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I hope you all enjoy the field trip to Toronto tomorrow. Remember to think about appropriation when looking at the art exhibitions. You might find something interesting here…. 
Remember that the Foucault and Barthes readings are available on reserve in the library. Some of the language in these readings is a bit tricky, so just do your best. Try to summarize the authors’ main points. Also, for class, think about whether it is possible to substitute the word “artist” for “author.” Is there such a thing as a death of the artist? What might that mean? What is the historical role of the artist? Has it changed over time? We will discuss these and other questions in class on Tuesday.
There will be several guest artists at Brock in 2007-08. Click here to download the poster.
I’ll be in a meeting this afternoon, so my office hours are cancelled. However, I’ll be in my office Wednesday from 3-4pm. Stop by then or email to make an appointment.
I have sent an email to each student in the class. Follow these instructions to post on the blog.
- click on the link in the email
- make your username & password
- agree to the terms of service
- choose blog (not necessary for this class, but might be something you want to do for fun) or just username (which you will use on the class blog)
- go to http://authorshipandappropriation.wordpress.com
- click “new post” (top of page)
- make a catchy title and write your post (you may want to write it in MS Word first and then cut and paste here). Be sure to sign it with your first name. You can save it and edit it later, or if you are finished and ready to post it, click “submit for review” and I’ll review it and post it.
- look for your post on the blog!
Take a look at the other links across the top of the page in “my dashboard.” You can manage your profile, even upload an avatar if you like, under “profile.” Play around. Have fun. If you want to do more than eight entries, feel free. You can choose your best eight to be graded.
If you are new to blogging and want a little more information, take a look at what Professor Cronin has posted under “Blogging Basics” on her VISA 1Q98 blog. There are several useful links.
Finally, keep in mind that this is a public space. Feel free to voice your opinion no matter how controversial it may be, but please play nice. Follow the Brock University code of conduct, and do not plagiarize.
Here are the links from class on Tuesday Sptember 11, including those that didn’t work due to technical difficulties. Let’s hope that is fixed by next week!
Found film and found sound: Bruce Conner’s video for “Mea Culpa,” a song on David Bryne and Brian Eno’s album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Warning: it loads slowly. You might also find it on youtube.
Here is the video for “America is Waiting,” another track from the same album, which also uses found sound and footage.
You can read more about the album on the official website, where you can download tracks an make your own remixes of two of the songs under the Creative Commons license. Is this still an appropriation? Or is it something else? Does appropriation have to be stealing or borrowing? Or can it be a re-use, a re-mix, a re-making of something freely offered? Something to think (and perhaps to blog) about. http://bushofghosts.wmg.com/home.php
See http://www.gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooogle.com for appropriated and re-used video.
For found photos, visit www.squareamerica.com and for other interesting found things that become a kind of art, look at www.foundmagazine.com
(and thanks to your classmate who reinded me about this site after class!)
For Cindy Sherman’s photographic series that reference B-movies, called Untitled Films Stills just google “Cindy Sherman film stills.”
On Friday, Rodman Hall and the Department of Visual Arts present a talk by Mark Adair, whose show
Death is in Trouble Now is on now at Rodman.
2 p.m. – Artist Talk – Rodman Hall
Following the lecture, at 4pm, there will be a Visual Arts Department BBQ dinner for students. This is free for all VISA students!
There is a shuttle bus to Rodman Hall for these events. It will leave 573 Glenridge at 1:45 and bring people back to Brock at 6 p.m.
Students in the course are asked to take part in the Visual Arts field trip to Toronto on September 28th. There will be an assignment related to this trip. Information is available in the link below, which will open a .pdf. You need to see Monika right away and sign up to make sure that you get a place on the bus!
This course examines issues related to authorship and appropriation in visual culture, such as the historical development of the notions of the artist, copyright and plagiarism, the use of quotation, parody and intertextuality, the role of found objects, collage and montage, and the significance of digital technologies. We will examine both historical and contemporary examples from a wide range of media.
