Project Three: Appropriation and Social Comment
Printable PDF
“Everything is a Remix” is a series of video/research presentations by Kirby Ferguson. Here he points out that artists have always stolen ideas from the past and he believes that this is part of the creative process. He notes that copying, transforming and combining are a basis of the creative process. The result is not always a comment on society, but it is something new that grew out of something past.
Today, artificial intelligence tools “appropriate” the vast vault of images (and text, music, etc) available on the internet and use ever improving algorithms to combine them into “new” images. The images are not necessarily a comment on society, not intentional on the part of the artist, but in many ways relate to the games of chance played by surrealists in the early 20th century. (What are the characteristics of AI products and how are they similar/different/useful/problematic.)
In this project we will use appropriated moving images and sound from popular culture to comment on society. We will do this intentionally and purposefully, but we may also employ methods of chance and combine images. How will we make this different from AI? How will this work be appropriate for a gallery or experimental video audience rather than exclusively a youtube audience? How will it be compelling for more than a college age consumer? This conversation will be part of our process.
Download files that are recognizable as a specific image or genre that implies particular content. You may Juxtapose these images with others (either appropriated or created by you) to explore some concept you are interested in. Suggest, but don't preach, imply but not use clichés. You may use sound in a similar way. The piece should be 2-3 minutes long.
Your audience is a gallery going crowd, not just an internet or college aged group.
Resources:
Appropriation and Video Art
archive.org/ prelinger archives home movies
Appropriation from the Tate
The Case for Copying
“everything is a remix” by Kirby Ferguson
Fair Use "rules"
Technical Goals: More editing skills.
Artists:
Eve Sussman 89 sec single clip/ white on white, etc
Bill Viola the greeting
Hito Steyerl Factory of the Sun
Keren Cytter (terrorist of Love)
Ann Magnuson (Dreamboat Annie)
Douglas Gordon 24 hr psycho
Christian Marclay the clock, war movies
Virgil Wildrich . Fast Film
Joseph Cornell: Rose Hobart
Robert Campbell Solistalgia
Peter Spiers (below)
Jackie Goss stranger comes to town
Greg Mrotek Swiss family Robinson
Michael Langan. Doxology
Nomit: Holy Chicken of Life and Art
Manifesto with Julian Rosenfeldt Cate Blanchett (use of appropriated text)
Stephanie Dinkins About AI...A blade of Grass
Kirby Ferguson AI and Creativity
Cao Fei: Avatars in Arts 21.
Student Artists:
Uhrik "After Oceans Full"
Joey Schutz "Luigi's Mansion"
Griffin Liu
Erica Littlejohn
Josie Girand
Peter Spiers MimickingFramebyFrame 2010