I mentioned in class on Tuesday that the Whitney Biennale is often the site of heated "art world" debate. Dana Schutz's painting Open Casket depicts the disfigured body of Emmett Till, a murdered teenager at his funeral. The painting provoked a massive response on all sides (not just two), and it's instructive to consider how and why dealing with it and debating it is crucially important. Some people might argue that the best option is to just forget it. We need to remember that the so-called "art world" is part of the so-called "real world." Just because the issue centers around a painting in a museum doesn't make it any less relevant to everyday life. Art is not a thing apart from life.
This video, a debate about the two primary positions, is from a Boston television show about the arts. And this wonderful and in-depth essay, by Coco Fusco, uses passionate writing to defend her position that censorship is never right. The website for the 2017 Whitney Biennale does not acknowledge that the painting was in the exhibition. By the way, this was not a "one-off" thing. Just today I read an article about Amanda Gorman and a white Dutch translator.
After we watch the short video debate, everyone should register his/her/their position on the debate in the Zoom chat. Think of it as a short and fast five-minute mini-paragraph. What do you think and why?
If you've been paying attention, you'll remember that for your "First-Year Portfolio" exercise you will include a new piece of critical writing: The Catalogue Entry. This brief piece of writing does double-duty as a graded assignment in the Writing for the Arts class. The portfolio day is Tuesday, April 6 (no class that day for any DCAD student, first or second year).
1) Choose one artist (or one artist collective) and one piece of art from the lists of the past five Whitney Biennial exhibitions (2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019). Most of these artists you have likely never heard of, and that's OK. Have fun browsing the lists and experiencing really different kinds of art-making.
2) Capture an image of the one work you are concentrating on. A screengrab might be the easiest method of getting this image. Make sure it's not too pixelated.
3) Write your catalogue entry. This is typically two longish paragraphs or three medium-sized paragraphs. The first paragraph is mostly informative: who is this artist (brief bio)? what kind of art is this artist known for? mention your chosen artwork toward the end of your first paragraph. The second paragraph should really get into close and loving detail about the work itself (formal analysis). The third paragraph should explain the relevance of this work of art to issues in contemporary culture.
It's possible to write the second and third paragraphs together as one, but I think it's far preferable to open a new paragraph that centers on philosophical issues and questions.
A good length guideline is 300-400 words. Some might be a little shorter and some a little longer.
Sylvan Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing About Art has a brief chapter on catalogue entries: Chapter 6, 146-153.
It might be helpful to think of your three linked paragraphs as:
1) Who
2) What
3) Why
Here's a short video about the 2017 Whitney Biennial.
The current edition of the Biennial opens next month! We'll be sure to read the reviews as a class.
DRAFT DUE: March 16 (upload to Populi)
FINAL DUE: March 18 (upload to Populi)
Questions: csmith@dcad.edu
This is fairly straightforward, but don't hesitate to write to me for clarification. Look back at our discussion board responses on this subject. Brainstorm, dream, imagine. Describe the what, how, and why of your visual response (your artwork) to Jasmine Combs's video-performance poem "Object."
Please follow these simple and easy to follow rules.
In the first paragraph describe what you will be making and how you will make it. Be as specific as possible.
In the second paragraph examine the "why" questions. What ideas will your visual piece activate? Why is this important, worthwhile, etc.
Proofread carefully before uploading. Catch your minor errors. Every writer on the planet does this.
Please remember that although this proposal is non-binding, you need to get a start on this. Of course, you might have a "Eureka" moment that compels you to do something completely different. As an artist and creator, you have this power.
Questions: csmith@dcad.edu
I'm super-proud of my students in the Writing for the Arts sections this semester at DCAD. These online zines are loaded on the Issuu.com platform and they await your reading and enjoyment.
Charles Demuth, an American painter from the first half of the 20th century was inspired by a poem by William Carlos Williams titled "The Great Figure." Here is the complete text of the short poem:
Among the rain
and lights
I saw the figure 5
in gold
on a red
firetruck
moving
tense
unheeded
to gong clangs
siren howls
and wheels rumbling
through the dark city
Charles Demuth, "I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold" (1928)
The second part of the project is your writing (either poetry or prose) about the work of art you created and how it is connected to the themes and ideas that you find most important in your interpretation of Jasmine Combs's poem. Here is an example of the artist Robert Indiana writing about a work that he made that was inspired by Demuth's painting. Robert Indiana on "The X-5".
The best work will be selected by curators and staff members of the Delaware Contemporary and featured in the gallery during the First Friday opening in May.
Side Note:
This particular work by Demuth continues to inspire artists in the 21st century. Here is Rich Kegler's take on Demuth's painting done in historical wood type by letterpress. Note the whimsical title. Pantone 874 is metallic gold (which is impossible to replicate on a computer monitor).
Here we are. This is the last time we will meet together. I'd like to thank each of you for a rewarding semester of teaching. I hope eve...
