KVB113
Australian Art and Identity
Semester 1, 2018
Assessment 2: Essay
Hyunjoo Jun
N10171088
Week 7: Conceptual Art, Performance and Neo-Expressionism
Conceptual art, namely post-object art or art-as-idea, chiefly refers to the mid-latter 20th century art movement whose artworks are characterised by their medium of concept that is manipulated by language (Lisa S. Wainwright 2018, para. 1). This idea of art as an idea originated from Marcel Duchamp’s conceptual approach to art in early 20th century that was reappraised between 1950s – when the beat generation emerged - and 1960s – the decade of counterculture, as well as the beginning of Australia’s active contribution in global art theory (Elif Cakıroglu 2014, 1; Andrew McNamara 2018). Underscoring
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By analysing their work Superknit series, AM-PM and 1-6 Mirror Piece, conceptual art is identified to be both historically and inventively pivotal in the 20th century’s art history as it was a critical impetus of the transition from the modernism to contemporary …show more content…
Wainwright. “conceptual art.” Britannica Online Academic Edition, February 1, 2018. http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/435742.
McNamara, Andrew. (2018). "KVB113 Australian Art and Identity: Conceptual Art, Performance Art and Neo-Expressionism." Lecture Recording, March 1, 2018. https://lecturecapture.qut.edu.au/ess/echo/presentation/6bfc404e-1611-4493-be42-4d0fc388e139.
Robert Rooney: The Box Brownie years 1956-58. 2013. Exhibited Melbourne: Centre for Contemporary Photography. Exhibition catalogue.
Smith, Terry. One and five ideas : on conceptual art and conceptualism. Durham: Duke University Press.
Stephen, Ann. “An antipodean view of ‘Conceptual Art in Britain 1964-1979.” Art Monthly Australia (293): 60–63. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1822935672/.
Thomas, Daniel. 2017. "Robert Rooney: voice of the 'secret life of the suburbs." Last modified April 6, 2017. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/visual-arts/robert-rooney-voice-of-the-secret-life-of-the-suburbs/news-story/4c1ff3a8384cbb43f97cc603fd0e6a56
Ward, Frazer. “Some Relations between Conceptual and Performance Art.” Art Journal 56 (4):
Unknown (2014). Glossary of Art Terms. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/glossary#w. [Last Accessed 28 April 2014].
Controversial artists such as Mike Parr and Stelarc place emphasis on shock-value and meaning rather than traditional skills and aesthetics, and use their own bodies as a medium, while working with new mediums and technology such as video, performance, sound, and robotics. As Postmodern art continues to push the boundaries of what is - and isn’t acceptable as art, the general public is left to wonder ‘what comes next?’.
... performance pieces from becoming materialized via their documentation, one still finds many discreetly taken photographs and videos of his pieces circulating the web. Likewise, the reception of Yoko Ono’s 2003 reprisal of Cut Piece (1964) as captured by CBSnews.com’s article, “Crowd Cuts Yoko Ono’s Clothing Off” is typical of the sensationalized reception which characterizes the market consumption of avant-garde practices . So Burger was right in saying the culture industry consumes the most radical of gestures, for no one is completely outside the market, the circuit of exchange. On the other hand, no one is completely inside of it—there remain parts of humanity to which the market can stake no claim, Following this, we can perhaps write this addendum to the avant-garde demand: to integrate art within life-praxis, and make visible what is absent from both .
Aboriginal art is widely associated with the primitive and primordial nature of the Australian Indigenous culture. However, as it has become more popular globally, one must consider the authenticity of the Aboriginal art sold on the contemporary market. Eric Michaels essay, ‘Bad Aboriginal Art’ (Michaels, 1988) exposes his concerns with how we define certain art as being genuinely ‘Aboriginal’ and questions what external influences exploit and influence the validity and authenticity of Aboriginal art. The essay summons readers to question what they identify with Australian culture and whether or not White Australians have disordered the meaning of Indigenous art.
Art is trapped in the cage of society, constantly being judged and interpreted regardless of the artist’s intent. There is no escaping it, however, there are ways to manage and manipulate the cage. Two such examples are Kandinsky 's Little Pleasures, and Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. Both pieces were very controversial and judged for being so different in their time, but they also had very specific ways of handling the criticism and even used it to their advantage. We will be looking at the motivations for each artwork, what made the art so outrageous, and the public’s reaction to the pieces.
ABSTRACT: British Avant-Garde art, poses a challenge to traditional aesthetic analysis. This paper will argue that such art is best understood in terms of Wittgenstein¡¦s concept of "seeing-as," and will point out that the artists often use this concept in describing their work. This is significant in that if we are to understand art in terms of cultural practice, then we must actually look at the practice. We will discuss initiatives such as the work of Damien Hirst, most famous for his animals in formaldehyde series, and that of Simon Patterson, who warps diagrams, e.g., replacing the names of stops on London Underground maps with those of philosophers. Cornelia Parker¡¦s idea that visual appeal is not the most important thing, but rather that the questions that are set up in an attempt to create an "almost invisible" art are what are central, will also be discussed. Also, if we concur with Danto¡¦s claims that "contemporary art no longer allows itself to be represented by master narratives," that Nothing is ruled out.", then it is indeed fruitful to understand art in terms of seeing-as. For application of this concept to art explains what occurs conceptually when the viewer shifts from identifying a work, as an art object, and then as not an art object, and explains why nothing is ruled out.
Dorne, Albert. "Is Illustration Art?" Ed. Walt Reed and Roger Reed. The Illustrator in America, 1880-
Goldwater, Robert and Marco Treves (eds.). Artists on Art: from the XIV to the XX Century. New York: Pantheon Books, 1945.
The twentieth century has witnessed many transformations in the ways we produce and respond to works of art. It has seen the rise of altogether new media, approaches, and a wealth of new interpretative frameworks. The emergence of manufactured goods, modernism, and a ubiquitous mass culture contribute to the upheaval, in the 1960’s and 70’s, of established art practices and approaches. Pop Art emerges as an important response to, extension of, or parody of what Clement Greenberg called “Ersatz culture” and “kitsch”, which, to paraphrase Greenberg, represent the omnipresent abominations of commercial and replicated art (Greenberg 9). This essay will observe and discuss the interaction of Canadian pop culture, art, and identity in Joyce Wieland’s “O Canada (Animation)”, and will underline how works of Pop Art serve to elevate kitsch into “a new state of aesthetic dignity” (Eco 228).
Before beginning our discussion on the chosen Australian surrealists, background discussion of surrealism, its influence and impact, is necessary. Surrealism is the first international art movement in Australia. In fact, European surrealists perceive Australia as a “surrealist place” because of its vastness, its distance from the other continents and its appeal as a “down under”. When the surrealist movement b...
Burton, David. "Exhibiting Student Art." Virginia Commonwealth University Journal 57.6 (2004): 41. eLibrary. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective. Vol 2.13th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/ Cengage Learning, 2010.
Barnett, Peter. “The French Revolution in Art”. ArtId, January 7th 2009. Web. 5th May 2013.
Stone, W. F. (1897). Questions on the philosophy of art;. London: Printed by William Clowes and Sons.
Man has long created art, this much is certain. However, man has never ultimately defined art. There are so many things which qualify as art and as many qualities to each piece that trying to find answers only seems result in more questions. The formalist theory of art, as present by Clive Bell, makes an attempt at defining art and answering many of these questions. Below is a discussion of the formalist theory; its definition, its strengths, and its weaknesses as evidenced by the work of Clive Bell.