Class Scribe 9/8

Today class started off with several questions that framed our reading about participation:
1. What is art?
2. What isn't art?
3. Is art simply self expression?
4. Can everyone be an artist?
5. What is the role of politics in art?
6. What is the role of technology in art?

We then discussed Marxist theory. Marxist theory was created during the industrial revolution as workers were being grouped into the assembly line style of doing jobs. Rather than being masters at a craft, workers skills were fragmented and they did just a single piece of a larger job. Workers thus became alienated.

1920's
Dadaist: Anti-art
During this period art began to distance itself from naturalism and realism because those sectors were being taken care of by film and photography. Artist during this period began to experiment with the nature of art and used new mediums to make it, such as collages.

During WW1 dadaists responded to the issues of war that made the war machine more powerful than ever before, such as high speed communication through radio and aircraft. They refused to participate in the war and embraced the idea of cultural trauma which shocked the bourgeoisie.

Futurists
Comprised of Italian artists such as Marinetti, futurists were more fascist. They worshiped technology's speed and destructiveness. They also made art out of everyday life. We listened to a Luigi Roussolo song (ubuweb) made from the sounds of various modes of transportation.

We then looked breifly at the 1960's.
1960's
Everyday life was once again a common theme. Happenings started, well...happening, as an alternative to theatre. Happenings had no obvious plot or philosophy, were improvisational, and relied heavily on the element of chance to create art and make a commentary on culture and society.