Reviewing the Arts – Summer 07

Review Assignment #1 (4-5 pages) DUE IN CLASS on June 12th: Choose any “issue-oriented” performance, set of images, film, cartoon strips, etc. to review. While writing the review, keep in mind the thoughts/ideas brought up in the readings we’ve done thus far in class. Write the review in first person and approach your writing with a personal tone that reflects your feelings and thoughts about both the “issue” and the ways in which the art piece you’ve chosen addresses this issue. Your review should certainly address the thematic elements, aesthetics, and ideology of the art piece in an intelligent, thoughtful way, but let your “person” come through in the writing – let the reader know that you, as an author, are present.

* 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?)

Consider the following examples of culture jamming and street art:

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.

PLEASE BE SURE TO SEE THE REGULAR ASSIGNMENT DUE TODAY BELOW (Response Assignment #5) 

If you want/need extra credit (worth the equivalent of one response assignment):

Find your own example of “culture jamming,”  send me your image via email, and then explain in this blog why you believe it is an example of culture jamming (I’ll post the image after you’ve blogged).

Read “Confronting Head-On the Face of the Afflicted,” by Joyce Carol Oates, from Crisis of Criticism, and then answer one set of the following questions:

• 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?

Blog Response DUE ONLINE by 6 p.m. on June 5th:

Reading Due: 

• Croce, Arlene. “Introduction” and “Discussing the Undiscussable,” Crisis of Criticism (handout given in class).

Below are some questions that you may consider for the next response. You are not expected to answer all of these questions – you could focus on just a few that you find most interesting. You are also free to ask and answer other questions you may have that are not listed here:

• In Croce’s essay, she says that she has not seen Bill T. Jones’s “Still/Here” and doesn’t plan to review it. According to Croce, why will she not review the dance performance? What is your response?
• Croce brings up the term “victim art” within her (non)review of Jones’s dance performance. What exactly do you think Croce means by the term “victim art”? Do you agree or disagree with Croce’s term “victim art” and why?
• Croce’s essay brought on a slew of critical responses, some suggested that while Croce’s essay was understandably controversial, Croce also had some good arguments. What might those be? What did Croce argue about art and/or our ways of perceiving it that actually have logical merit?

EXTRA CREDIT question (you must answer this along with one above to receive extra credit): In Croce’s essay, she argues a certain point of view in regards to what she believes consitutes art or makes it valuable as art. In what ways does each author reflect (however explicit or subtle) one of the main arguments of either Plato, Bell, Tolstoy or Winterson?

** Always, always back up your thoughts with some example, quote, or explanation.

Blog Response DUE ONLINE by 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 31st

Read the following:

The Guardian | 2002 | What is art for? by Jeanette Winterson

Then, answer any one set of questions below, incorporating your understanding of at least two of the three readings into your response:

• According to each author, what makes art valuable? Must art carry a message? Must it demonstrate technical expertise? Or must it simply be aesthetically pleasing?
• According to the authors, must art do something to be worthy of being called art? And if so, what must it do? Explain why you answered the way/s you did. Also, note the similarities or differences between the readings.
• How do the authors of the assigned readings view the relationship between art and its audience? Does art have a greater responsibility to its audience than the audience to art? Do any of the essays we’ve read reflect your own beliefs? How?
• When considering the value and/or significance of art, do you think a piece of art stands alone (or should stand alone)? Or do you think knowing something about the artist is important and/or necessary? What do our readings thus far suggest?

Blog Response DUE ONLINE by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29th 

Read each of the following and then respond to ONE of the questions within EACH reading (at bottom). You can either post two separate blogs or one.

• Excerpts from What Is Art? by Leo Tolstoy
• Excerpts from “The Aesthetic Hypothesis,” in Art, by Clive Bell

Again, I suggest that you take a look at the discussion questions first, so that you will have them in mind while reading (and can take notes or highlight as needed). And again, just ignore the page count requirement, but make sure that you utilize textual evidence to support your thoughts.

Blog Response DUE ONLINE by 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 24th

Respond to one of the questions within the “Excerpts from Plato“ reading. I suggest that you take a look at the discussion questions first, so that you will have them in mind while reading (and can take notes or highlight as needed). Ignore the minimum page count (that was for when students handed it in); though do make sure that your response is thoughtful and incorporates some textual evidence (quotes, paraphrasing, etc.).

Inform me immediately if you are having problems accessing either the reading or the blog.

MAKE SURE YOU PUT YOUR FIRST NAME ON ANY POST YOU WRITE.

Hi folks! For weekly assignments, you will be asked to blog here. Respond to each assignment by clicking on the “comments” link (until someone posts the first comment, it’ll read “no comments”). The assignments will vary – between responses to your readings, thoughts about class discussions, assignments to locate images and/or other articles/blogs that refer to the topic, etc. So be sure that you check this blog before each and every class!

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!