Dinner Party Poster

Mixed Media Poster

Art Filled

The past few weeks have been a bit more than hectic. I started classes on the 28th and ever since, I have been running around trying to adapt to my new schedule. That has unfortunately left me little time for writing in this blog. I have however, already had a lot of interesting ideas come up that have informed the work I was doing over the summer. Some of them have been lectures, others readings, and most recently- a three hour duration performance piece.

While this piece was highly politicizing for me, it was not inherently activist in its nature. Through this, I have come to respect this idea that I find hard to put into words-- it has something to do with looking and has everything to do with being present in the moment. This idea of living in the moment can be defined in many ways. I've found that it requires that I be aware, and present in every situation. Whether this be a performance piece, a lecture I attend, or walking from class.  I've also found that living in the moment requires that I use current methods/mediums in my artistic endeavors. This is the idea that I need to adapt my methods to fit inside the context of "today." Example: I does not make sense for me to use the same performance methods that Suzanne Lacy did in the 70s/80s/90s. Things have changed and methods must adapt to that change. It is interesting, as an artist, to embrace this idea of contextualizing your work within the every day. Mostly, because artists have always looked to the future, created the most progressive pieces, always being ahead of the curve. Perhaps in our methodology we can look ahead as we situate ourselves within the "real."

I am now figuring out ways to adopt this view point into my own art making- finding a balance between myself and work that reaches beyond my person to affect others.

I've had an art filled weekend, from seeing the Sharon Hayes exhibit again at the Whitney, to going to the Armory, to dancing at a Swoon fundraiser for a space in Braddock, to listening to Marina Abramovic talk about her methodology and present a master class performance, to attending a lecture and performance by Ashley Hunt. 

Each of these events presented a politicized view of art. However, they artists constructed that view in many different ways. Whether that be through a large installation with video monitors, or raising awareness and funds through a fun art event. To pick one path or another is not enough, I need to be able to try different methods of working and figure out what draws me in and engages others. Marina said something very interesting on Sunday, she talked about the idea of having an active audience just through being present. She had us do an exercise before we watched the performance. First we needed to relax, massage out our tension, feel comfortable in our bodies. She had us shake everything out, at one point we were asked to roll down our spine, and as we did that we were supposed to hum. The collective hum was beautiful and empowering. Then, we had to engage with one other person in the room by staring into each others eyes for ten minutes. She had the whole room do this. It wasn't awkward, but it was tough, ten minutes is a long time to stare at someone you just met. My partner was tall, so I was starting upward, he would start to smile a bit and it took every effort to not respond. It was fulfilling. At the end, we sat back down outside of the performance space and felt renewed (at least I did.) We were ready to watch the performance. No one looked at their cell phones, no one began a side conversation. We were present, we were connected. This is important. 

 

 

 Here are a few links to tack on for today!

• Ulrike Müler retracing the feminist art program.

Re-Tracing the feminist art program

• Our lovely lady, Ms. Lippard has a show at the Brooklyn Museum!

Exhibitions: Materializing "Six Years": Lucy R. Lippard and the Emergence of Conceptual Art

• One of my brilliant professors sent me to this site, it is the Barnard Center for Research on Women.

Here are the podcasts, which I find helpful and brilliant.



And question of the day:

Are we exploiting people by taking the work (social practice) into different contexts (art institutions?) Do we need validation from these institutions for us to feel like artists? 

To be explored in the near future.

Talking about art- Links

• Truth is Concrete- A 24/7 marathon camp on artistic strategies in politics and political strategies in art.  21/09 – 28/09/2012, Graz

Truth is Concrete

"We take the possibility of concrete truth as a working hypothesis and look for direct action, for concrete change and knowledge. For an art that not only represents and documents, but that engages in specific political and social situations – and for an activism that not only acts for the sake of acting but searches for intelligent, creative means of self-empowerment: artistic strategies and tactics in politics, political strategies and tactics in art."


This looks like a fascinating conference that will explore some of the themes I have been working with this summer. I like that it admits that art is not activism, and activism is not art,  but there can be an understood commonplace where they come together. It is also interesting that the camp runs 24/7 and in itself is a duration performance. As they say at the bottom of the page, the world is moving so quickly that we must move with it, and maybe once we do move at this pace we can understand the absurdity of it all.

• MOMA PS1: Summer School 2012 (September 9th, 1-6 pm)

Summer School 2012


"Summer School 2012 concludes with an open house of presentations and performances at MoMA PS1 on September 9, 2012. This year’s instructors, Marina Abramović, Steve Paxton, and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, will explain their respective approaches and—in collaboration with the students—present the outcome of their workshops (held earlier this summer)."

All I can say is, it would be amazing to hear Marina Abramovic talk about her teaching methods.

• Who Cares- Creative Time

Who Cares Archive

Around 2006, artists were invited to discuss, over the course of three intimate dinner parties, what is the artists role in terms of social action and activism. These conversations were recorded and then compiled into this book, "Who Cares." Having read Living As Form before this, I felt like I had been sent back in time. These artists were thinking about 9/11, the war in Iraq, the Bush administration. All very important things, but we have moved past that... haven't we? By now, the term social practice has become much more wide spread, it is fascinating going back to the source and hearing rumblings of what is now a fast and growing art form. I have to admit though, I am only 30 pages in thus far.

Click Here to Read the Introduction by Anne Pasternak