WORK 1

Topic

Art, Why?

The questions of art, today

The issues and conditions that frame art, theory and practice

The question of meaning and the world

Why a concept? Why new aesthetic experiences?

Between ideas and actions: Why to experiment?

The triangulation of idea, method, medium, process and distribution

PROMPT

1. Each student selects an object that is ‘meaningful’ to him-her.

2. You bring the object to section class

3. Objects will be placed on table

4. Through a lottery people will end up with an object (not their own)

5. Each person will inject ‘meaning’ into the selected object: Each person will say something about the ogject, fictionalizing why this object might be ‘meaningful.’

6. Sign non-damage claus

7. Each student will retain the selected object (not their own) and will ‘produce’ a visual work with it (this is due during next section meeting)

8. The evolution of this visual work, its format and medium will be guided by TA’s during section.

BRIEF

continue narrating the biography of your ‘object’ gift. What do you want it to be, and to do? What does it suggest to you?... Particular placement, useage, ritual treatment? Visible or invisible? Shared, displayed, hidden? Played with, worked with, talked to, abused? what are it’s origins? How was it made,  and out of what? It is up to you to decide on the space-time context in which to situate this imaginary. Try to veer away from a conventional/ stereotypical portayal of the object: be inventive and challenge these associations.

Playfully research and visually document the object’s alternative history, in a way that is surprising and convincing.

Possible mediums include film, photography, diagram, collage, performance – or any other material/process that feels appropriate.

You may wish to adopt/adapt the guise and method of an ‘object specialist’ who works in a particular way and on a specific scale in time and space (i.e. archaeologist, anthropologist, architect, mechanic, neuroscientist.)

Perhaps your own non-art discipline suggests a particular apporach, in which case, feel free to adopt this languge and roll with it.

n.b. The object must be returned to it’s owner on Monday in its original state (i.e. not damaged/ altered in any way).

Due to slow beginnings, the abstract for this work will be due shortly after critique on Wednesday 24^th Jan. You may therefore find it helpful to begin drafting written abstract (500 words max) over the weekend, along with the production of physical work.