange of goods between two people where the sale of an item leaves no connection. The example then provided explains going to a hardware store and purchasing a hacksaw blade, there is no connection between the seller and the buyer and they will likely not remember each other from the emotionless exchange.
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What is meant by “the commons” and why is it important?
“The commons” belongs to everyone and no one, such as the sky, the ground we walk on, and the air we breathe. The world of art and culture are also described as commons. It is important to keep these worlds free to grow and share instead of claim and take over as they are a critical part of every person’s life and personal growth, they include social institutions and cultural traditions that define us.
Nfts and The Shift Towards Spreadibilty of Art
1. According to Wark, we live in a period in which "information (is) the key to value in both the wider economy and also in art." What does she mean by this?
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In her article, Wark explains that in the progressing years of the art space there has ben a sort of evolutionary chain of events following along with it. She describes this evolution in three main stages, and within the paragraph where Wark made this statement she claims we are on their third and final stage in which the art that is produced depends solely on the discussion around the art in order to place value on its existence. She goes onto explain that in the cases of modern art such as nfts, the only way we attach value and place importance to them is by talking about them and spreading the word to others thereby validating their existence by increasing interest and market value to potential owners of such artworks.
2. How does this importance of information relate to Wark's idea of value and collectibility in our current era, and her concept of "spreadability?" How does this relate to Phineas Harper's ideas?
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In this third and final stage of the evolution of artwork, the art becomes something similar to the first stage in which the rarity of its production increases its value, however the physical creation of its making is removed and so it is instead replaced with how many people talk about its existence thus making it something marketable, which is what Wark was referring to when she spoke about information being key to its value. This relates to Harper’s ideas about the nfts only having significance if one owns an nft instead of admiring it for its pure skill or meaning, as owning it is something akin to a symbol of power, something that can be shown off like a car or a mansion, only much duller in comparison as the nft itself is nothing more than a reproduction of a series of nfts and holds no aesthetic value. Both authors touch on the fact that these newer forms of art need to be something that is circulating around the art space in order to actually be of importance and value, and the shift in the art world that has taken place in which the aesthetics of the artworks degenerate into copy and paste images therefore losing the craftsmanship of traditional art, and as Wark describes it “the final stage of the art evolution chain”.
The Incredulity of Jacolby Satterwhite
After taking an in depth look into Satterwhite's works, lifestyle, and a bit of background on his life and struggles with cancer and feelings of death and morality, it is obvious that Satterwhite is no stranger to the art of living in the present and relishing in feeling as well as experiences. Back when he was struggling with cancer as a child, one of the only forms of comfort he found was in virtual worlds to lose himself in, and now as an adult he also finds himself struggling to find ways to grasp and ground himself to reality once more, and performing arts just so happens to be one of his methods. Along with using his mother's music for inspiration and utilizing it to sing and implement to his exhibitions, he also includes some of her art works to almost immortalize her and himself through these shows that he puts on display. There is a trend in his work where he wants to remain immortal likely due to his past, and one way to do it is though presence and performance as well.
Reality Is Overrated
Within our modern culture, oftentimes we become so strongly connected to media and the various forms of it that we subconsciously make connections with certain parts of the culture without even realizing it. The article “Reality Is Overrated - When Media Go Beyond Simulation” by Domenico Quaranta explains this in detail, the relationship a lot of us fail to understand fully when delving into the complex world of different realities that we can create within ourselves and integrate in our everyday lives. The author gives two examples of the ties one can make with media, a representative connection, and one that is simulated. The first, as Quaranta explains, is often explained as “media portray reality”, while the second is “media construct reality”. As we continue to explore what this can mean for our way of thinking and living, we begin to realize that these two ideas can often melt into a different and much newer progressing theory, that someones we can begin to create a new level of reality, by integrating ourselves so deeply into something that it begins to turn into a new level of reality, one that coexists within the one we had previously known. The example that the article brings up is one of digital reality, one that “escaping both the logic of representation and the logic of simulation, giving birth to a new reality,” with the help of the introduction of the invention we named the computer. Within this section of the article we are introduced to the character of the “hikikomori” or, a reclusive person. With this archetype we can more easily begin to understand this idea of a blend of realities, picturing someone who is so obsessed with their new reality within a video game or a life simulation that they begin to neglect their own by becoming a shut in and removing those connections to the real world by transferring to a virtual reality, something previously unheard of before the invention of the computer. This idea then sets itself apart from a representative or simulative reality that we have previously known by creating its own blend of realities within itself instead of going off of the one we most commonly know which is our own.
Chapter 9: Balance and Contrast
This chapter handles balance in the context of artwork settings. This is something all creatives must consider when handling compositions that have to be viewed at certain angles such as photographs, paintings, or anything that once again, needs to be viewed at a certain angle. As a recent photographer and long time self taught artist myself, this is something I often consider when capturing pieces and trying to understand how to frame them properly. A good example of good framing and balance is simply following the rule of thirds, which is also covered by the chapter. While some artists may not follow that rule or break it to achieve their desired composition, it is a good rule to begin with for novice artists. Overall the chapter was very informative and I learned a lot about physical balance within 3d spaces such as sculpture exhibits and the like, as well as the proposed contrast that can be created between these spaces as well.
Chapter 8: Directional Force, Size, Scale, & Proportion
At the start of the text, the author brings up a lot of ideas centering around design and how artists can manipulate certain elements such as directional force to make more of an impact on their viewers and have the art piece make a bolder statement. This was something one might not have given much thought to otherwise, given that most art is perceived from audiences at a glimpse, rather than having a full on analysis on a piece. I know more than I knew prior to reading the chapter, and it was really eye opening in certain aspects of the language that was used within the chapter. I can look at art works differently now, understanding the effort that artists put behind individual pieces and the different impacts that certain pieces may have depedning on perspective and space.
Chapter 4: Color
The fourth chapter of Making Art is all about color, the history, its usage in the arts and modern media, and even some stories of pieces one might not have known about previously. Dan Flavin's piece stands out immediately from the text, making an impact early on in the chapter as a powerful example of color and how it can impact viewers despite not containing a visible subject. The silhouetted figure does not need to have a big presence in this piece visually, the background of flourishing colors speaks for itself. Further on down the chapter however we move onto more literal terms and definitions to color and its usage in daily life such as referencing the color wheel and how color schemes work, as well as hue and color and how it can play a part in artworks. The human eye responds differently to various colors in the right environment, and it is important for a good artist to understand the impact that these different hues can have on their audience. Overall it was a fascinating read, and I will no doubt be revisiting later on in life as a reference to my artworks down the line as well as simply as a fun read.
Chapter 3: Point, Line, Shape, Mass & Volume, Texture, and Value
Skipping ahead to the third chapter of Making Art, we get to talking about the intricacies of what goes into every piece as a collective. Elements such as line, texture, and volume, contribute much more to projects than we may think. One of the more memorable pieces that I can recall from the chapter included a physical creation of a teacup and spoon combination that seemed to be comprised out of fur. While most pieces might have hidden or more vague intent, the intent and purpose of this cup was clear to the viewers upon first viewing. This cup had such power to illicit such a strong response to viewers as any other art piece did, putting a powerful image of the viewer drinking from the cup immediately into every mind that witnessed it. It was then upon viewing that image of the art piece that I understood the power of effective usage of any of these artistic elements.
Chapter 1: Making Art, an Overview
The first chapter covers many aspects of creating and interpreting art pieces such as purpose and function, as well as other more abstract concepts such as representational art and its usage within our society. While reading, it was very interesting to see how much of the greatest, most complex pieces can be interpreted in better words than simply amazing and thought provoking. The chapter provides readers with the proper equipment to take on such intricate works as Jessica Stockholder’s pieces, and converts them into something more digestible for a more novice audience. Overall it was a very interesting read and a good reference for future use in my art field.