The Avant Garde
Artisanal mode = consciously artistic
Personal mode = autobiographical
Often self financed
Distributed on small networks
Exhibited in art circles
“Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception.”
- Stan Brakhage
Avant Garde clip - Stellar (Stan Brakhage)
This clip was a silent video and I had absolutely no idea what was going on in the clip when I watched it. It was afterwards when the clip had finished that we spoke about it and I started to think about it in more depth. he title is referring to star by painting on film stock.
Would I be disappointed if I went to the cinema to see it as some go on for 4 hours?
I would definitely be disappointed if I went to the cinema to see this as I got quite bored just watching this clip for a couple of minutes so if I had paid to watch this I wouldn't be happy.
Theorising Dissidence
“A certain amount of contempt for the material employed to express an idea is indispensable to the purist realisation of the idea. Each one of us, in his timidity, has a limit beyond which he is outraged. It is inevitable that he who by concentrated application has extended this limit for himself, should arouse the resentment of those who have accepted conventions which, since accepted by all, require no initiative of application. And this resentment generally takes the form of meaningless laughter or of criticism, if not of persecution. But this apparent violation is preferable to the monstrous habits condoned by etiquette and aestheticism”
- Man ray
The image below was highly sexualised because a lot of people saw a lot of bare skin and the throat made everyone go into a kind of shock. Of course the image isn't actually very equal but back then a lot of people found it was because they weren't used to art being made in this way.
How does the avant garden challenge art conventions?
All of the images below are all very sexualised but maybe concern the males pleasure more than the females.
Image left to right:
Eikoh Hosoe, Man Ray and Robert Mapplethorth
Non conformity and the visual voice
“A writer or painter cannot change the world. But they can keep an essential margin of nonconformity alive”
- Luis Buñuel
Can they change the world?
I'm not sure whether an artist can change the world but I definitely think they can make a big impact on the world and use their platform to promote and advertise problems in the world to help towards chaining the world.
Street Art
“The way I look at the landscape is forever changed because of street art”
- Shepard Fairey
What is my opinion on the statement?
I agree and disagree. If you were to go to the same landscape every week for 5 years for example it will be the same landscape but there is a very high chance that it would have changed drastically in that time. So although it is the same place it is highly likely that it will be changed forever because of street art but also of many other things as well.
What is a piece of positive street art?
I found this website called Positive Street Art which helps artists create street art in positive ways to help communities. Above is a picture from a piece of work called 'Silver Linings' from a project 'Bad Things Happen'. The pictures don't give much information but from the image I would say that the car drove into the shop front and the man that is stood next to the street art is the survivor of the car next to work dedicated to him and his recovery.
The word on the street
“Society has become completely urbanized… the street is a place to play and learn. The street is disorder… this disorder is alive. It informs. It surprises… The urban space of the street is a place for talk, given over as much to the exchange of words and signs as it is to the exchange of things. A place where speech becomes writing. A place where speech can become ‘savage’ and, by escaping rules and institutions, inscribe itself on walls”
- Henri Lefebvre, The Urban Revolution
Picking parts of the quote out and making more sense of it:
'Street is a place and earn' - it's a bit of a strange notion but to a child it's where all the games happened but nowadays children grow up with screens so this doesn't happen as much now.
'The street is a disorder' - the street is outside. Could this mean that not many people get outside now?
The quote is focusing on writing a lot about urban myths.
Jenny Holzer
Street Art: Case Study
We got shown an image of Kurt Cobain in the foreground of a quote saying 'Men don't protect you anymore'. When I was looking at the image I was thinking about whether I would notice the quote if I was just walking down the street. I think I would if I was a tourist to the country but if I was a resident of the country then I wouldn't see anything different to the norm.
The image gave the theatre good advertising.
Monopolisation of space - gallery spaces are too hierarchal - the street is occupied by a lot of people - however you may not see it as it is in such a normal space - it is asking nun to look deeper into our everyday spaces.
Barbara Kruger
Art and Space
I have seen Kruger's work a lot before and it is very bold and in your face because of the colours she uses. The way that she creates her work is almost like an asdvertisement which nobody could miss. I would say one of her most famous piece of work is her piece of work, which says 'Your body is a battleground'. On the right hand there is a negative part to the image which is not entirely occupied so I looked into the facts of the sexual acts in the 70's and 80's.
Sex Discrimination Act 1975
1975 CHAPTER 65
An Act to render unlawful certain kinds of sex discrimination and discrimination on the ground of marriage, and establish a Commission with the function of working towards the elimination of such discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity between men and women generally; and for related purposes.
Banksy
Street art: Case Study
Everyone is aware of Banksy's street art, it's probably been in at least one street that you have walked down. All of his work has a political meaning to something that is happening not only in the UK but anywhere in the world. In 2015 Banksy created a five week temporary theme parkbut known as a 'bemusement' park called Dismaland based on the word 'dismal' based in Weston Super-Mare. The theme park was a big success with a lot of people but what was the meaning behind the park?
'By now it is clear that the only way Dismaland can be read is through the powerful political messages it sends. There is nothing joyful about the treatment of immigrants, economic hardships, death, and suffering. Banksy’s pop-up exhibition is a burst of reality in the most unsuitable form which makes it even more effective. Surely it is hopeless and depressive, but our social surroundings are not much different at all if we decide to take off our Disney glasses and take a real look at the world we live in. In the end, the message is opened to interpretation so make a visit to Dismaland, don’t bring your children and end-joy!'
https://www.widewalls.ch/political-message-dismaland/
Questions to consider:
How might you describe the relationship between street art and activism?
I would say the relationship between both is very similar. I think activism spurs on the street art but if activism never happened then the street art would never happen. However, if activism never happened then pool e wouldn't be aware about what was happening.
To what extent has activist street art been assimilated into the mainstream?
I think that activist street art is very normal in the mainstream world nowadays, especially with Brexit happening at the moment. I would say that activist street art is in every city across the country.
Does the mainstreaming of street art undo its activist credentials?
I personally think so yes because if I see street art nowadays I would probably turn a blind eye to it and not really look too much into the meaning behind it because I'm used to seeing it.
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