The presenter this week, Tannaz Farsi was very different from any of the previous presenters, which shows both: Farsi’s creativity and individuality, as well as, Professor Warren’s choice of diverse artists. When I heard she was a sculptor, it was initial thought that the lecture would consist of pictures of the ceramics she had ‘sculpted.’ Once again, just when I’m thinking I’ve got a grasp on this whole art scene, leave it to Art 111 to shoot me back to reality. I learned quickly that Farsi used any and all objects as sculpting tools in her pieces, all of which were very expressive, some even political. A rare fortune this week¾the connections between the presenter and the article that we read are very clear and concise and are, in fact, very directly connected.
The article for this weeks’ work was entitled “The Aesthetics of Everyday Life.” The reading consisted of a conversation between Suzi Gablik and a very intelligent teacher by the name of Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett. Throughout the article, she discusses her theory on what art is and what should and shouldn’t be considered part of that genre. To put her stance on into more general terms, she believes that art is anything and everything. She discusses a concept from which the title was rendered, that being “The Aesthetics of Everyday Life” and how art can not only be found in a gallery but also in the actions and lives of everyday people. This was a breath of fresh air, as I have been toying with the argument of whether art is everything or nothing. If I can be so bold, art is an expression of self. Be it a canvas, camera, computer screen, office building, golf course, or house, they all, at their most simple form, are a display of creativity by an individual or group of individuals. At the beginning of the discussion, Kirshenblatt-Gimblett states, “everyone has something inherently creative and artistic in them,” and you don’t have to be a “Professional” to be an artist.
She goes on to discuss the Whitney Biennial, which has been a popular topic of discussion among many of these conversations. As you can imagine from her stance and definition of art, Kirshenblatt-Gimblett is in full support of the Whitney Bienniel and it’s decision to select pieces that were not necessary aesthetically pleasing, but that had value in other respects. As Kirshenblatt-Gimblett would put it, “Art is the act of putting form to value.” This sums up her whole definition of art and is essentially the same concept that was used in the Biennial. When confronted with the question of whether art should be used for political gains or to send a political message, she simply shrugs the question off as nonsense saying, “All these distinctions are meaningless to me. They’re meaningless because all art is political.” In her opinion, art in itself is a political matter. Art, because it’s art, is political. This is a stance that I never took into consideration, because I didn’t give art enough respect to consider it a political matter.
I addressed how the article and this weeks’ presenter would tie together nicely, and it is because Farsi is a believer in what Kirshenblatt-Gimblett says and practices art in this way, but Farsi chooses to do so in a gallery. When viewing her pieces in class, you could see that they were not always the most aesthetically pleasing or beautifully crafted pieces, but she was simply portraying the art of living. The twist was that she was portraying this art of everyday life from inside the gallery. A perfect example is the piece that she made drawing inspiration from the man who sewed both his eyes and mouth shut. In no way was this piece aesthetically pleasing, but, in fact, repulsive and disturbing. Even so, many like Farsi and Gimblett would consider this art like anything else. It is simply putting form to value by expressing ones’ frustrations. What catches our eye, or displays superior craftsmanship, isn’t always what’s most important in art. Nonetheless, it is art, but then again, so is everything else.
I found some comedy in this video, which describes how using Clip Art may not be the answer for all your problems, when trying to use a visual aspect in your work. Just create your own, because it will be more art than the Clip Art would be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTjTXOtff8A
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