Compared to the recent artist I've covered here, Ray Johnson's work seemed to have a particularly appealing visual aspect to it. I think his work was very much conceptual, but it was also meticulous and exciting in the visual sense--and this is a bit of relief. I think my final project idea is also somewhat similar to Johnson, in that I am in part the piece (more specifically my snake playing, I guess it's tough measure how much consciousness I actually retain during these sessions though--this is enough on this for now), I do not plan on committing suicide, however, but the ending might ultimately be similarly hopeless. (By the way I have officially began construction on Mahatma Candy, hopefully it will soon be finished).
In terms of Mary Jane Jacobs, I found her readings, lecture, Q and A, to be somewhat engaging, but at times a little to fast and reference-filled to follow. In general I really don't see my art in the way I think she was trying to accomplish it in. I think that other people could probably do a better job helping with the community than my artwork could. I think it would really be compromising some part of myself, though I'm not entirely sure what. The idea of working with art to help the community, in one way is like ethanol; because we need of one thing (oil/community projects) more than the other (corn/art), and we have a surplus of the other thing (corn/art), does not necessarily mean converting corn/art into fuel/community projects is truly efficient. I also feel that these projects do not necessarily break down the barriers of the 'white cube', but rather disguise them and make them more propagandistic; most of these projects are selected by those in the curatorial fields (like Mary Jane Jacobs) are often similar to everything else shown in museums, only now they are forced upon the public as the standard of 'decent' and/or successful art. In all honesty I think what Mary Jane Jacobs does seems very successful and well though out, I don't think I would ever be able to do it (I don't think I can plan that well), and I don't know if it is really breaking down that many barriers.
I completely agree about Johnson's work--it was very different visually from the other artists we've looked at so far and I really, really had a strong attraction to it. In a way it reminded me of some of your pieces, at least in the sense of the attention to detail and mark making process.
ReplyDeleteSomething about the hand-worked surfaces and human, intimate scale of Johnson's work seems a healthy break from museum spectacles and art viewed on screen. We can only hope it can all co-exist. And okay, the snake playing is the art but only if you truly believe it so.
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