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| Thomas Hirschorn, Spectre of Evaluation, 2010, ink on paper |
October 31, 2012
Spectre of Evaluation
October 30, 2012
Sandy Troubles
As all of us know, Sandy has brought devestation to many areas throughout the north east. In preparation for the hurricane, many of my fellow dinner party go-ers had to cancel. I am now in the midst of rescheduling and figuring out logistics.
As of now the dinner parties are scheduled for:
4th of November (potentially-- see how many people can come to this one)
12th of November
30th of November
If you're interested email me at activistart@phoebebachman.com
Or just leave a comment below!
Hope you all were safe in the storm and don't have too much damage.
Here are some great quotes to leave you with:
"This is something essential to art: reception is never its goal. What counts for me is that my work provides material to reflect upon. Reflection is an activity." Thomas Hirschorn
“I have consistently been interested in addressing the art world. If wasn’t I would have obviously gone into politics or something else. I mean after all, lets talk real change." Suzanne Lacy (Bad at Sports Podcast)
As of now the dinner parties are scheduled for:
4th of November (potentially-- see how many people can come to this one)
12th of November
30th of November
If you're interested email me at activistart@phoebebachman.com
Or just leave a comment below!
Hope you all were safe in the storm and don't have too much damage.
Here are some great quotes to leave you with:
"This is something essential to art: reception is never its goal. What counts for me is that my work provides material to reflect upon. Reflection is an activity." Thomas Hirschorn
“I have consistently been interested in addressing the art world. If wasn’t I would have obviously gone into politics or something else. I mean after all, lets talk real change." Suzanne Lacy (Bad at Sports Podcast)
October 25, 2012
Andrea Fraser Podcast
Listen to this if you get the chance:
Andrea Fraser- Bad at Sports Podcast
She brings up some very salient points that resonated specifically with my own work. It's a long podcast with a lot of different ideas brought up so it becomes hard to narrow it down. I will say, that at a point she is speaking about performing her relationships to a group, instead of performing that specific group. In this way she is always present as herself while embodying other characters persona's. I find this extremely interesting because she is allowing herself to explore that in-between space of creating a dialogue within a larger conversation.
I think that these were some of the issues I have been trying to work through in my own performances. For me, it becomes less about the specificity of a character but about the nature of how I would interact with that character and what that interaction would look like. Who is that person to me? I'm speaking in reference to a piece I just did where I attempted to take on the persona of a 1970's feminist performance artists. After listening to Andrea's interview, I realize that there is an importance to scripting and truly investigating that person before allowing them to enter into our world. Then, once entered, I should ask, who are you as an artist in relation to this character?
She also brought up a point about the Woman's Building in LA, and the emphasis that those women placed on collective learning and group process. For the Pacific Standard Time show she attempted to find evidence of this process, but unfortunately she was unable to. I started to wonder what ever happened to that type of learning? I understand many of us do work collectively at times, but what about the beginning stages? I just finished with a collaborative piece for my Installation class and it did not go so well. Is there space for collaboration and collective learning in our individualistic society?
Might be a utopian ideal...
Off to crochet upside down triangles
Andrea Fraser- Bad at Sports Podcast
She brings up some very salient points that resonated specifically with my own work. It's a long podcast with a lot of different ideas brought up so it becomes hard to narrow it down. I will say, that at a point she is speaking about performing her relationships to a group, instead of performing that specific group. In this way she is always present as herself while embodying other characters persona's. I find this extremely interesting because she is allowing herself to explore that in-between space of creating a dialogue within a larger conversation.
I think that these were some of the issues I have been trying to work through in my own performances. For me, it becomes less about the specificity of a character but about the nature of how I would interact with that character and what that interaction would look like. Who is that person to me? I'm speaking in reference to a piece I just did where I attempted to take on the persona of a 1970's feminist performance artists. After listening to Andrea's interview, I realize that there is an importance to scripting and truly investigating that person before allowing them to enter into our world. Then, once entered, I should ask, who are you as an artist in relation to this character?
She also brought up a point about the Woman's Building in LA, and the emphasis that those women placed on collective learning and group process. For the Pacific Standard Time show she attempted to find evidence of this process, but unfortunately she was unable to. I started to wonder what ever happened to that type of learning? I understand many of us do work collectively at times, but what about the beginning stages? I just finished with a collaborative piece for my Installation class and it did not go so well. Is there space for collaboration and collective learning in our individualistic society?
Might be a utopian ideal...
Off to crochet upside down triangles
October 24, 2012
Organization/Reading
The first dinner party for young women activist artists is this Sunday! As the day approaches I am going a bit crazy trying to finalize all my plans and make sure confirm "reservations."
I can't wait to get this community together. It is already looking like an amazing group of women.
Right now I am reading a few books:
Frances Stark- I suggest that you go read her as soon as you can. One of my professors gave me an excerpt form the "Architect and the Housewife" then one of my good friends lent me his copy of the book "This could become a gimick [sic] or an honest articulation of the workings of the mind."She has a way of explaining herself so that you can understand exactly where she is coming from. Each piece of writing is candid, stark and authentic.
I am also reading Claire Bishop's Installation Art book- (at the section about Activated Spectatorship)
Great book for learning about historical and contemporary installation art practices.
Last but not least, I am reading "Jane {a murder}." I'm not quite sure what I would call this book, but for now it is a collection of poems and excerpts, gathered and (some) written by Maggie Nelson. The book is about Jane, Maggie's aunt who has been murdered just a few years before Maggie was even born. Through beautiful and powerful prose, Maggie takes us on a journey through Jane's life and her untimely death.
I can't wait to get this community together. It is already looking like an amazing group of women.
Right now I am reading a few books:
Frances Stark- I suggest that you go read her as soon as you can. One of my professors gave me an excerpt form the "Architect and the Housewife" then one of my good friends lent me his copy of the book "This could become a gimick [sic] or an honest articulation of the workings of the mind."She has a way of explaining herself so that you can understand exactly where she is coming from. Each piece of writing is candid, stark and authentic.
I am also reading Claire Bishop's Installation Art book- (at the section about Activated Spectatorship)
Great book for learning about historical and contemporary installation art practices.
Last but not least, I am reading "Jane {a murder}." I'm not quite sure what I would call this book, but for now it is a collection of poems and excerpts, gathered and (some) written by Maggie Nelson. The book is about Jane, Maggie's aunt who has been murdered just a few years before Maggie was even born. Through beautiful and powerful prose, Maggie takes us on a journey through Jane's life and her untimely death.
October 17, 2012
Doin' it in Public
Check out this site
Feminism and Art at the Womans Building!
Explore to your hearts desire-- I recommend the Video Herstories and the suggested readings. While I have not read all of the readings, I am familiar with many of the names. I was actually just reading some of the original Chrysalis (Chrysalis Magazine. (10 issues published from 1977-1981)) this afternoon at the special collections at my library!
Few of the links pulled from their site:
Lacy, Suzanne. “Artist Resource Site, Three Weeks in May: She Who Would Fly,” September 27, 2003. http://www.suzannelacy.com/1970sviolence_3weeks_fly.htm
Judy Chicago & the California Girls. Dir. Judith Dancoff. Perf. Judy Chicago, Faith Wilding, et al. 1973, 1993. DVD. http://judychicagoandthecaliforniagirls.com/index.html
Lynn Hershman-Leeson, !Women Art Revolution. DVD. Trailer: http://www.womenartrevolution.com/
Edelson, Mary Beth and Arlene Raven, "Happy Birthday America." Chrysalis Magazine, 1.1 (1977): 49-53 [PDF]
This is especially relevant to me right now because I am in the midst of performing a character from the 1970's feminist art movement. Just held my first -- well she, Molly Seiden, just held her first consciousness raising group last night and will be doing a body art performance piece this evening. (9pm tyler school of art)
Get ready for some quintessential early feminist performance art.
Feminism and Art at the Womans Building!
Explore to your hearts desire-- I recommend the Video Herstories and the suggested readings. While I have not read all of the readings, I am familiar with many of the names. I was actually just reading some of the original Chrysalis (Chrysalis Magazine. (10 issues published from 1977-1981)) this afternoon at the special collections at my library!
Few of the links pulled from their site:
Lacy, Suzanne. “Artist Resource Site, Three Weeks in May: She Who Would Fly,” September 27, 2003. http://www.suzannelacy.com/1970sviolence_3weeks_fly.htm
Judy Chicago & the California Girls. Dir. Judith Dancoff. Perf. Judy Chicago, Faith Wilding, et al. 1973, 1993. DVD. http://judychicagoandthecaliforniagirls.com/index.html
Lynn Hershman-Leeson, !Women Art Revolution. DVD. Trailer: http://www.womenartrevolution.com/
Edelson, Mary Beth and Arlene Raven, "Happy Birthday America." Chrysalis Magazine, 1.1 (1977): 49-53 [PDF]
This is especially relevant to me right now because I am in the midst of performing a character from the 1970's feminist art movement. Just held my first -- well she, Molly Seiden, just held her first consciousness raising group last night and will be doing a body art performance piece this evening. (9pm tyler school of art)
Get ready for some quintessential early feminist performance art.
Creative Time Summit
This past weekend I attended a two day summit hosted by Creative Time at NYU. After getting up at 5:30 am, walking to a friends house with the moon still out, then taking a 7 am train, then getting stuck in morning traffic on the NJ turnpike, we finally arrived in Soho.
The Skirball center was filled with people attempting to get their badges and a good seat. Pablo Helguera started us off with a song and a few games, then Marth Rosler took the floor.
Marth Rosler is a political female artist who has been working since the late 60's and is still working today. She has a show going up at Moma in a few weeks which she spoke briefly about: Garage Sale MOMA
Her name is the one that pops up on every other piece about political artwork. Many people know her for her work Semiotics in the Kitchen (here is the video.) I was first introduced to her work through her collages.
... eh to quote from creative time:
"Although Martha Rosler suggests that “all artists want to change the world,” her oeuvre is distinguished for its exceptional commitment to this elusive goal, particularly with regard to feminism. As a native of Brooklyn, New York, much of Rosler’s work—which includes video, installation, photo-collage and performance—engages urban space. Rosler is perhaps most well known for her works exploring feminist issues."
One thing that she said that I've been thinking about is "what is the social value of art and its social investigations."
Each of the presenters had some very interesting things to say, and seem to be doing some pretty amazing things. Of course, Suzanne Lacy was wonderful and inspiring -- the pairing of Suzanne and Jodie Evans worked really well. They spoke about violence women and individually the work Suzanne has done and Jodie has done through Code Pink.
Tom Finklepearl spoke from the Queens Museum and gave a similar lecture to the one he gave at Temple-- just a lot shorter. There was mention of Fluxus- Yoko Ono, Suzanne Lacy, Rick Lowe, Santiago Sierra, and Tania Bruguera. He then quoted Tania saying that it is time to return Duchamps urinal to the bathroom. This followed by a talk about the usefulness of art and its function in society.
For those of you who don't know about Tania's piece that is going on right now, through the Queens Museum, :"Immigrant Movement International (IM International) is a five-year project initiated by artist Tania Bruguera. Its mission is to help define the immigrant as a unique, new global citizen in a post-national world and to test the concept of arte útil or “useful art”, in which artists actively implement the merger of art into society’s urgent social, political and scientific issues.
After Tom we had Fernando García-Dory who was the prize winner for The Leonore Annenberg Prize For Art and Social Change and Slavoj Žižek, the other key note speaker.
I am sure there are much better summaries of the experience on numerous blogs. From a personal point of view, I want to say that it was a great experience to be in one place with all of these amazing influential artists and thinkers. I got to speak with a few of them during the lunch that conflict kitchen put together. The lunch itself was great, half of us were South Korea and the other half North Korea. The food menu was designed so that we each got different dishes for our country and then could share them "across the border." I sat across from the woman from the presenter for Taring Padi.
We shared food and spoke about her activist artwork and then she showed me this incredible book that Taring Padi put together that encompass many of their prints and pieces.
The second day was full of discussions with specific artists and creative time facilitators. The first session I went to was Suzanne Lacy's and Jodie Evan's "Elephant in the room." We spoke about the importance of context and understanding yourself and why you are going into a community. In both this session and my next one we spoke about honesty being extremely important. The second session was led by Fernando Garcia-Dory and it was very intimate, about ten people were there. I'm glancing at my notes from the session and I have the term "horizontal social relationships"-- what does this mean? I also have scribblings about the relationship between urban environments and rural environments. The different roles an artist can play in those two places.
The last session I went to was about the "Art User" and paticipatory works, led by Pablo Helguera. He posed three questions to us before we broke into groups:
What does it mean to have the producer disappear?
Can we create a way of art making that allows every to have a stake in it?
Is everyone an artist/ art user?
My group ended up discussing a totally different question but we had some interesting dialogue about the role of art in society, and how different cultures view the art producer in a different light than we do.
The summit ended with that last conversation and then a few friends and I went to grab food on the lower east side. We continued to babble about our role as artists and how we engage community, who those communities are, how we validate our work, how we research, how we make the day-to- day happen, whether we were being honest, how much we are going to let aesthetic dictate our work...
I'll just say, that it was kind of amazing to be in a place with so many critical thinkers who want to reach out into the world and change peoples lives.
http://creativetime.org/summit/
The Skirball center was filled with people attempting to get their badges and a good seat. Pablo Helguera started us off with a song and a few games, then Marth Rosler took the floor.
Marth Rosler is a political female artist who has been working since the late 60's and is still working today. She has a show going up at Moma in a few weeks which she spoke briefly about: Garage Sale MOMA
Her name is the one that pops up on every other piece about political artwork. Many people know her for her work Semiotics in the Kitchen (here is the video.) I was first introduced to her work through her collages.
... eh to quote from creative time:
"Although Martha Rosler suggests that “all artists want to change the world,” her oeuvre is distinguished for its exceptional commitment to this elusive goal, particularly with regard to feminism. As a native of Brooklyn, New York, much of Rosler’s work—which includes video, installation, photo-collage and performance—engages urban space. Rosler is perhaps most well known for her works exploring feminist issues."
One thing that she said that I've been thinking about is "what is the social value of art and its social investigations."
Each of the presenters had some very interesting things to say, and seem to be doing some pretty amazing things. Of course, Suzanne Lacy was wonderful and inspiring -- the pairing of Suzanne and Jodie Evans worked really well. They spoke about violence women and individually the work Suzanne has done and Jodie has done through Code Pink.
Tom Finklepearl spoke from the Queens Museum and gave a similar lecture to the one he gave at Temple-- just a lot shorter. There was mention of Fluxus- Yoko Ono, Suzanne Lacy, Rick Lowe, Santiago Sierra, and Tania Bruguera. He then quoted Tania saying that it is time to return Duchamps urinal to the bathroom. This followed by a talk about the usefulness of art and its function in society.
For those of you who don't know about Tania's piece that is going on right now, through the Queens Museum, :"Immigrant Movement International (IM International) is a five-year project initiated by artist Tania Bruguera. Its mission is to help define the immigrant as a unique, new global citizen in a post-national world and to test the concept of arte útil or “useful art”, in which artists actively implement the merger of art into society’s urgent social, political and scientific issues.
After Tom we had Fernando García-Dory who was the prize winner for The Leonore Annenberg Prize For Art and Social Change and Slavoj Žižek, the other key note speaker.
I am sure there are much better summaries of the experience on numerous blogs. From a personal point of view, I want to say that it was a great experience to be in one place with all of these amazing influential artists and thinkers. I got to speak with a few of them during the lunch that conflict kitchen put together. The lunch itself was great, half of us were South Korea and the other half North Korea. The food menu was designed so that we each got different dishes for our country and then could share them "across the border." I sat across from the woman from the presenter for Taring Padi.
We shared food and spoke about her activist artwork and then she showed me this incredible book that Taring Padi put together that encompass many of their prints and pieces.
The second day was full of discussions with specific artists and creative time facilitators. The first session I went to was Suzanne Lacy's and Jodie Evan's "Elephant in the room." We spoke about the importance of context and understanding yourself and why you are going into a community. In both this session and my next one we spoke about honesty being extremely important. The second session was led by Fernando Garcia-Dory and it was very intimate, about ten people were there. I'm glancing at my notes from the session and I have the term "horizontal social relationships"-- what does this mean? I also have scribblings about the relationship between urban environments and rural environments. The different roles an artist can play in those two places.
The last session I went to was about the "Art User" and paticipatory works, led by Pablo Helguera. He posed three questions to us before we broke into groups:
What does it mean to have the producer disappear?
Can we create a way of art making that allows every to have a stake in it?
Is everyone an artist/ art user?
My group ended up discussing a totally different question but we had some interesting dialogue about the role of art in society, and how different cultures view the art producer in a different light than we do.
The summit ended with that last conversation and then a few friends and I went to grab food on the lower east side. We continued to babble about our role as artists and how we engage community, who those communities are, how we validate our work, how we research, how we make the day-to- day happen, whether we were being honest, how much we are going to let aesthetic dictate our work...
I'll just say, that it was kind of amazing to be in a place with so many critical thinkers who want to reach out into the world and change peoples lives.
http://creativetime.org/summit/
October 4, 2012
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