The Propaganda Project

The Propaganda Project is a student project blog dedicated to the issue of propaganda and understanding it.
Earlier in the year Maddi Atherfold and I spoke about doing a collaborative project for drawing. She had been spoken to about "silencing" as a topic or discussion in her work. We thought about "silencing" as a basis for a project and as we work very differently, we had different takes on the word. Maddi's was very physical, with her structures held together by placement of her objects and sometimes string or rubber bands. I thought more of imagery, and setteled in the idea of propaganda.The collab and the work quickly disintergrated as such, but the ideas have still been floating around my head.

Mark, the collective from Elam School of Fine Arts, posted 3 links today. All of them, as always, were really interesting. One of the links was The Propaganda Project.

On the blog, there was a page called 'Questions for Consideration', and they are just that.

1)      Where do you generally draw the line between persuasion and propaganda?

2)      Do you feel that your education used propagandistic techniques to create consensus (for example, in high school history textbooks?)  How so?

3)      Do you think propaganda can at times be used in positive ways?

4)      Is it necessary, to some degree, to keep people in the dark (specifically when it comes to policy decisions made by the government)?

5)      Does human psychology make us susceptible to propaganda, or is its use a byproduct of the society we live in?

6)      How much responsibility should the public take in educating themselves, and how responsible are the media and government for providing accurate information?

7)      What do you think would be the effects of having a well-informed, critically thinking public?

The last one has particularly stuck with me. I am currently reading 1984 by George Orwell and (without spoiling it) have gotten to the end of the book, which at a particular part, literally made me jump with fright. No joke. It's that messed up.

(But it's messed up in a really, real way. Which makes it entirely more scary then any horror film.)

^hahahahahaha best.

 

1984 is a novel, one could describe as Science Fiction. Written in the 1930's by George Orwell, the son of a gun predicted, as such, many things about the future. Communication via 'telescreens' being one of them. The story is set in Oceania-one of 3 sections of our earth- the other two being Eastasia and Eurasia. Oceania is always at war with either one or the other.

At Oceania's heart lies the Party, made up of four Ministries. 

The Ministry of Love

The Ministry of Truth

The Ministry of Peace

and the Ministry of Plenty.

And in complete and utter power of everything and everyone, is Big Brother, *cue light bulb* always watching, always listening.

Inside the Ministry of Truth, works a man by the named of Winston, who finds himself questioning every part of his society and the regime he's confined to.

What does Winston do 'bout it?

I DUNNO, READ THE BOOK.


Picture sourced from http://www.serwer.wssm.edu.pl/~jakub_s/cms/?page_id=66

Curate and Critique

'Truth Is Concrete' 21st-28th September 2012

by iconoclasistas

"Truth is concrete is a 24-hour, 7-day marathon camp: for 170 hours more than 200 artists, activists and theorists lecture, perform, play, produce, discuss and collect useful strategies and tactics in art and politics. A full grant program additionally invited 100 students and young professionals from all over the world. The marathon is a platform, a toolbox as well as a performative statement. It is a machine that runs non-stop – often too fast, sometimes too slow. All day, all night. It produces thought, argument and knowledge, but it also creates frustration and exhaustion." - truthisconcrete.org

Go to the website www.truthisconcrete.org

There is a conversation about art and political action that's really worth a read. It explains the project and who's involved, there's even a link to a continuous live streaming of the events on 21st of September till the 28th.

"On our travels during the last one and a half years – be it to Zuccotti or Tahrir Square... Tunis, Rio or Buenos Aires – everywhere artists were among the first to get involved, among the first to join the political and social movements. But how did art, how did artistic strategies and tactics play a role? At a time when art, theory and practice seem to be constantly lagging behind reality? When art is seen more and more as a mere leftist hobby rather than a foundation of humanity?" - truthisconcrete.org

good questions.

The Russian Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale 2012

Interactive and engaging, the space is activated when viewers use the tablets and scan the codes. This is probably one of the coolest things i've seen in a while!

Some things I've been thinking about lately -

Finding an internship somewhere?

Where is there even a place to intern?

Where do Visual Arts people fit in to the whole scheme of things?

As much as I'd like my own practice, I'd like to do other things too;

like in a more corporate setting perhaps.

working along side design people.

And how can I learn those skills to broaden my knowledge?

In terms of my own practice;

What ideas am I focused on?

What interests me?

I will keep an inter-disciplinary approach to my work, but at present i'd like to focus on painting. I tried to explain to Andy a couple days ago that I go through stages, where I have a lot of energy and I turn to more performative work, more hands on. Then sometimes I get more tired, more inward and I find myself drawing or painting more. Of course I keep all aspects of making open; if I am painting I normally have objects around me that i've collected or found that I feel, contribute to the painting (and vice versa), or anything that I'm doing. I like to keep many conversations open, conversations meaning between object and painting etc. Work speaking to work, which really helps me to find pathways into new projects or thinking.

Recently I did a painting of a cat for my partner, for her birthday. The cat is her's. The cat is named Buddy. Buddy is suspended in air, sleeping, floating in green and teal space.

I think everything we do, whether it's specifically for studio work or a partner or a friend or whatever, contributes to ideas and also technique. Every painting, anything we do, furthers knowledge... and this cat painting that I didn't think much of, was something I loved doing, undeniably and lately, i've really been struggling with doing work I think will please others, and doing work that is enjoyable! I love figurative, I love people and things and animals and plants and things in this world and I love to draw them and paint them. That is what I love and why should that be lost? Is it not conceptual enough? Is it not contemporary? (These are just questions, I aint bein a smart ass)

And this all brings me back to the things I have been thinking about lately...

What do I do with this degree once i'm finished? What kind of job can I get?

I'm not interested in being a curator, i'm not, at this point, interested in ONLY having a personal practice. I'm interested in tutoring or lecturing at University, but not high school teaching.

So many things to think about.

Here's some photos of said cat painting (unfinished) Will get a nice finished photo of it, soon.

Dreaming the Mainstream; Science Fiction and Contemporary Art

Mark von Schlegell

Contemplating the relationship between Science Fiction and Contemporary Art

Jessica Stockholder Essays & Writings

Jessica Stockholder has done some interesting writings, check them out here.
Below is a collection of essays by Jessica Stockholder, Ann Lauterbach, Rochelle Feinstein and Sheila Lavrant de Bretteville (What a name!)

A lot of these writings from Stockholder are poetic examples of contextual statements which accompany her work and exhibitions. 

Powerful Art & Power

The essay by Ann Lauterbach is my favourite in this little collection. All four of them referrence their own experiences of September 11, 2001 and as a global event that's close to me in particular, the way Lauterbach speaks of the events and her experience as an American Poet was really engaging.