Uncategorized – Experimental Studio 1 W24

AIDS response

Throughout my own private journey of political thought, the place social media has in “the revolution” (this is how I will refer to my ideal end goal of peace, community, and the end of discrimination as I see possible.) is something I’ve spent time pondering. I think that social media movements and participating in them ultimately have one solid purpose: showing solidarity. I am reminded of the song “The Revolution Will not be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron though when I think of any actual real-world application of these methods. The reason “Love” despite its political intention by that of the artist could not prosper in being a good revolutionary tool is that it was too performative. Much like acts of solidarity on social media it is done often with good intention and is not inherently evil or wrong. It is my feeling however that the word as an emblem of peace encourages feelings of joy and togetherness while not expressly cutting ties with those that work directly against peace. Works like the “AIDS” piece are much more powerful expressly because of the way they alienate those who fear the queer community and subsequently aids victims. For marginalized groups peace is not possible when powerful groups exclude them, we cannot spoon feed “peace” to those who won’t face their sins. Revolution in my eyes is not possible through social media, “The Revolution will not be Televised” and it will take the active role of those who are able to band together and remind those who are supposedly in power that the real power lies in the people.

“Pin-Seption” Ana Lilliman 2024

The purpose of a pin is to express something about one’s self in hopes of finding like minded individuals. Whether it be a band you like, a cause you believe in or just a silly picture of a koala we put pins on in hopes that other people will look at them and go “aha I do that” (like the vine). Personally I am someone who shares a lot about myself. I am a sensitive pisces baby and letting others know that in public settings makes me feel seen and not talking about myself feels like hiding a dirty secret(I hate that!) . Something I’ve had to learn as I’ve gotten older is that just because people know things about me doesn’t mean they know me in the deeper sense. In this piece “Imma pin” as in I am both the round flat button pin in costume form (a-la inspiration from Megan’s thesis performance) as well as I’m depicted as a naked felted lapel pin. This is to tie the relationship between identity and the physical body. As someone raised as a woman I was taught to believe that my body was the most interesting important part of my identity growing up. Now I’m certain it isn’t. But what is? Certainly not my favourite band, my trauma or my mistakes. This however seems to be the basis for the beginning of all of my relationships whether platonic or romantic. They have all grown deeper but I guess that’s the role of a pin/my performance. I tell you and show you a lot about myself in this piece both through that of my silly song, my dance and the actual words telling you that I am a pin on my costume. But what do you really learn about me? Do you feel closer? Do you want to know more? The point of a pin is to curate that first impression I suppose and well…..I’mma Pin. It’s just silly but it’s also more but it’s just silly.

Reading Response 2

Throughout my own private journey of political thought the place social media has in “the revolution” (this is how I will refer to my ideal end goal of peace, community and the end of discrimination as I see possible.) is something I’ve spent time pondering. I think that social media movements and participating in them ultimately have one solid purpose: showing solidarity. I am reminded of the song “The Revolution Will not be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron though when I think of any actual real world application of these methods. The reason “Love” despite its political intention by that of the artist could not prosper in being a good revolutionary tool is that it was too performative. Much like acts of solidarity on social media it is done often with good intention and is not inherently evil or wrong. It is my feeling however that the word as an emblem of peace encourages feelings of joy and togetherness while not expressly cutting ties with those that work directly against peace. Works like the “AIDS” piece are much more powerful expressly because of the way they alienate those who fear the queer community and subsequently aids victims. Today if this piece was posted to social media however it would likely be censored. For marginalized groups peace is not possible when powerful groups exclude them, we cannot spoon feed “peace” to those who won’t face their sins. Revolution in my eyes is not possible through social media, “The Revolution will not be Televised” and it will take the active role of those who are able to band together and remind those who are supposedly in power that the real power lies in the people. In conclusion, the “AIDS” piece would not be as powerful through social media today as it was on the streets and in the hands of the people throughout this history.

Lecture: Text Art and Artist Multiples/Editions

Barbara Kruger

*Untitled (Your Comfort is My Silence), 1981*

*Untitled (I Shop Therefore I Am), 1987*

Jenny Holzer

*Truisms billboard series, 1980s-present*

General Idea

Readings – General Idea & Artist Multiples

Individually, formulate a short response of either 200-300 written words or about 2 minutes of speaking (audio or video recording) using the questions (at the bottom of the page) as prompts for thinking. You might only be able to answer one question! Your response is due on the blog on Thursday March 28th. There will be time in class before then for group discussions.

AIDS Download

Replicate Download

Questions to Consider:

Recall how Pope.L harnessed “the power of the popular” in his performances in public places. How did General Idea do something similar with their editions?
How did General Idea link disease, politics, and the dissemination of their artworks through the idea of “viral transmission”? How do you think social media might have transformed this idea had the collective survived to present day?
Can the edition exist on the internet/social media? Is it important that editions can be “owned”?
Miller describes the AIDS edition as being “like a redundant thought balloon, spelling out what people already feared but refused to say.” If that in 1987 was AIDS, what might that be today?
What is the significance of the final sentence of Miller’s essay in relation to the concept of General Idea’s AIDS work(s)?

Félix González Torres

Félix González Torres (1957-1996) was a Cuban-American artist best known for his minimalist conceptual portraits featuring stacks of paper, beaded curtains, and mounds of colourful candies. He was also part of the artist collective Group Material.

“In the work of Félix González Torres, beauty is also a life force, affirming the presence of intense intimacy, closeness, our capacity to know love, face death, and live with ongoing unreconciled grief.”
bell hooks, “subversive beauty: new modes of contestation” (1994)

Key Works:

“Untitled” (Perfect Lovers) (1991) – Two identical clocks hanging side by side, touching, perfectly in sync with each other.

“Time is something that scares me… or used to. The piece I made with the ctwo clocks was the scariest thing I have ever done. I wanted to face it. I wanted those two clocks right in front of me, ticking. [….] The idea of pieces being endless happened because at that point I was losing someone very important.”
Félix González Torres, “All the Time in the World” (1991)

“Untitled” (1991) – A billboard featuring a photograph of an unmade made, drawing attention to the absence of the two bodies who had previously occupied it.

“Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) (1991) – A mound of candies individually wrapped in multicoloured cellophane. The mound weighs 175 lbs – the average weight of Torres’ partner, Ross – but this weight drops as gallery visitors are encouraged to take candies home with them. Portrait of Ross in L.A. is a conceptual representation of Ross and his body as he was dying of AIDS-related complications; it’s a portrait of loss and the experience of grief. As the mass of the mound diminishes, gallery staff replenish the candies back to 175lbs, and the cycle begins again until the exhibition of the work is over (or for an implied eternity).

“Untitled” (Loverboys) (1991) – A mound of blue and white candies individually wrapped in clear cellophane. This mound weighs approximately the combined weight of Torres and Ross. Again, gallery visitors are encouraged to take candies home with them, and gallery staff replenish the mound. With the two bodies together, Loverboys is less a meditation on loss and grief, and more about desire and consumption.

Works Cited
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Ed. Julie Ault. Steidl Publishers. 2006.

Lecture: Conceptual Portraits

Ana Mendieta

Tehching Tsieh

Adrian Piper

*The Mythic Being: I Embody Everything You Most Hate and Fear (1975*)

Nao Bustamante

Germaine Koh

Spring Hurlbut

Rehab Nazzal

Kablusiak

*Suviittuq! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ • Can’t be helped/Too bad! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯* *(2021)*

One Feat Three Ways

Artist Statement: SUITCASES

“Suitcases” is about the exploration of an impossible feat, using an item we are all familiar with. We all have experienced putting ourselves in strange, tight, situations: School lockers, small closets under the stairs, cabinets … We were curious to see what it would be like to try to zip ourselves into a suitcase, and drag it on or off scene. For this project, Lise was able to borrow three large suitcases, with the idea that we might be able to fit in at least one of them. Both Evelyn and Lise tried several different ways to actually fit inside the suitcases, with no success. At this point, we were not willing to accept that our idea was impossible. Evelyn called on her friend Sarah, who is tall and slim, and also very flexible. Fortunately, Sarah was also available to help us on a Saturday afternoon.

#1 The One-Shot

Evelyn selected one video demonstrating how she and Lise tried to fit into the largest suitcase, without success.

#2 The Sequence

Lise pulled clips from all the videos shot in one afternoon, and created a sequence that demonstrates the many ways we can try to fit into three different suitcases, and how we were finally successful when Sarah joined us. We also had some fun along the way.

#3 The Loop

Evelyn chose a video that begins with Sarah bringing a suitcase on scene, and climbing in and zipping herself into the suitcase. This was merged with a clip of Evelyn rolling the suitcase off screen, and looped several times.

While our concept has nothing to do with Bridget Moser, we were inspired by a moment in their performance where they sit in their suitcase. We have learned that we (at least Evelyn and Lise) can’t actually pack themselves into a suitcase and sneak onto a trip. We learned too that this was an exercise in trust. Sarah did not know Lise, and yet she was willing to let herself be crammed into a suitcase. She had some agency in that she zipped herself in, but it is a tiny, dark and cramped place.