1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Exhibition project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of the art concepts you practiced while creating your curation project?
The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art
Lowbrow are is a person regarded as uncultivated and lacking in taste. Robert Williams an artist came up with the term but doesn’t like its meaning. Some people think that Lowbrow Surrealism is a more appropriate term but others accept Lowbrow. Some of the major influences of this style are pop culture, car culture and folk art. The time period after WW1 is referred to as “the Atomic Age” which is also important to the genre. Art varies in styles from concept art to painting. Anthony Ausgang an artist said that the job of critics it to categorize art. Ed “Big Daddy” Roth was a part of Lowbrow in the 1960’s and had very psychedelic rock posters. Robert Crumb inspired rock poster artists to do underground comics. Laguna Art Museum put on a show featuring Ed Roth, Von Dutch, and Robert Williams during a time when galleries weren’t showing Lowbrow. MAD magazine had a major impact on art culture. During the 50’s and 60’s the tiki theme was popular across the US and Lowbrow Artists used that in their art. Conceptualism brought thought to art but it excluded viewers who weren’t trained in art history. Williams thinks that the established art world is only there to promote certain types of art like minimalism and abstract. The mainstream world would not accept Lowbrow and these artists decided to make their own art scene after being denied from museums and galleries. The internet had a specific impact on Lowbrow art. There was a difference in art scenes between the fine arts of NYC and the Lowbrow pop culture of California. Punk tock helped launch the Lowbrow art culture. Artists could spread their work to the viewer by album covers and fliers. The Pop Tarts opened the Tart Gallery in Vancouver. They were more respected after being in a book about female Lowbrow artists. Artist 12Midnite and the Pop Tarts bringing their work to the U.S. There are many talented Lowbrow artists in Vancouver but it does not have the population to support a big art scene. Billy Shire opened the Shooting Gallery in San Franciso and was a promoter of Lowbrow. Juxtapose magazine made it possible for people all over the globe to follow Lowbrow. Williams couldn’t get his work displayed 20 years ago and now everyone wants him. The video relates to our project because it talks about different curators and how they created galleries and museums to showcase a certain style of work. The video had a lot of information but I think it offered a lot of the history of Lowbrow when I would rather see how they actually put together certain exhibitions.
Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach
Modern Art was shown in the Museum of Modern Art from 1929 on and the works were mostly displayed in chronological order. Each art movement was displayed and they were displayed on white walls with flexible lights. In the 1970’s the old way of displaying art was questioned and art came off the walls. Art became busy and noisy and explored political and ideological content of museums. The Tate Modern display shows modern art in four sections. Each section is an overarching principle that provides a theme for the exhibition of the selections from modern art. The Tate thematic approach to displaying art caused controversy because he juxtaposed Richard Long’s works and Monet’s, but his reasoning was justified. Unlike the Museum of Modern Art which originally displayed works in chronological order, Tate gave viewers a abrupt transition. Critics argued that Tates presentation of art allowed viewers to have no knowledge of art, because it should be viewed as more than entertainment. Abstrat artists attempted to create paintings that were not dependent on figuration because they wanted to convey emotions, aesthetic effects or social vision. Another one of Tates Modern transitions is in the Joseph Beuys room which is a church like atmosphere but visitors can’t understand what they are viewing and then they transition into the next room which consists of waste and junk. Yes this video relates to my art exhibit because it gave me examples of different exhibits and different types of transitions. I liked this video better and think that the information will help me to create a better project, especially the information on transitions and how the best transitions are not always chronological order.
Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology
Native Americans’ bones were found and used for science during the United States genocide against the Indians. Anthropologist can’t decide if the remains should be returned to their ancestors or not. Maria Pearson fights for the remains of Native Americans who are found by construction crews and are then studied. David Van Horn is an archaeologists who is charged with criminal possession of Native American bone fragments, but he doesn’t go to jail. Europeans find Native Americans and remove them from their land. Burial mounds are too civilized for Natives. In the 19th Century Samuel Morton M.D. studies brain size and conclude that the size of one's cranium is related to intelligence. Native American skulls are collected and stored in museums. Susan Harjo fights for the Natives objects of worship to be returned to them and the Smithsonian’s inventory shows that 18,000 Native’s bones are stored there. The Grave Protection and Repatriation Act prevented Dr. Barnes from doing research on migration. Bones with similar defects are thought to chare genes or origins. Repatriation requires that scientists first determine the bones tribal affiliation. Skull measurement helps to identify where the bones should be returned. Native Americans perform ceremonies to see if the bones are their ancestors or not. Their past is told through oral tradition. Native Americans do not want the scientists' history. The video goes on to talk about other scientific research. The holy areas of Natives are avoided by construction crews and archeologists don’t excavate the graves. Native Americans, in the 20th century are removed from their tribal identity at schools. Dr Reinhardt restores pride by sharing his research with today's Native Americans. Dennis Hastings is content with the reburial of his ancestors' remains. The tribe and scientists have gained knowledge by having the bones before burial. Natives' bones continue to be brought home. Archaeology must share the responsibility for stewarding the past. This video was ok, there was a lot of history that wasn’t really interesting to me, there wasn’t really anything that I will use in my project.
George Eastman House: Picture Perfect
George Eastman created the first affordable and easy to use. The museum at his house shows the contributions of himself and the company he founded, which were in art, science, and photography. His collection shows the visual history of photography of 14,000 amateur and professional photographers. He also has a large technology collection, including 5,000 cameras and 16,000 objects. His house has the largest Daguerreotype collection outside of France. He wanted to make photography available for everyone and his camera founded the Eastman Kodak company. He also invented the motion picture film stock with Thomas Edison. The house that he built had 50 rooms and is the center of the museum; this is where many of his personal possessions are housed. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made Eastman a lifetime member to honor his contributions to the industry. George Eastman House is one of the world's premiere motion pictures archives. The Eastman House created the first school in North America that taught restoration, preservation, and archiving of motion pictures. You can also access 140,000 images online that show art, technology, and the impact of photography and motion pictures. I thought this video was really neat it talked about curators and archivists in Eastman’s colonial mansion which is located in Rochester! It is the oldest photography museum in the world to show its famous collection. I think the video will really help me generate ideas for my project, and reminded me to use photography aswell!
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