Week’s work can be reached by the numbered buttons at the bottom of the page.
The midterm break was included in the page count, following weeks for exercises correspond to their consequent number.
Week 1: September, Tuesday 15th 2020
How does Sol Lewitt express the notion that “the idea is the machine that makes the art” in his work? What does the artist’s actual hand have to do with the final work in a conceptual art context?
Sol Lewitt expresses the notion that “The idea is the machine that makes art” in Paragraphs on Conceptual Art (1967). It is implied that in the process of making a work of art, the written instruction and diagrams are to be sent out to performing equipment operators (In this case, the art students). This act challenges the role of the artist’s hand, changing it to resemble that of an engineer. Every decision is made meticulously before it reaches any hand. Colours and Planes are an abstract to Lewitt, pure idea than physical material.
Where do you draw the boundaries around the artworks in this video? What are the artworks? What strategies and tools does Ono use to challenge the viewer? Do you like any of these concept-works? Discuss.
The Artwork is nested among multiple scales. At the most largest scale, it is a video performance depicting Yoko Ono declaiming a list of instructions. The instructions representing another scale, a different aspect, that are predetermined. Similar to Lewitt, they are decided and coordinated before the act and hand of the artist.
Dressed in black, with a hat and circle sunglasses to match, Ono is slouched and perched on an ordinary bar-stool. Looking much like someone who may well have been to a funeral. A kind of To-do list is read out loud; spoken dispassionately, even ironically staged for five and half minutes. It makes for a challenging experience, not because the material and the execution is not interesting but because of it’s own disinterest and non-seriousness. It is quite literally Yoko Ono reading to a witness with a set of instructions to perform. It is quite humorous in that regard, making it successful as a provocative piece of work.
Describe two works by Bruce Nauman (include images) where he frames every day actions (non-heroic, banal) as art. How are they “framed” as art, and what does the framing do to our understanding and experience of the actions?
Double Poke in the Eye II, 1985 
Studies for Hologram, 1970
Bruce Nauman was inspired by a sense of helplessness, the creative block. When given an art studio, was lost as to what to do in that space. He reached out asking what he should be doing and the response he was given had a profound effect on Nauman. “Do what you do” was exactly he was told to do in the studio, cause if you are given an art studio you are expected to make art in it. In a way, it is a measure of artistic intent.
The art pieces I chose are framed curiosities. Both perform an activity. Double Poke in the Eye II(1985) is a comic animation of two profiles poking each other in the eye. made with neon lights, this piece feels like a sign, and signs function like directions, as if allowing the audience to know what is to be expected. The second image, studies for hologram(1970), is a silkscreen of a person holding their mouth open. This demonstration is possibly Nauman looking for a way to see how wide it opens.
Everything is examined.
A kilometre is a concept. Make a kilometre in any medium – photo, video, object, text etc.
As described in the assignment: “make sure to measure your kilometre in some way. Discuss your process in your description of your kilometre, and how you know it is precisely a kilometre. Don’t decorate your kilometre or make it “artistic” and masterful. Use only the necessary materials to be what it must be. “
What is a Kilometre?
Breaking down the word, Kilomtre is literally a measurement of a thousand, which prompts an additional question: A thousand of what?
Take into account that Artists like Lewitt, Ono, and Nauman were about the idea of what makes art. Nauman specifically was interested in performing activities within an art space -Nauman found the studio to be the measurement of what consitutes as art and non-art.
The following are a list of requirements for the assignment.
The final activity was decided to be a morning walk to Royal Park in Guelph with my partner. measured out our thousand (or two thousand?) with an app. Photos of where we started and ended up were taking, as well as a intermediate photograph of the space and time between. The final measurement was captured while watching the phone’s screen and screen-capturing that data as it reached 1km.
Justin:
W1:
Excellent notes on Sol Lewitt, Yoko Ono, Nauman complete and very good evidence of curiosity and engagement with material.
Kilometre image and description – seems related to conceptual practice, I like how you showed all your thinking, and each component could be an expression of a KM. I like how you measured the kilometre precisely and how you documented it in multiple forms. Which do you find most interesting though?
W2: Image of Abramovic/Stillness gesture, and description complete and a great simple idea! I appreciate you made yourself uncomfortable/challenged and even embarrassed – to create interest and meaning in the work– this is hilarious to be under the low coffee table! I’d love to see this as a video, with all the ambient sound of a normal household going on, and you doing this absurd gesture. Wish there was a bit more reference to Abramovic specifically– and a sense you were engaged with that material/ideas.
W3: 6 conceptual sentences are complete and get the idea – to write the simple formula for actions in each piece, as opposed to broader themes. Defenestration image and description are good, wish it had more clarity (when it does the images are better) and more “air” or sky… but I think there should be more reason to throw the keyboard than just because it was around… maybe something frustrated, or about language even… could throwing a keyboard up in the air be a kind of performed poem? Ha! More possibilities to explore/express here, and there should always be a good reason for every choice.
W4: Good notes on Adad’s work to get his formula, and I like your Distancing video,you’re your partner’s performance of stillness. I think it’s good she had a bag, and was really doing something in a real moment, caught in this portrait. Consider having more lighting in front of your subject next time, instead of in the background.
Good effort on these pieces, do go through and think about all the lecture materials and references as thoroughly as you can, there are a lot of good ideas there and make sure everything is intentional. Good work, it’s fun having you in the class!
If you would like to talk with me about your work in progress, readings, exercises, one-on-one comments on your work, and grades – send me an email in the morning to book a 15 minute appointment during my office hours: Thursdays 1:30-3
And you can show up to a zoom meeting with Nathan anytime during these hours to ask your questions, and get tech support for using software and finishing your projects:
Mondays and Thursdays 1-4pm