• Minsky, Richard. “FIRST-RATE ART IN “SECOND LIFE” – Jan. 2007
• Petronilla Paperdoll, “Book Art Museum to Open in SL” SLArt, 2007 (be sure to click on links within the article to better understand what they are talking about)

NO RESPONSE ASSIGNMENT – just read the above.

Presentations  

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Millenium Park / Jay Pritzger Pavilion 

Remembering Fela: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, with special guest DJ Rich Medina (Music Without Borders) 

Nigeria’s Seun Kuti is a great exponent of Afro Beat, the explosive political music invented by his father, Fela Kuti, in the 1970s. Seun plays with Egypt 80, his father’s original band. The 22-piece band boasts punching brass and rocking bass sections with a big band jazz/Afro funk sound complimented

Tuesday, July 10th: Kaaren, John, Collin, Nicole

Thursday, July 12th: Carolyn, Gabriel, Laura, Robert, Michael 

* You will each do an oral presentation of a review or example of art or media that you have chosen, focusing on how it reflects, informs, or contradicts what we have read and/or discussed up to that point (up to the date of your presentation). You may choose any review or example of art/media of any length, and in 8-10 minutes, you will discuss its relevance to our topic for that week. You will be a sort of mini-teacher during that time period, and you will have full use of the computer, DVD player, screen – whatever you need to make your oral presentation. The oral presentation will count as 15% of your total grade.

Not that this should affect many of you, since most of you will not be posting your response for next Tuesday’s blog until Monday or Tuesday, but I just wanted to let you all know that the server will likely be down over the weekend.

Kristin

* Keep in mind the basic elements and components of a review: summary, analysis, argument (your opinion and why), erudition or ‘outside’ knowledge, (your) tone and voice.

The following are just a few suggestions that will help you bring your personal tone to the review (you can use some, all, or none of them – choosing your own):

• Tell a brief personal story that connects your feelings, thoughts, and/or reactions to the art (e.g. what did this remind you of? Why? In what way/s did this particular piece speak to you?). 

• Be creative! Use metaphors, analogies, adjectives, adverbs, and feel free to experiment with your style of writing. Feel free to use either past or present tense (as if you are sitting in the audience at the moment watching the performance, for example) – just be consistent with whatever tense you choose. 

• Address the audience in a way that creates a sort of dialogue and makes the reader feel as if you are talking with him/her (e.g. use of “you” when addressing your reader, posing questions to your reader, or use of conversational language).

While writing the review, keep in mind some of the following (these are just some thoughts and questions to get you started and to help you approach the review, you are encouraged to also come up with your own questions):

• What exactly is the “issue” brought up by the art? 

• What is the art saying about this issue and how? (How does the art aesthetically and ideologically speak to this issue?)

• What, if any, was your emotional reaction to this art? Why? And how does your emotional reaction potentially speak to the effectiveness of the art (or lack thereof)? 

• What did you think about the art? Did it accurately reflect the issue? How did the art use aesthetics (colors, voice, props, costumes, lighting, lines, music, etc.) to further enhance or give power to the issue it addresses? (or in what ways did it not do those things?)

Bubble Project Manifesto

Respond to the following questions:

• In what ways might street art and culture jamming be similarly motivated? In what ways are the two different? What, if any, purpose does each serve? And are the effects of each similar or different? and how so? GIVE EXAMPLES.
• Note the aesthetic and stylistic elements of each genre of art and discuss what makes each particularly effective. GIVE EXAMPLES.

• Discuss Oates response to Croce with a focus on the term “victim art.” Does Oates take primary offense at the use of the term “victim art” or Croce’s claim that such art is “beyond criticism”? Why? Explain your response and provide textual evidence (quotes, paraphrases and/or examples from the text) to back up your conclusion.
• In what ways are Oates’ arguments both convincing AND unconvincing? Where are the strengths in her arguments? Where are the flaws? Again, explain your response and provide textual evidence (quotes, paraphrases and/or examples from the text) to back up your conclusion.
• Oates utilizes multiple examples in an attempt to argue that history is full of art that points to painful and authentic experience, but we do not render it ”beyond criticism” as did Croce with the Bill T. Jones’ dance. However, what is the primary (and perhaps the most significant) difference between Oates’ examples and the Bill T. Jones’ dance (not)reviewed by Croce?

I am more concerned about quality of writing than quantity. In other words, I will not ask that you write a certain length or amount, but am rather more interested that your responses are critical, thoughtful, and creative.
* If, after your first or second posting, you do not see your blog post right away, it’s because it has probably gone into moderation (for me to approve), so don’t panic. After a few postings, the blog will then begin to automatically accept your posts without the need for moderator approval.

* If you have any questions about how to use this blog or about any particular assignment, do not hesitate to contact me!