- In your sketchbook choose a work by another artist that stands for what you think art really should be in your perfect world—if art was daring, bold, unique and special, if it was community-building or affirming, if it made the world a better place or turned the world on its head. Here, you get to decide.
Barbara Kruger. Untitled 1981.
I think the first time I ever saw a
piece by Barbara Kruger I knew it was exactly what I thought art
should be; confrontational and questioning. Kruger manages to achieve
what I feel is a perfect balance between the political and the
personal. This piece obviously draws on the feminist art of the 70's
but also advertising techniques of the early 80s creating a
provocative piece that questions the political issues of the time:
money, greed, consumerism but most of all misogyny of the male
dominated business and political environment.
Of course I am reading into the image
based on my own experience the male shhhing the viewer which as a
female I view as a dominant symbol of male oppression the dramatic
colours/framing reminding me of consumerism/advertising and lastly
the catchphrase its self which directs me to to incite protest, to
rally against the statement. It also directs me to apply and question
the issues introvert; why should someone have the right to tell me
what I can and cannot do? Why should I say quiet and unquestioning?
Is it because I am a woman? but the work also makes me think that I
am important, my opinion matters and I, like Kruger, should question
authority.
For me good art should question the
social norms of the time it was created but also incite a personal
response that makes you think about your role in society and draws
upon your own experiences. This work particular reminds me of the
Riot Grrrl movement in the late 80s and early 90s with its
confrontation approach, in the words of Kathleen Hanna “I’m so
sorry if I’m alienating some of you. Your whole f**king culture
alienates me.”
- Then, make or describe something that stands for what you think people in the world think art should be—because a teacher or expert told you that’s what art is, or because that’s what you think “good art" is, or because you think this is what the art market wants, etc.
This is by far a more difficult
question than what I think art should be, I really think it depends
on your own personal preferences. Some people want something pretty
to look at, others it's about the investment, others prefer art
that's different and others, like me, want something political.
I really feel that what makes good art
is your personal interaction with it, that it provokes a response.
Like the MFA students said in this weeks video on critique there is
nothing worse than indifference!
So weather you think something is so
beautiful it takes your breath away or makes you so angry you want to
start a political uprising, the personal response doesn't relate to
the quality of the art but it does confirm that the art is important
to you and that's all that really matters at the end of the day.
If everyone was the same the world
would be a very boring place....
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