Based on previous responses to the reading, I've noticed a disgust with primordial waste. Now, it's not exactly a material that I would ever enjoy working with, but it does remind me of a piece I learned about like a year ago titled, "Piss Christ.""Piss Christ" is an image by Andres Serrano, a photographer who took a plastic crucifix with Jesus on it and submerged it into a jar filled with his urine. The photograph was shown in 1989 and I'm sure people still feel strongly against this piece. Yes, it is gross and yes it's weird, but you have to admit that it's unique and causes you to think. What is art? What qualities allow a piece to be called art? Does the piece make you consider a different viewpoint?
I think art crosses boundaries of society because it can communicate radical ideas. This might be blasphemy to some, or it could just be a great photograph because of the highlights. Just thought I would throw something weird out there to the group.
To continue with Skip Shuckman, he is an artist that is similar to Andy Goldsworthy by working with natural materials and landscapes. Goldsworthy makes a commitment to go outside each day to make artworks. His process is stunning and I recommend his Rivers & Tides documentary to anyone. He uses stones, twigs, dandelions and ice as natural materials that are combined to temporarily take forms and ultimately return back to the earth. I like Shuckman's approach to using the earth to help the earth.
I feel like there is a chronological process to the definitions given:
- Emotional Velcro - our own biases that we walk in with
- Carrion Artists - we take and don't give back
- Protocolic - follow ideas but not giving enough constructive criticism
- Bulldozer Consistency - feeling stuck with ideas
- Cleverage - distractions in the art making process
- At-onement - encountering a sudden epiphany about art
- Materiality - realizing the great natural resources around us
- Wilding - a continuation of natural ideas
- Primordial Waste - pushing the buttons of art making with reusing waste, it's often controversial but does have a strong impact
- Unlaxing - when art making becomes part of your daily lifestyle
Cradle to Cradle advises us to use local resources and to take advantage of wind power. Basically, we are better humans if we live more simply and thus care for the environment. Sometimes I do wonder, what am I going to do with all this stuff when I die? It's a depressing thought but sometimes it makes you think about the value of a dollar and the value of our planet.
An interesting bridge between the two texts was the lecture that environmentalist Jim Merkel gave last week on sustainability. He discussed self-sufficiency and says that he has been living on only $5,000 a year for about 18 years. He has a wife and kids and they've encouraged others to grow their own food. He even said that GMU should have dining halls that rely on fruits and vegetables that grow on campus. And even with that, we could use our leftovers to make compost.
Now, that's resourceful.
An interesting bridge between the two texts was the lecture that environmentalist Jim Merkel gave last week on sustainability. He discussed self-sufficiency and says that he has been living on only $5,000 a year for about 18 years. He has a wife and kids and they've encouraged others to grow their own food. He even said that GMU should have dining halls that rely on fruits and vegetables that grow on campus. And even with that, we could use our leftovers to make compost.
Now, that's resourceful.
1 comment:
it's totally ironic that you would mention Serrano as i just read about him, literally, the other week....however, i STILL think that the use of bodily waste in art is disgusting. it is a accepted universally that excrement and bodily fluids are unclean and just because there are a few individuals out there like Serrano who challenge that, doesn't make them right. not really the most important aspect of the article we read this week, but it struck a chord with me because of what i had read about Serrano. it is just soooo coincidental that you mentioned him.
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