FREE HUGS!

One of the Giant Murals in the Xi'an Peasant Community

PROMPT: For those students who CAN NOT make Harrell Fletcher’s convocation, your need to research Art and Social Change. Can art really make a difference or is it just wishful thinking? Is Community Art more than just painting a mural or starting a garden? Explore the world of Art and Social Change/Community Arts and develop your own theory about it. Will it be signifcant in 20 years? What is your reasoning behind this theory? Research Harrell Fletcher’s career and pick one community art project to discuss in detail. Why did you choose it? If you had the chance to start your own Community Arts initiative, what would that be?

When Concert Choir went to China this December, we visited a community just outside of Xian. This peasant community is famous for it’s paintings. It was created during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) as an example to the outside world that common, everyday workers could create beautiful works of art. The community reminded me of a retirement community in Florida (Small streets, lots of little dogs). They took us to their town center where their were HUGE murals painted by people in the community. Their community center was filled with paintings and paper cuttings. Nowadays, the paintings reflect daily community life or celebrate ancient Chinese Customs. However, during the height of the Cultural Revolution, many of the paintings had a political spin (one of the paintings we saw was titles “Never Forget the State After a Good Harvest”). This community, while creating beautiful works of art, started as a political statement.

I believe that a lot of the time, community art can get lost in a political message. Inner City murals are sponsored by or supported by XYZ candidate and will conveniently be finished just in time for the next election. A really cool mural is actually an advertisement for So-and-so’s new album set to drop next week. A dancing flash mob happens to tell you, “Greek Life is CALLING YOUR NAME!” (Note: This is NOT a negative statement on Greek Life. I’m just looking for an example that hits closer to home). Just as we have discussed in this class: the line between Art and Advertisement is constantly being blurred. We as observers are constantly looking for the Artist’s angle or point. It’s difficult to appreciate art for art’s sake.

But in the case of Community Arts, that’s the whole point. This art was created to make a point. For the most part, it’s nothing as disconcerting as giant murals reminding a community of the power of the State. Sometimes the message is as simple as people writing down their hopes and dreams of what they want to do before they die (http://candychang.com/before-i-die-in-nola/). Either way, the community is creating something beautiful with hopes to inspire or remind. I kind of like to think of it as a gorgeous PSA.

In the case of Harrell Fletcher’s “More Everyday Sunshine”, the message is simply to pay attention. Instead of a giant sculpture or mural, Dr. Fletcher uses 14 solar powered spotlights that illuminate a seemingly random object along the Portland, OR street car line.

More Everyday Sunshine (was) a piece that didn’t really exist, and highlights forms already there. My hope was that nobody would complain about it a year later, that it was an eyesore. But maybe it’s too subtle, if people don’t know about it. (Harrell Fletcher, from “Stumptown Stumper” interview with the Portland Tribune)

The spotlights are never on anything that would particularly be considered “beautiful” (ie, a manhole cover, a patch of sidewalk, a patch of ground). Yet they make a pedestrian stop and give pause and maybe wonder, “Now why is that there?” There isn’t some underlying manifesto or advertisement. It appears that Dr. Fletcher is just asking us to take notice. The human race runs at lightening speed. At times it is refreshing to just take a moment reflect on the world around us.

If I were to ever start my on Community Art project, I would want it to be something similar to the “You Are Beautiful” campaign (http://www.you-are-beautiful.com/INSTALLATIONS.htm). The campaign started with simple stickers saying “You are Beautiful” being posted at random places (subway stations, backs of signs, parks). It has spread to a full on movement, all to simply remind people of their individual beauty.

I would like to do something similar, only apply a more personal aspect to the exercise. I believe the world is seriously lacking in human contact. We struggle to make real honest connections that could be as simple as shaking someone’s hand. With my campaign, I’d insist that the art be spread by human contact: whether that is a conversation, a handshake, or a hug. After the interaction, you share a button, sticker, or some form of portable artwork reminding the person that they are loved, and insist that they spread the love. Think “Free Hugs” campaign but with a tangible piece to it (http://www.freehugscampaign.org/). I believe that art is just another way to connect, so why not share it with another person?

CONNECT

Ok, so here’s what I’ve got:

Peep culture: unscripted entertainment that we use to consume other peoples’ real lives

Pop culture: scripted entertainment from actors.

People in this day in age spend their lives looking in on other people’s lives, whether it’s through facebook, twitter, myspace, or tumblr. We go to seek new connections, find lost friends, or look at pictures of cats with funny sayings underneath. What Dr. Fletcher asked was are we really connecting? Or are we simply glorified peeping Toms (just as bad as Degas).

In some ways, I believe facebook and the like can help foster better relationships with people. A person can find out up to the minute what someone’s day is out. Something interesting on facebook or twitter is a fantastic conversation starter and often more original than “Doesn’t Ohio weather suck?!”

Think a boy is cute? Pop over to his facebook profile and see if he’s single before you make the move. You can double check to see if he’s dating that girl he’s constantly with, or if he’s really interested in super cute dancer boy in your INST class.

Granted, in some ways this is kindof creepy. Starting a conversation with “I saw on your facebook…” can often come off as a bit stalker like. This connotation is slowly starting to fade though. We are broadcasting our lives and we must be prepared to respond to the audience.

There is a famous acting teacher, Jerzy Grotowski. He believed that theatre should be stripped of all the costumes, lights, scenery, and general glamour and be about one thing: the relationship between actor and spectator. He encouraged his pupils to reach out to the spectators and make the theatre they perform make the audience think about their own lives. (note: I’ve spent the past 20 minutes trying to reword that phrase…I just cant).

In a way, I believe that is what we are doing when we scroll through our facebook newsfeed. We are reaching out and trying our damndest to connect with people. Isn’t that what this is supposed to be about? Connecting?

Pretty Isn't Beautiful

Prompt: Why do you think there is a double standard when we look at gender in art verses in advertisements? Women seem to be idolized in fine arts while being exploited in advertisements and commercials.

I think the reason we consider the women idolized in fine arts is because we idolize fine arts (say it a couple times, I swear it makes sense). We place the great painters of the world on pedestals and don't dare think about the people in the picture. But if you take the time to think about it, all too often the women in the painting are being abused rather than idolized. Let's look an example.

Degas: The Ultimate Voyeur

When he wasn't painting Ballerinas, Degas had a fascination with the women of the Burlesque houses. He frequented the French Burlesque houses and often watched the performers dress, undress, and bathe. In these paintings, the models are often not facing or not looking out towards an audience (Think Woman Bathing and Le Toilette). The perspective appears rather voyeuristic Pablo Picasso composed a hilarious set of caricatures of Degas in 1950's. Many of theme feature Degas peering through a secret viewfinder into the private dressing rooms of the dancers. Many people in our class thought his paintings were the most beautiful. I couldn't get through my head that he was nothing but a Dirty old man.

Nevertheless, that is art. An advertisement first and only priority is to make you look. They don't want you to think about the angle that woman is lying on the ground. They want you to want the super hot man that is on top of her to be on top of you. And they want you to believe that Dolce and Gabbana "The One" can do that for you. And, because it makes us want, it is dirty and gross.

YET Andy Warhol covering copper with urine and semen from the New York bathhouses is artistic and deserves to be hung in the MOMA? (It exists. Google: "Andy Warhol" "Oxidation Paintings" "Piss Paintings")

Art makes you think. Advertisements make you want.

Testing, testing,

Lets see if this thing works. Here's a picture of my favorite Salvador Dali painting (and the name of my blog)