Comments on: Deciphering Contemporary Art http://nycjunta.com/2010/04/19/deciphering-contemporary-art/ Strong opinions, strong drink Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:24:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John J. McGurk http://nycjunta.com/2010/04/19/deciphering-contemporary-art/comment-page-1/#comment-400 John J. McGurk Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:54:28 +0000 http://nycjunta.com/?p=447#comment-400 Emergency Broadcast Network, some of the originals in this musical video mash up style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO_FlmXlIRM&feature=related Emergency Broadcast Network, some of the originals in this musical video mash up style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO_FlmXlIRM&feature=related

]]> By: John J. McGurk http://nycjunta.com/2010/04/19/deciphering-contemporary-art/comment-page-1/#comment-399 John J. McGurk Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:40:09 +0000 http://nycjunta.com/?p=447#comment-399 Jeremy, this is an interesting thread that the discussion could take. I am sure we will jump around, but this is a particularly interesting idea about the idea of originality. In particular in the light of copyright law and its use/over use. There are a tons of artists working in this realm, to many to name, but a couple over the past few years that have stirred the pot from time to time are the Yes Men and 0100101110101101.org. Corporate spoofing, high design impersonation, and general mischief in the activist art scene. Links to their sites are below: http://0100101110101101.org/ http://theyesmen.org/ It also makes me think of the very famous essay in 1936 by Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. In it he talks about what new technologies will do to art: its creation, its dissemination, and its reception by the public at large. He focuses on authenticity and the authors voice. It is a classic, worth checking out in anticipation of our discussion. You can check it out here: http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm I will try to post some more links and ideas in the run up to the live discussion. Jeremy, this is an interesting thread that the discussion could take. I am sure we will jump around, but this is a particularly interesting idea about the idea of originality. In particular in the light of copyright law and its use/over use. There are a tons of artists working in this realm, to many to name, but a couple over the past few years that have stirred the pot from time to time are the Yes Men and 0100101110101101.org. Corporate spoofing, high design impersonation, and general mischief in the activist art scene. Links to their sites are below:

http://0100101110101101.org/

http://theyesmen.org/

It also makes me think of the very famous essay in 1936 by Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. In it he talks about what new technologies will do to art: its creation, its dissemination, and its reception by the public at large. He focuses on authenticity and the authors voice. It is a classic, worth checking out in anticipation of our discussion. You can check it out here:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm

I will try to post some more links and ideas in the run up to the live discussion.

]]> By: Jeremy Hurewitz http://nycjunta.com/2010/04/19/deciphering-contemporary-art/comment-page-1/#comment-398 Jeremy Hurewitz Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:41:36 +0000 http://nycjunta.com/?p=447#comment-398 I feel that art is just a distraction from the hopeless nihilistic ennui that plagues our existence.... No, I'm kidding, I just really wanted to write that. I think the topic looks great and we're going to have several people that are either artists or very interested in the subject. I'm interested in the statement by Helene Hegemann, the teenage German novelist whose book created a sensation and then was hit with charges of plagiarism. She contends that a new generation of artists has grown up with mix-tapes/mash-ups and the like the conventional idea of plagiarism doesn't hold anymore. I'm particularly intrigued by her quote that "there is no originality, only authenticity"; I think this will be relevant to the discussion next Friday. I feel that art is just a distraction from the hopeless nihilistic ennui that plagues our existence…. No, I’m kidding, I just really wanted to write that.

I think the topic looks great and we’re going to have several people that are either artists or very interested in the subject. I’m interested in the statement by Helene Hegemann, the teenage German novelist whose book created a sensation and then was hit with charges of plagiarism. She contends that a new generation of artists has grown up with mix-tapes/mash-ups and the like the conventional idea of plagiarism doesn’t hold anymore. I’m particularly intrigued by her quote that “there is no originality, only authenticity”; I think this will be relevant to the discussion next Friday.

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