EEA211 Lecture Notes

Thursday 2-5pm - D2.167

Week 1 – Wednesday 12th March

Art can be multi-sensory – e.g. smell – shit-making machine at MONA – the smell is overwhelming

Create- think – create – think cycle

EEA211 – perceptions of aesthetics are not the only way to evaluate art –

This subject is about ‘What is art?’ ‘What is good art?’

Culture & Context – define whether a work is really art – or e.g. just a decorative item – e.g. taking a cultural artefact and using it as decor in one’s home. Change of purpose – may relate to

Status
Power

Understanding of how the image etc. works may help us to use our work more effectively to attain its purpose.

Assessment

The activities on Cloud are for personal development – Merinda will direct us about the requirements of her class.

There will be 4 small tasks – some in class

Major project – introduced early – a well-thought-through completed piece of art

+ Reflective statements – for each of the projects

(The electives on Cloud are offered to a range of faculties – e.g. education. Merinda will tailor this to the Visual Arts.)

From today – classes will be in the Mac lab – Also some making in the lab.

Medium chosen may be digital – hard copy – or some combination – layering of various media.

The visual arts and visual culture –

Visual culture – may be tied to a cultural meaning – e.g. signs/semiotics, advertising is all pervasive,

‘signs can almost render themselves impotent – because they are overwhelming’ – in a different language they may become different aesthetic objects – decoding is reliant on cultural background.

Clothing of a culture/hairstyle – all that is visual

To develop a more critical eye to how the artist or ad – is manipulating us/or may contain a hidden meaning.

Activity

Small groups – images to decode

With Meg,

Image 1

Cindy Sherman – image (photo) dead? woman – against a garden bed – rape/bashing/murder – is this a staged image? Sherman transforms herself –

Visual elements – purple, focus on the eyes – dirty clothes – flower bed. (NB - Sherman's whole practice is to use herself as the figure in the image)

Why do artists look at the work of other artists? To see whether there’s success in the work and how it’s elicited. We bring our pre-conceived notion to every image we look at.

Hair style – equating with middle class – poverty trying to dress up? Rather like an old-fashioned statue – 1920s slapper? Stereotyping – e.g. forensic photography.

The brain likes to stereotype

Example – of a set-up woman – under a pile of rubble – e.g. Mark Jenkins – playing with the idea of the catastrophe (as portrayed in news item).

The photo is the signifier – the signified is what the photo depicts. E.g. in the Cindy Sherman – a manipulation of how the person perceives – a destabilising of one’s view of the world. This is Sherman’s raison d’être.

e.g. the visual depictions from ISIS – manipulation of digital platforms to sell and idea and provoke fear in us. E.g. the face mask to make soldiers generic not individuals – the weapons, the same dress, view point (position of power above the subjected), images look like a multitude of followers – but may only be a few. Destabilisation of the individual, e.g. in Nazi propaganda – the ideology overtook the whole thing.

Image 2- Broken Cross – swastika

Nazi symbol – only from 1930s. A use of appropriation – (nb need to be aware of issues of copyright)
Swastika – reversed (for the Nazi symbol)
Chinese character – the manji – Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism
Perfection – perfect symmetry – equations – power symbol
Culture and context

The symbol is Indian – in Hinduism and Buddhism – good luck symbol – reversed from the Nazi symbol

Semiotics – the throwing of two things together so that the first image can be represented by the second – scales of justice, dove of peace, hope, love, Artists may parody this, destabilise this, debunk it.

Rose – beauty, love, fashion,

NB movies also use symbols – and create/play on them.

CF Ron English – check out his work – playing with stereotypes – feeding into material culture.

Image 3 Use of text in art – and text in advertising

Image – Barbara Kruger

I shop therefore I am –"I think therefore I am" (Descartes) – play on words.

Discussion of philosophy – are we thinking this way when we shop.

Is Kruger inviting us to think about what we’re thinking.

Do we need to be more vigilant in how we shop? Or, I’m worthy because I shop – you’re just the shop girl. Are we defined by our shopping?

We are consumed by consumerism.

Move to the Mac Lab.

Part 2 – Fun and games in the lab

NB – Merinda will give out 4 activities (don’t choose from the Cloud)

Barbara Kruger - Uses not just images and photos – uses projections – e.g. also makes installations – e.g. a bus in NY wrapped in her text

NB lots of art is now outside of galleries – in other art spaces – or non-art spaces.

Kruger’s work is very magazine pictorial/photo collage/background in advertising. Uses this in her art – nuance, double entendre, provocation, text strips (cultural meaning),
Still working in the USA.
Is a good example of an artist who uses text within her work. Both image and text are important.

Merinda constantly emphasises that everyone brings a unique understanding to art based on their background and experiences.

‘When you’re an artist you must create work that has meaning for you, or you lose interest in it.’ MK

For second project – think of subject that is interest to you –relate it to who you are as a person, identity. It’s impossible to divorce who you are from your work.

Working at university is like building some foundations and scaffolding for your personal home – what will the rooms be? Thinking through practice – theory – thinking – reflecting – making – a cycle of work

First assignment – use Barbara Kruger – incorporate some text and image into a piece of work – credit the image (as it’s education) play with text, double meaning, parody, humour, sarcasm etc. Give it your own twist. – are you a feminist, news that is interesting you, politicism etc,

Don’t have to stick with the Kruger use of colour – produce it digitally or by hand.

Geelong After Dark –

Create an artwork that can be projected onto Deakin Waterfront building in GAD. 8th May.

Also – keeping a journal – via a website.

Merinda just needs the URL – for marking. Take photos of work, upload, annotate – keep developmental work.

Submit work this way – leading to a digital portfolio for this subject.

IN the journal –

Document notes
readings, reflection about learning , how this connects with the work you are making
Think about manipulation of text, colour, scale of font – and font itself (for assignment 1) - - a paragraph about why you used for this activity.
Take images of the process – screen shots – photos – try manipulating facets of the work on a hard copy. Change text around – does this reflect the message?

Do you want to shock? What is your choice for reaction for your work? Will what you have now work?

Brit-pop work of the 1990s –e.g. Tracy Emin, Damien Hirst

Tracy Emin – exposition of the work of Emin as how a woman can behave rather than how she is perceived to have to behave – e.g. the artist’s bedroom – Emin is articulating things that we wouldn’t normally show to the world.

Read the website Cloud for Barbara Kruger, the meaning of text. (You don’t have to do every single activity – but document if you do.)

It sometimes takes time for people to understand artists and their meaning.Artists are observing, documenting and reflecting from within and also from stepping outside.Artists may be ahead of everyone else in some areas.E.g. – using ephemera – within their work – e.g. industrial items, (*the use of 'what is to hand' to make an art work – multi-media, installation etc.)

Jeff Koons – e.g. his metallics inflatables are now part of pop culture and purchasable – or the Michael Jackson sculpture – drawing inspirational from kitsch. Scaled up – (does the artist stick to his/her image?)

For the first activity – the image/text may be e.g. installation/sculpture

Other artists who use text and image.Jenny Holzer –

Geelong After Dark – 8th May

Could be projections on outside of buildings - MK is looking at getting a grant/support from people who have the equipment.

Basic structure of the term and tips

4 weeks to intertrimester break – the 1 week with no classes

Allow for around 10 weeks of work

Acknowledge any images you have used. Artists have a right of attribution.

Suggestion to Use Wix.com for a website. (or other platform that students may be familiar with).

merinda.k@deakin.edu.au Merinda’s email address.

EEA211 Navigating the Visual World

Summary from Merinda - Session 1: 9-13th March: lntroducing the Unit

Introduction to the course and assessment tasks.

Provide overview of cloud content, discussing suggested ways to navigate the layout.
View course outline and weekly content. Once into the EEA211 cloud materials click the heading resources on the top navigation bar. Then click the Geelong Burwood and Waterfront link on the left. We will be following the topic order listed there.
please note: You are not expected to complete all of the activities presented in the cloud. lt is essential that you read the weekly content however you only need to access additional readings and links according to your specific academic interests.
The four activities for the first assessment will be set in class by Merinda Kelly. Remember, you do not have to undertake the activities as stated in the unit guide unless you choose to do so.

Presentation of portfolio for assessment

You are encouraged to set up a website or online portfolio to document your engagement with the readings and activities. E.g. WIX

lnclude:

Visual and written evidence of your weekly reading and critical engagement with the cloud content.
Links to key readings and authors/artists/concepts of personal interest. This will form an excellent resource for your future reference as access to the cloud material ceases after the unit has been completed.
Reflections and notes based on class discussions and short tasks.
Visual examples and annotated screen shots which reflect the thinking underpinning your responses to the activities.
A final reflective paragraph for each of the four activities.
Your major assignment and reflective statement.
There may be an opportunity to participate in the 'Geelong after Dark' Project. More information will be forthcoming as soon as possible.

Hard copy visual diaries and physical works may be submitted for assessment if preferred.

Visual examples:

What has happened to the woman in this picture? Cindy Sherman
What does this symbol mean? lndian swastika :'
What is this message really saying?