We only have nine class days remaining. Where does the time go?
First off--just a reminder that by Monday, can everybody give us their addresses to look at ideas or the beginning of your project? It's a work in progress and will probably end that way--no need to completely finish something. There isn't the time. I hope that helps a few of you who may be perfectionists. Sarah asked if you have to use blogger--no. Use another online site. I just thought we are using blogger and it is free. I understand how blogger isn't working with a few iPads. I don't know if that is a platform issue--does Chrome work better with iPads? I don't know.
About our readings. I am noticing that fewer and fewer are commenting on the Rader book. Don't let literary criticism and analysis scare you off. Especially as we are reading about poetry. I just plod along and read it, ask questions, and underline. I try to ask more open-ended questions, but please respond to those as well. He gets back to films with more pics shortly.
I am noticing how nuanced the writings are--whose side/s do I/we take? And how understanding and siding may have to do with similar issues we have experienced in our lives. That's the beauty of a democracy. Finding many reactions and feelings in one story. Cheech MArin's book, Chicano Visions (2002), is a great little find. And cheap now--on Amazon for .89--though there is $3.99 shipping. It's only about painters, but a great resource book.
I was intrigued with Lynn's ratio of what to include based on contemporary stats. What might an art curriculum or museum show listing look like if it better represented current demographic stats? Lynn posted that she "almost" named a poet in an artist list. Let's think about that for a moment: Do categories and the ways we have been trained restrict us from telling our truths and/or even being creative? (I would venture to say yes).
First off, any questions or comments or insights or warning about your progression the semester project?
ReplyDeleteI have gone a completely different direction, although I still plan to do the piece I was orginally going to do, but after my AP art workshop this week I created a piece that inspired another piece that I want to do of my standing and weights falling off of me for freedom. I hope to be able to work on this tomorrow now that the workshop is over and show my progress.
DeleteI know what I want to do and how it should look. But I'm discovering that I don't know anything about the logistics of building a blog...
DeleteChapter 20 Protesting the Museum-Industrial Complex
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost. Has anyone ever thought of museums as complexes?
“Artists perceived the museum as a public and therefore potentially accountable institution, the only one the least but likely to listen to the art community on ethical and political maters” (Lampert , 216). I think this is interesting and has a good point. It seems museums are places for the work of the present and to record the movements. In considering where to put your work in a particular museum, I have to think about that for a bit. I think it is important to consider where when a museum is associated with a particular action or point of view. I would think it would be ideal to put your work where people who would see it would appreciate it, relate to it, and or buy it.
DeleteI have to say I avoid the word complexes. It's almost a joke at work. I think it has negative connotations. A complex is a disease.
Delete(its probably unreasonable--like my love of the subjunctive case--a grammar for dreamers)
Like Melanie, I found that interesting. According to demographic research we are losing the public "feeling" of museums but strangely museums are still places that people believe what they read--which makes the next question on Ed's list really interesting.
DeleteI thought the GAAG protest was pretty cool. Museums are not a part of a military-capitalist complex across the board. Some of the most powerful and well known museums, however, have a sticky history when it comes to social and professional ethics. Both MoMA and the Met have a history of catering to the super-wealthy and their board has traditionally been made up of the rich. I am sure you all who know more about the art world can expound on this, but these prestigious art museums are usually bedfellows with dealers/auction-houses in the art market. I know from a class I took earlier this summer that a few high-profile American museums acquired stolen/looted art from Europe during WWII with questionable legality. In other words, some museums, especially more famous and wealthy ones, often act with their interest in mind rather than the public’s interest.
DeleteDaniel, I completely agree. I feel like museums cater to the rich or higher class of people and not to the majority of Americans. Most people can't afford to go to a museum unless it's free or kid friendly, most are note only have limited times they are free and most are not kid friendly, or conducive to baby strollers or kids screaming and expected for the silence. What about discussing pieces or wanting to show kids art? About art museums with art that is kid friendly and would interest the young minds? Are there such places besides science related kid museums or hands on type places? What about art that relates to those that are low income families? I feel like when I walk into a museum it's all portraits or still life's pieces that are beautifully done, but are quite frankly boring... If you have seen one you have seen them all... It's just not attention grabbing, it doesn't draw me in and make me want to stare at it and wonder or inspire me... Isn't that what art is suppose to do? I know not all art will inspire or interest everyone, but I do think if we want more people to come to museums we need to get the common folk there not just the rich or upper class... It should be educational or at least intriguing... Just my thoughts...
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DeleteChapter 20 Continuing…
ReplyDelete"Art is never neutral, Neither are art museums." (p. 211)
What are your negative or positive comments about art museums? Based on your experiences. How important are museums to you? Your teaching?
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\outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 I love museums, in fact, every time I travel to a new place or city I always go to one. I think it's important to document our history and protect the artifacts for future generations. \
San Antonio Museum of Art has a grant for our school because of it serving military children, so we are allowed several museum visits with our kids and art workshops. The kids loved it and I enjoyed seeing every single student taking notes, sketching, and enjoying their time there. The exhibit instructor gave so many key facts that related to the culture and content. I plan on doing it every year and hope they continue more educational grants for schools.}
In going to museums, I have noticed a different atmosphere associated with each one. Museums in Dallas, New York, Chicago, Louisiana, and London are the major places that I am comparing. The DMA in Dallas has a wide selection of permanent collection and has a small area for the contemporary stuff. The permanent selection is a good source for historical artwork. However, I have been disappointed on their choice of contemporary work. There will be a few good shows, but most of the time it has been disappointing. It seems they chose artwork that is more abstract expressiveness or minimal. I do enjoy those movements, but not all the time. Who chooses the artwork for the shows? Museum curators and is it based on their taste?
DeleteIn the teaching aspect and visiting museums, I like how open they are in bringing your students to come visit. However, I wish you could meet or talk to the docent before coming. You never know if you have a good docent or not. It’s a gamble. Some who are boring and not motivating and that is important when inspiring young students.
Museums are very important to me and my life's journey. I've been working in museums for a number of years now and am currently in the Museum Science program here at Tech. I think the argument that art museums are never neutral is very valid. Every museum has a mission statement that is meant to guide the collecting/exhibiting practices of the museum - defining the scope of art in the case of art museums. The mission statement is an important yet theoretically dynamic document that is dictated by the governing board of the museum. This will decide what is allowed into the collection of the museum.
DeleteMelanie - generally speaking, a specific curator will be in charge of selecting artwork for a particular show. These selections can be based on taste, but the primary objective is usually to create an exhibition around a theme - be it a period of time, an art movement, a geographical region, a particular artist, etc. Often these themes will relate to that particular curator's area of expertise. I guess a negative aspect of this system is that curator's or museums can get narrowly focused on a particular thematic trend that does not speak to their public. I think art museums, like art, should challenge the public but the museum is inherently an institution of public service. Sometimes it can get tricky.
DeleteThanks for the insight, Daniel!
DeleteMelanie--a lot of museums will have teaching guides for you if you want to read them ahead of time and you can ask for a docent who is effective with different learning styles--that phrase usually means you get a very skilled docent.
DeleteIts strange to think about but many museums are actually personal collections of have the core as a personal collection. One person had enough money and love for something that they became a collector. In Dallas--think of the Crow or the Nasher, in Fort Worth -the Carter. It can be so intimate.
DeleteI love the Amon Carter museum! Maybe because it interests me, I love western art. I was in New York and the only museum I wanted to go to was the Guggenheim and the only day I was able to go it was closed. I mainly love this museum because of the architecture. I love architecture. I think that may be the reason I am not to fond of museums because I do not connect personally to the artwork. I used to like museums more when I was younger, maybe it's me learning more about the background of the artwork and the artist before going to the museum. Maybe this is something I need to work on. I love science and history museums they are so interesting to me, maybe that's because I love history and knowing about our past intrigues me.
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DeleteAs Daniel said, our curator selects the content of the shows at the Buddy Holly Center. She is the best in the world at avoiding conflict, both in her behavior and in her selection of shows. We always have very "safe" artwork. It doesn't leave much for me to do to challenge visitors' thinking.
DeleteMelanie, if you express a desire for an experienced docent when you register your tour you should get one. If a teacher mentions something about having a not-boring docent I usually do the tour myself.
Chapter 20 Continuing…
ReplyDeleteThe stats of the Vietnam War on page 213 are startling: "From 1965 to 1975, more than seven million tons of bombs were dropped on Vietnam--twice the total used in WWII. The result of the decade-long war: more than one million civilian casualties, more than 1.1 million dead Vietcong soldiers, and more than 58,000 US soldiers killed in action."
Is anyone familiar with an artist who put together a large metal installation war memorial honoring the over one million Vietnamese? I can't recall the artist's name.
What were surprises to you in this chapter? What did you think of the actions taken by artists against museums and sometimes with museums? What are the politics and issues that plague museums today?
I was surprised by the MOMA directors quote that there are no African and Puerto Rican artists. That quote in itself would spark me to rethink who establishes which artwork is selected. With this museum being one of, if not, the most famous in USA, I can't imagine how little cultural art was expressed then.
DeleteI enjoyed reading about the GAAG performance protests. I think it's hilarious how they got into little trouble for what they did, and seemed to escape any jail time or arrests by the confusion on what they were doing. I would like to have seen the performance and I think they display an interesting message.
I agree with the comment that museums should be for the people, meaning free and open to the public. I think protesting the war and having the art museums participate by taking down their walls created an art movement in itself. To me the blank walls with no art represent the world during a war time or a land without freedom. I think it evokes a powerful message whether intentional or not.
Reading about the Bloodbath took me by surprise because it seemed surreal. I pictured a scene out of The Shining while reading the descriptions of the work. “The bags of blood burst all over and onto the floor” ….. “Each participant then laid down in the pool of blood, breathing heavily from the sudden burst of physical exertion” (Lampert, 212). I am surprised that no one was arrested. I am curious if someone tired that today, what would happen? I am guessing that it would not go as far without an interruption of the police. It seems like in order to act out this performance people would need to be notified before. I am especially surprised that no one was arrested for the battle scene outside the MOMA with the involvement of fake guns. Guns are a more serious prop and even fake ones are scary. With the shootings of today, the public are more aware of the seriousness when it comes to guns.
DeleteI like the conflict when deciding on “whether the action was a protest or a sanctioned performance” (Lampert, 215). Can performance art be a form of a protest? This action reminds me of a play, a recording of an event.
I think it was particularly interesting that the police through the demonstration was performance art. That is a pretty sophisticated view--they were willing to recognize art in mayhem.
DeletePolitics and issues in museums--that is a course in itself. I find one of my biggest concerns is how to effectively story tell. How to tell respectful stories, remembering stories, stories that give perspective and kindness. There are lots of reasons politically to keep some stories quiet. Some issues to tiptoe around.
DeleteI really liked reading this chapter and how interesting it was that people were so bold to do this type of demonstration in a museum! I wish I could have seem this in person. How powerful!! I too wonder if today someone did this what would happen.. Would they be arrested? Would they do jail time and for how long? Would they be fined? How much? Would they have to clean it up or would someone else? Did it destroy any artwork?
DeleteRader pp. 121-130
ReplyDeletePlease respond to one of these questions about the radar book. So Rader is finishing up his critique on three Native poets that use resistance in the poetry. Rose using Star Trek imagery in hers. What must it be like to continually be at odds with mainstream/whitestream cultures? Where do you see positive representations of your histories of lives if you are Native American? In Hollywood movies? On TV? In pop media? In sports mascots? Where might we find positive representations?
Positive representation of Native Americans can come from a few different places even though they are rare and hard to find. For example the following movies: “Wind Talkers”, “Dancing with Wolves” , “ The Lone Ranger (2013)”, “Burry My Heart at Wounded Knee” , “Pocahontas”. The Native Americans are seen as either useful with the war or excepting enough to accept a white man into their culture. The only TV shows I can think of is “Daniel Boone” with the character Mingo. Artwork that represents their culture by the following artist: R.C. Gorman, Stephen Mopope, Fred Kabotie, Harrison Begay, Tonita Pena, Jerome Martinez, Mark Silversmith, and Carol Grigg. Sand painting is also a place to teach about their culture. A book called “ Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 Years of Inventions and Innovations” by Emory Dean Keoke and Kay Marie Porterfield seems to be positive. Some movie stars can be role models such as young Taylor Lautner from Twilight, Benjamin Bratt, Rudy Youngblood, Adam Beach, and Graham Greene.
DeleteTwo of my favorite movies are Last of the Mohicans and Apocolypto. Although both movies have a bit of far fetched moments, they both show the positive spin and negative approach of various Native American tribes within each movie. In Mohicans, they represent different tribes collaborating with the French and British. Its sad to see the tribes eventually against each other through its relations with other 'white' countries at parts of the movie, however it does show the power that many Native Americans had in how they worked together.
DeleteIn Apocolypto, I loved seeing the various cultures expressed through the movie as well. IT made a successful representation of their religions, hunting skills, and living. It however did show the ideas of small pox, death, and sacrifice.
Another great one is Wind Talkers, which uses their native language through the radio because other countries had no way to de-code it.
I don't really see much positive representation when it comes to mascots. I used to live in DC and their was a huge debate on the use of 'red skin' as their main mascot. I know every year there are big protests on it. If there was a 'yellow skin' and 'black skin' I imagine there would be an even bigger uproar, so I am surprised they actually use that term.
DeleteThe first film that comes to mind is The New World, Terrence Malick’s 2005 drama that essentially tells the story of Pocahontas. Malick is one of my all-time favorite filmmakers so I may be a bit biased to defend his representation of Native Americans. First of all, the film is beautiful and I recommend it for anyone who hasn’t seen it. I remember that Malick cast predominately actors of Native decent for the Indian characters unlike Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans. The story is somewhat similar to the Pocahontas story most of us probably know but focuses on Pocahontas’s spirituality and heritage in a very moving way. She marries an Englishman and eventually moves from North America to England where she feels restricted and out of place. There is one particular montage near the end that shows her returning to her roots in an English garden. I won’t give it all away, but its pretty awesome.
DeleteI have seen The New World!! Great movie and I agree with you on all parts.
DeleteI think Wind Talkers is a very powerful movie and how lost our cultures have become especially the Native American culture and language. It is amazing to me how these 2 soldiers were protected like gold or the most valuable thing in the world. It was also so sad that these were the last remaining men that spoke this language... Why has this language gone away? Why is It not spoken more? Or taught or passed on or kept alive???
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DeleteIt has to be so difficult to be at odds with mainstream culture all the time. I took a class last spring about oppression in the educations system and what teachers can do to fight it. It made me glad that I don't teach in a classroom. If I had to conform (or fight against all the conformity) all the time I would just give up!
DeleteRader suggests there are powerful messages and resistance in these poets and their poetry. But this is an academic answer to an academic question. Sometimes, academe is far-removed from the general public's versions of everyday issues and matters.
ReplyDeleteSherman Alexie's rather insightful "reservation of the mind" might be useful for us. What is on my reservation in my mind? How have I learned to objectify and categorize Natives? And everything else? How useful is that to me right now (personally, not very useful). Much of what I have had to do is rethink what I have seen and heard and almost toss all of that away as not useful--especially when I talk to a former secretary in our art office who was part Native--and her views on politics in term soy Native issues.
Let's think of Reservations of the Mind as a lesson. What might that look like for you if you had to do it? Even, if just personally? Where might you go to learning more about Native issues and representations?
What comes to mind is the 'I am From' poem Future has us write. I think for me the end of this chapter captured me so much more and I really understood that their poetry is all about communicating their thoughts and feelings. So is this any different then artists communicating just in a visual form instead of with words? I don't think so I think it's all about communicating just in a different forms. I had a lot of clarity in reading this on what poetry represents for them and keeping their histories alive and vibrant and present in our world today! What a thought!! Very enlightening!
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DeleteRader--last question…
ReplyDeleteStarting on page 127, we are racing more about resistance in poetry. I specifically want to focus on the two poems--Check One on p. 127 and Ruby in Me #1 at bottom of page 130 and top of 131. Poetry analysis aside, what did you think of these two poems? The first one about checking your identity? And the second, coming up with what your ingredients are? Let go of whether or not there is rhyme; what might your poem look like if you used this template? Just curious and musing about here…please respond.