FYS 1010 MASHUPS AND OTHER COLLISIONS IN ART AND LITERATURE Term I, 2014 Jan Kather Welcome to Freshman Year Seminar: Mashups and Other Collisions in Literature and Art! This course examines the conflicts created as a result of discrimination by race, gender, religion, and cultural identity as described in both literature and the arts. Collisions between pre- and post-digital worldviews will shape critiques of creative projects, specifically in discussions about surrealism, collaboration, authorship, and copyright. Students will be expected to participate in creative projects (mash-up collage, graphic novel, video, photography, music, poetry, dance, etc.) that will accompany their essays. Selections of coursework were chosen to form this collaborative class book. Upon completing FYS1010, students were able to describe: • various ways that human beings come to know the world and themselves, and the various ways in which they express that knowledge • connections and conflicts among and between different intellectual and cultural traditions In addition, students acquired skills in: • analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing complex ideas • using information resources effectively • communicating effectively in speaking and discussions • communicating effectively in writing Specific to our section Mash-ups and Other Collisions in Literature and Art: • Students examined the conflicts created as a result of discrimination by race, gender, religion, and cultural identity as described in both literature and the arts. • Students participated in creative projects (mash-up collage, graphic novel, video, photography, music, poetry, dance, etc.) that accompanied their written essays. • Selections of coursework were chosen to form this collaborative class book.
Mashups and Other Collisions in Art and Literature Term I, 2014 Contributors: Cover image compilation of mandalas by Nikki Rivera’18, Dominique Del Calzo’18, Rebecca Whitney’18, Becca Libby’18, Danielle Szumita’18, Jayda Giangrosso-Nicholson’18, Aisling O’Connor’18 4-5 Rachael Mullen’18, Aisling O’Connor’18, Becca Libby’18 6-7 Danielle Szumita’18 8-9 Dominique Del Calzo’18 10-11 Rebecca Whitney’18 12-13 Rebecca Whitney’18, Emily Dreibelbis’18, Alison Mariano’18
14-15 Dominique Del Calzo’18, Marisa Carr’18 16-17 Aisling O”Connor’18, Emily Dreibelbis’18, Dominique Del Calzo’18 18-19 Marisa Carr’18, Dominique Del Calzo’18, Emily Dreibelbis’18, Rebecca Libby’18, Jayda Giangrosso’18, Alison Mariano’18, Rachael Mullen’18, Aisling O’Connor’18, Nikki Rivera’18
20-21 Nikki Rivera’18, Dominique Del Calzo’18, Rebecca Whitney’18, Becca Libby’18, Danielle Szumita’18, Jayda Giangrosso-Nicholson’18, Aisling O’Connor’18 22-23 Rebecca Whitney’18, Dominique Del Calzo’18, Becca Libby’18, Aisling O’Connor’18 24-25 Rebecca Whitney’18, Marisa Carr’18, Aisling O’Connor’18 26-27 Becca Libby’18, Danielle Szumita’18 28-29 Aisling O”Connor’18 30 Class Visit to the Printmaking Studio to meet etcher Grant Silverstein
Perfect Skinny, thin, thin, thin Pretty, grin, grin, grin Smiles, win, win, win Steaming blond hair Piled atop her head Green shimmering gown Floating down to the ground Enchanting blue eyes Glimmer in the lights Sparkling white teeth Shine bright with glee Tiara upon her head A stiff sash hung on her shoulder And one for the boy Standing by her side Happiness, she should feel She’s now the queen At the very top But she’s faking the winning smile Stuffed into that select category Unable to leave Sharp eyes watching your every move Filled with such scrutiny
CREATIVE PROJECT One Hundred Demons Using Lynda Barry’s graphic memoir as inspiration, create a work of art that expresses a “demon” in your life. It can be personal or a generic demon that plagues society. The form can be a drawing, painting, poem, song, dance, or comic strip.
So many talents But none are true Your eyes always on the prize Forever leaving marks Pressure to be great Show your smarts, keep a straight head Control your emotions Keep them hidden underneath Can’t take it any longer Feel as if you will explode Never will you be prefect It’s just impossible Skinny, thin, thin, thin Pretty, grin, grin, grin Smiles, win, win, win... Rachael Mullen’18
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My inner demon was illustrated in the picture I presented to the class. The photo is of my friends and me. We all look really happy, but I showed through editing the doubt that I have. I am afraid that they will leave me and I will eventually be alone. Aisling O’Connor’18
Rebecca Libby’18 gave a spoken word performance that identified her demon as homophobia for her class presentation. She was asked to perform this for the 3rd Annual Pride Symposium in October. She agreed to do that as well as create a powerpoint presentation that would visually emphasize her project.
Music Is Life Danielle Szumita’18 Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass share an intriguing similarity in how they feel about music being an important way for people to express their emotions. They both believe that people listen to or sing music to express their emotions of joy, occasionally, but mostly to express emotions of sadness. Barry believes that music puts people in a certain “mood” when listening to a certain song. However, while Douglass believes that music is influential; he also argues that it is really about expressing repressed emotions.
PAPER # 1 Music, Dance and One Hundred Demons; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; Michael Jackson In our readings, Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass discuss the role of music in their lives. Compare how Lynda and Frederick feel about music as an important way for humans to express emotion. What does Lynda say about dance? Conclude your essay by discussing Kenneth Goldsmith’s appropriated newscasts on the death of modern musician / performer Michael Jackson. What stereotypes persist about African Americans as evidenced in commentary by disc jockeys reporting his death, his life, and his musical legacy? Conclude your essay by explaining how our readings have or have not echoed your feelings about the importance of music (and dance) in your own life.
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In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass talks about the slaves making a journey to the Great House Farm and recalls, “they would make the dense old woods, for miles around, reverberate with their wild songs revealing at once the highest and the deepest sadness” (22). Douglass is trying to tell his audience that if they think the slave’s songs were about happiness, they were wrong. As he said in the above quote, slave’s songs were commonly unhappy songs, and anyone who heard them singing could register that in a single given moment. Douglass also made a point to tell his readers that “slaves sing most when they are unhappy…I have often sung to drown my sorrows, but seldom to express my happiness” (24). So in Frederick’s eyes, referring to himself and slaves especially, music is used to express feelings, and most of those feelings are unhappy. Similarly, in One Hundred Demons by Linda Barry, she says that “[She] could be alone with the radio [in the basement]. Music was becoming so important” (105). Once she discovered music, it became clear to her how important it was, and how easily she found it was to express herself through it. When she was feeling sad, she would go down to her basement room, turn on her radio, lay in her bed, and let the music run through her body, letting her emotions out one beat at a time. However, certain kinds of music could make Lynda feel happy and encourage her to dance. She used to let people’s opinion of her dancing make her stop for a while, but then she realized that “any kind of dancing is better than no dancing at all” (48). Kenneth Goldsmith doesn’t reveal to his audience how he feels about music expressing emotions, but he sure lets his audience know how disc jockeys felt about a certain musical icon. When Michael Jackson died, some disc jockeys weren’t the least bit upset, but rather made fun of Jackson. One said “[Jackson] doesn’t have anywhere close to the talent Elvis had…There’s nobody who wants to sound like Michael Jackson” (161). He thought music is not so much about talent as it is influence. Rather than judging an artist on their performance or influence of their music, why not judge them based on the message of
their songs? Or how those songs make people feel? In Barry and Douglass’ experiences, they thought music was more about expressing emotions, rather than about being famous or influential. While reports of Jackson’s death spread throughout the country, many people had different and mixed emotions on the “King of Pop’s” death. Reporters stated that, “Jackson’s increasingly reclusive and bizarre behavior- along with his reported multiple plastic surgeries- made tabloid headlines surpassing his sales” (163). They tried to make Jackson out truly be the “Wacko Jacko” that everyone mistook him to be. The jockeys reporting the events of his life, death and musical legacy weren’t true to the effects his music had on people. They didn’t talk about the emotions his fans felt when his songs came on the radio, or when they saw him performing live in concert, or when they saw him dancing on the television screen, or when they watched his music videos on MTV. They were so concerned with “all the scandals and all the problems and all the weirdness that Michael represented…it’s easy to lose sight of the music and the music is extraordinary” (164). Why should a few things that were considered out of the ordinary to society impact Jackson’s musical legacy he left behind? If his music was as “extraordinary” as everyone says, then the things Jackson did when he wasn’t making music shouldn’t have affected society’s response or to his music. In conclusion, most of our readings thus far in class have echoed my feelings on music and dance. I have always been a lover of music and the art of dancing. Ever since I was in the womb, my mom would constantly be listening to music, and 18 years later I’m still constantly listening to it. I have also always had a passion for dancing. I took tap, ballet and ballroom dancing for quite a few years, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my life. A person not only has to listen to the music in order to successfully dance, but they have to feel the music. Each beat of the music is a different count, a different step, and a different piece in which brings the song together as a whole. Music is indeed a very powerful tool in helping people express their emotions. Music can also alter a person’s mood. For example, if I’m in a good mood and a sad, slow song comes on, I might become increasingly sad the more I listen to that song. Music can affect people in all sorts of ways, for good and bad. For me, however, music has and hopefully always will be one of the more positive constants in my life.
Dominique Del Calzo’18 Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass are vastly different, being born centuries apart, and having had very dissimilar upbringings. They have both had, however, tragic backgrounds, full of loss and hardships. Sorrow is a word they were familiar with. Perhaps that is why their views on the importance of musical expression are easily comparable. Longing for escape from their worlds, music puts words to their misery. Easily confused by the music’s upbeat tones, these words echo thoughts concealed within the authors’ silence. Lynda Barry talks about music in two chapters of her book One Hundred Demons. One is the story of her summer as a thirteen-year-old girl. At the time her life was a depressing reality. Barry’s family thrust chores upon her, and her fun was limited. She lost a dear friend, and was on the cusp of leaving childhood and entering adolescence. Those years are some of the most confusing for people, and all of her support systems to help her through the period were gone. She was left in a house, being treated as a child while forced to act as an adult. That summer her only joy was found in music, particularly the song, “Do You Believe in Magic.” Magic had disappeared from Barry’s life, or so she believed. The song asks if she still believes in magic, in music setting her free. Barry in turn asks, “Why are some songs so perfect in a way that never happens again in our lives?” (105) Barry wanted to be freed. That summer she wanted to break away from her home and family and regrets. She could not express her frustration and deep sadness in anyway other than anger. So she turned to the music to set the emotions free. Barry talks about dancing in another earlier chapter of her book. Dancing to a certain song, a certain type of music is the same idea as playing or singing a song to express one’s emotions. Typically it was an expression of joy. Barry, for instance, talks about her grandmother, describing her as the most care free person in Barry’s childhood. She was relaxed and happy with people around her, and used the radio and encouragement of dance to express those feelings. “I grew up with dancing people. In a way, my grandma was behind it all. She didn’t dance, but she liked a party atmosphere, even first thing in the morning.”
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(40) In Barry’s mind, not dancing to the upbeat music, not expressing joy, was expressing the feelings of loss and insecurity. She herself did not dance to music for a long time, as she was incapable of expressing joy to anyone in the dismal world she inhabited. Later in the chapter Barry says dancing proves that everyone is made to feel the good emotions: happiness, relaxation, joy, elation, excitement. But through experiences along the way, one may lose sight of the emotions we are born with and learn to feel the bad emotions: grief, sadness, anger, anxiety. “The groove is so mysterious. We’re born with it and we lose it and the world seems to split apart before our eyes into stupid and cool. When we get it back the world unifies around us and both stupid and cool fall away.” (Barry 48) It was a long while before Barry ever danced again, and had the power to show her good emotions. Frederick Douglass writes briefly about music’s influence in his narrative. He was a slave in America, not free to do as he pleased, and deeply depressed by his forced work and the constant abuse of his owners. Like Barry, music for Douglass and the other slaves was an expression of their reactions to the horrors they faced each day and the ultimate wish to be freed. Fredrick explains this in his own words, “The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart: and he is relieved by them only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.” (24) The author illustrates that the slaves’ emotions were a mix of devastation and desire, and could only be shown through song, as it was impossible for them to express emotions in any other way, without fear of repercussions. “…they were tones loud, long, and deep; the breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish.” (Douglass 23) Neither Barry nor Douglass experienced much happiness in the time that songs were important to them. Their opinions about music as negative reflectors are due to the miserable realities they endured. It is the emotions rather than the situation that unites them and their opinions. Taking a moment to analyze the two authors one will notice that their harsh backgrounds are certainly a common theme to evoke such opinions. Not much else is shared
between them. Frederick Douglass and Lynda Barry are from different eras, different race, and different genders. Yet their idea that music is an expression of feeling, stands strong. Stereotypes have fallen away in this situation, it seems, leaving only the core of the discussion behind. In today’s world, such an analysis is difficult to make due to stereotypes clouding American society’s minds. Take for example the work of Michael Jackson. He was a man interested in expressing to the world his emotions through his music. His inner workings could be seen through his expressive dancing, and his countless top-hit songs. Critics after his death mocked his work, however, claiming it was just him being a pelvis gyrating fool, like every other black man before him. His work, they say, was not produced as a result of feelings but as a result of hormones. Jackson’s faults were thrown before the music and its message, whereas if they looked at other famous white singers, such a blackening would never befall the name. Elvis never had his rumored misdeeds taken into account. He was a gold star. But a famous black man could not be a gold star. Michael Jackson had to be a tarnished star. Few music officials jumped to his aid after his passing, and even then it was done begrudgingly. “I mean it’s, you know, with all the scandals and all the problems and all the weirdness that Michael represented, you know, it’s easy to lose sight of the music and the music is extraordinary.” (Goldsmith 164) That most certainly would not have happened in the instance of Elvis. It would appear that, aside from the instances of Fredrick Douglass and Lynda Barry, stereotypes will always come first, turning a recognition of emotion in one’s music choice to a display of hormones. Regardless, the idea remains that music is an expression of emotions, no matter if they be positive or negative sentiments. I personally have always agreed with this idea. When I walk into a café to buy my pumpkin spiced drink, I might very well hear a song I recognize. I will think of an instance I chose to listen to that song on my own. I was feeling blue, and the musicians work echoed the feelings of my crying heart. Or maybe, as is more often the case, I was feeling elated because I had had a good day, and I wanted to express that with the world. I sang
it as I danced around my room, missing words and occasionally confusing the beats and notes, messing up the harmony. The song, softly trickling out of the static filled speakers of the café, will make me reminisce. I will not care who wrote the song, or when it was written. I will simply appreciate the music. Later, as I get into my car, I will turn the song on. I will listen to it as I sip my delicious drink. It will be a happy song then, a happy song because I am happy at that moment. Or should my drink spill, and I feel I have wasted my time and money, perhaps I will sing a slow song, full of loss. I most undoubtedly believe the opinions of Barry and Douglass are right; music is not a stereotype, but how one feels when one has the courage to play it, sing it, or dance to it.
Frederick Douglass by Samuel J Miller, 1847-52
Music and Dance Rebecca Whitney’18 In the reading selections for Mashups and Other Collisions in Literature and Art, several authors discuss the role of music and dance in their lives. The importance of these artistic endeavors in the American culture have been expressed throughout history, from the 1800s as told in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, to modern events of this century portrayed in the graphic novel One Hundred Demons, an “autobifictionalography,” as described by author Lynda Barry, and in Seven American Deaths and Disasters, the Michael Jackson transcript, recorded by Kenneth Goldsmith. In the first selection of the semester, One Hundred Demons, author Lynda Barry describes how music figures into her life. Music is mentioned in the demon “Magic” as well as the demon “San Francisco.” Within the demon “Magic,” the first thing Barry mentions is the title of a song that played on the radio during the summer this part of her story took place (100). She has remembered this song over the years, therefore it must have been important to her at the time. At this point in time she has just turned 13, and is officially a teenager. She identifies with the songs on the radio and takes comfort in them, saying, “Music was becoming so important… What is it about music and being older than 12 but younger than 20?” (105). Music becomes very important to teenagers as they begin to figure out who they are and where they fit in the world. This theme continues in the demon “San Francisco,” where she says, “at night… the songs were powerful, the D.J. seemed to be playing my future” (126). Teenagers identify with music because it gives them a way to express their emotions, during a time when their emotions are complex and quick to change. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass describes his experience with music in his lifetime. When Frederick Douglass was still a slave, he heard many songs sung by his fellow slaves. Music was the only way slaves had of expressing themselves and their emotions. Douglass writes, “slaves sing most when they are most unhappy” (24). The slaves had to keep up the appearance of being apathetic and dumb, in order to avoid being punished by the masters who assumed that they embodied those qualities. Their songs sounded happy, but were “a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains” (23). These songs really affected Douglass, and still did, years later, bringing tears to his eyes (23). He knew the true meaning behind their songs. Their songs were a subtle expression of emotion, with true thoughts and feelings woven into music that was overlooked by the whites. While Douglass and Barry both describe the importance of music in their lives, only Barry mentions dance. Barry talks about dance in the demon “Dancing”. She calls dancing a demon because she becomes very selfconscious dancing in front of other people during her preteen years (47). However, before and after this occurrence of self-consciousness, dancing
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was very important in her community and in her family. The community hula classes performed publicly for community events (43). Her family kept their record player right in the kitchen, because her grandma “liked a party atmosphere, even first thing in the morning” (40). Dancing was a part of the culture of her family. In the modern day transcript of radio jockeys discussing the impending death of Michael Jackson by Kenneth Goldsmith, it becomes clear that many stereotypes of African-Americans still persisted even into the 21st century. Michael Jackson was the absolute definition of music and dance for many during his peak as the King of Pop during the 1980s. However, the way these white disc jockeys compare Michael Jackson to Elvis are stereotypical. One disc jockey seems to really dislike Michael Jackson, and talks about Elvis like the two stars weren’t decades about, and hadn’t pioneered music in completely different ways. He says, “There are still people who want to sound like Elvis! There’s nobody who wants to sound like Michael Jackson,” implying that no one wants to imitate an AfricanAmerican entertainer (161). The CBS news report states that the “King of Pop” title was “his publicist’s invention,” and “they called him Wacko Jacko” (163). This is immediately after announcing his death. The respect that a white entertainers death would command, like the preceding death of Farrah Fawcett, is anything but present. They then continue to discuss his eccentricities and scandals, downplaying all of his accomplishments, feeding into the stereotype that African-Americans will never be truly successful. The transcript reads: “He was really a superstar. Well, Robert… if there’s a pr… problem with his personal behavior, does it take away from the way we’ll remember Jackson the musician?” (165). They completely dismiss him from pop culture with the ending of his life, as if he had never existed. Our readings have most certainly echoed how I feel about the importance of music and dance. Music and dance are extremely successful means of expressing emotions that are otherwise unfathomable. For me personally, music has been able to help me cope with feelings and events that I could not verbally express. Music has been an amazing part of my life, and I do not know where I would be without it. Works Cited Barry, Lynda. One Hundred Demons. Seattle: Sasquatch, 2002. Print. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave. Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845. A Penn State Electronic Classics Series Publication, 2004. Electronic. Goldsmith, Kenneth. Seven American Deaths and Disasters. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
SHORT ESSAY Picturing the Creation Story View the painting hanging next to the Career Center. It is an abstraction titled Pittura and the artist is Carmassi, an Italian 20th Century painter. Reflect on these questions: How could Carmassi’s painting represent Creation? How does this compare to the illustration style of R. Crumb? How does art help us to visualize Creation, a concept that we can only imagine? Write a one page reflection essay that connects Carmassi’s abstraction to the words about creation as found in the text by R. Crumb. It would be useful to describe in words what you actually see when looking at the Carmassi, and how that stimulates your imagination.
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Pittura by Carmassi
Genesis: Depiction of Creation Rebecca Whitney’18 The abstract painting titled Pittura by the artist Carmassi was not meant to represent the Creation. However, when looked at side by side to R. Crumb’s illustration of Creation, it could be seen as a similar representation. Carmassi’s painting could represent creation through the emergence of a rectangle of red and white out of black background. The black background could be thought of as the empty space that existed before the universe and everything within it was formed. The colors present in the rectangle, red and white, could make the difference between empty space and the universe clear, showing that the space within the universe is full. The rectangular shape of the color emerging from the black could be the shape in which Creation formed. Carmassi’s painting is very different from illustration style of R. Crumb. R. Crumb’s illustration portrays God as a man and the Creation as shaped very similarly to a hurricane. There is much more definition and detail in R. Crumb’s artistic representation of Creation. Carmassi’s abstraction may better match the words provided in R. Crumb’s text, “the Earth was then without form, and void” seeing as it is less detailed then R. Crumb’s illustration. The only part of Carmassi’s abstraction that could contradict that is the rectangular shape, since we usually think of empty space as not having angles. Carmassi’s abstraction is so vague that it is the closest representation to the text.
Carmassi and Crumb Reflection Essay
Creation
Emily Dreibelbis’18
Alison Mariano’18
Pittura, created by the famous 20th century artist Carmassi, could be seen as a version of the creation story in several different ways. For one, Carmassi could be trying to show the beginning of creation, when God made the light in the dark to make day and night: a symbol of light bursting out of the darkness with a big bang, filling that abyss with life. But this isn’t the only interpretation. That’s the great thing about art; it allows the viewer’s imagination to stretch, find their own view on what the creation story was like. There are no right or wrong answers in interpretations of art, especially abstract art. Another interpretation could be that Carmassi is trying to show the greatness of the Garden of Eden, cut off from the rest of the earth. The red on the borders of the square could be the edges of the garden, separating the knowledge, fruitfulness, and immortality of the Gods from the rest of the world. Similarly, the entirety of the painting could also be the Garden of Eden. The darkness represents the Garden, where Adam and Eve dwell in naïve bliss, with the white box in the center of the painting representing the two trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, both of which belong to the Gods, to the “enlightened” ones.
Carmassi’s painting Pittura reminds me of creation and god due to the way that it is set up. There is a dark background, which speaks about the darkness of the world before creation. Its simplicity is made in a way so that the black background hardly has anything disrupting it. It seems to have a lot of serenity and peacefulness. As your eyes venture towards the middle of the painting it becomes brighter and lively. There are more shapes and texture towards the inside of the painting. It reminding one of how light creates movement.
In comparison, the R. Crumb interpretation of the creation story is incredibly mythical. The representation of God is a man, which would make sense if you took the words “he made man in his own image” literally. But Crumb depicts God as this wise old man with a long beard and snow white hair, almost like a wizard. Adding to that “magical” aspect would be the swirling vortex of creation that God holds in his hands. The Crumb version is very literal, leaving very little to the imagination. This type of cartoonish biblical story is good for small children, but a devout church-goer may enjoy the more abstract view, which would allow them to use Carmassi’s interpretation in their mind’s eye. Neither interpretation is wrong; everyone’s opinions are different.
R. Crumb illustration
In relation to Crumb’s Illustration it seems to be the same concept, just in reverse. Where god is surrounded by light and trying to destroy darkness. Darkness could also be perceived as evil. As the evil slowly shrinks, heaven is created. That evil or darkness that can never fully be erased is where hell sprouts. When comparing these two pictures side by side it helps to visualize the light overcoming the darkness. Even though the patterns at which they are displayed differ, the concept seems to be the same. The light seems to either be crushing the darkness or emerging from it. Although it is made evident that light conquers no matter the presentation of colors.
Creation Dominique Del Calzo’18 Almost everyone in the world has some idea of how the world was made. Whether people choose to lean on science or a religion to understand, the creation of the world is the decision of each individual person. They will practice their beliefs, and maybe even make their own representations of their beliefs. The book of Genesis is one such depiction. It is a written story which discusses one god and His Creation: the earth, light and darkness, the heavens, the plants on earth, the animals in the sea, animals on land, animals in the sky, and humans. Many versions of the book of Genesis have been made, aside from the written words. Drawings, and other various art pieces are used to put the words in more understandable format. The work of R. Crumb is the perfect example of such work. He has taken the book of Genesis, and underneath each of the phrases of the book he has drawn a picture to interpret the words as what he believes they should represent. The painting Pittura by Carmassi, an Italian, artist can also be argued as an illustration of the creation. Together the artists help show us the Creation, which we would otherwise have to rely solely upon our imaginations to see. Pittura is a rectangle of grey, white, black, and red. It looks like uneven paint drippings, with a surface of red. The colors are slashing each other, with a black backdrop to make them pop. One can associate Creation with it by looking at the black backdrop as what was: nothing, or darkness and lifelessness. With the addition of red surface, we see God bringing light and darkness, bringing land where only water was. The grey and white seems to represent the plants, humans, and many animals, coming later, a top coat added on almost last minute, yet so obviously planned out to add that splash of life and color. Unlike the organized processes that R. Crumb’s illustrations offer, Carmassi’s work would offer an explanation that Creation was messy. While perhaps both tell us it was a step by step process, with the base coat then layer after layer added to the world, Crumb’s result was order. Humans want to believe the world is supposed to have organization, with animals, plants, and humans each their own entity, in their own picture frame, drawn together only on occasion. Carmassi’s result was beautiful chaos working together, which is really how the world was designed. Each aspect of the world may have had its own time of arrival, but it all immediately falls together into one frame. Everything was meant to coexist as his individual paint colors have on canvas, no matter how abstract that may seem. Art helps humans visualize immaterial things by taking our thoughts from our minds and making them physical. For those that lack imagination, art offers an opportunity to see what cannot be made up by an individual. While Creation certainly occurred in one way or another, humans today were not there when it happened, and are simply told what took place. One can only imagine what happened by interpreting his beliefs as he chooses to. With art, that imagined image becomes clearer, and often more believable, as in the case of Carmassi’s Pittura and R. Crumb’s illustrations.
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Creation Marisa Carr’18 In the painting Pittura by Carmassi it shows a lot of creativity by the artist. The painting is different than anything anyone has ever done or seen; it is one of a kind. The artist seems to be trying to display a message that no one has ever seen painted before. His paintings are different then the drawings of R. Crumb because, Crumb is more detailed in a way that can easily explain to you what the message is in his drawings, but with Carmassi it is something you have to figure out yourself. In Carmassi painting it is almost like you can make your own judgment on the meaning. In Carmassi’s painting I see little slashes and bumps in the painting. It is very creative and different. It is unique in its way that it doesn’t have a million different colors coming out of it to tell what the mood might be. The lines may have something to do with a bump in the road he has come across in life. It is just one plain color that could just mean that there is nothing going on in his life or that he’s angry. He doesn’t give too good of a description of anything but that’s how its creative; it leaves you open to think about the painting however you want and to make it what you think and not what way some ones says it is. In R. Crumb’s drawings they are very detailed. They give away hints and they show exactly what is happening or how someone is feeling. It doesn’t give you much space to think of your own ideas, but it is very detailed and creative because it also goes along with a story so it needs to have good pictures to go along with it. In R. Crumb’s words he shows how god created everything in the world. God gave all the people and animals life. He made the places everyone lived and he gave the world grass and plants and trees. He created life and he did it in his own way. He didn’t just leave it up to anyone like Carmassi does. Both of these two artists’ have a way of showing their art. One is very open and lets people make their own assumptions and one gives them very detailed pictures to go along with the words. Even though R. Crumb and Carmassi are two very different artists they both have a way with creativity. They each have a great way of doing their art that is unique and isn’t like anyone else’s.
CREATIVE PROJECT # 2 One Page Folded Book Creation Stories For this assignment you will be an editor, illustrator and bookmaker! First, choose text as the basis of your storytelling from one of the Genesis stories of creation to create an 8-page mini-book. Edit the words as necessary, as you don’t have a lot of room to write and draw on the 8 pages. The images can be abstract shapes or collaged if drawing realistically is difficult for you. Because you are the editor, you can take the liberty to interpret as you wish. For instance, in the Genesis creation stories, there is no “apple” mentioned, however many visualizations of Chapter Two show the forbidden fruit to be an apple.You might include commentary about a forbidden fruit, but change its appearance to your liking. If you choose to illustrate Eve talking with the serpent, what will it look like? Recall the R. Crumb graphic novel of Genesis. He did not change any words, but had to imagine each scene visually.
Emily Dreibelbis’18
Here is a Youtube link demonstrating how to make a book from one sheet of paper; it is on the Facebook All Over Creation page, or use this direct link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=21qi9ZcQVto
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Aisling O’Connor’18
Dominique Del Calzo’18
CREATIVE PROJECT # 3 AND PRESENTATION Surrealism Choose a theme that we have been discussing in the past week, such as romantic love, death, or changing gender roles. Create a surrealistic mash-up project based on the theme you choose and be prepared to show and discuss your project in class.You could recruit some friends and create some Exquisite Corpse drawings or poems based on the theme of love, for instance. If you are a musician, you might try singing or playing a mashup of music for us to hear in class. Collage is the easiest way to produce a project.You can find many examples on line.
Nikki Rivera’18
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The Exquisite Corpse: A Collaborative Class Project Marisa Carr’18, Dominique Del Calzo’18, Emily Dreibelbis’18, Rebecca Libby’18, Jayda Giangrosso’18, Alison Mariano’18, Rachael Mullen’18, Aisling O’Connor’18, Nikki Rivera’18
CREATIVE PROJECT (IN CLASS)
Danielle Szumita’18
Mandala Repeating shapes that radiate from a center point create what is known as a mandala. Mandala (Sanskrit: ‘circle’) is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe.The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. The geometric and organic shapes intertwine, reminding us of the designs that we saw in illustrations of the Book of Kells. Using a theme from Tristan and Iseult, create a design by repeating letters until a mandala blossoms. To put us in a meditative state, we will listen to Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde Liebstod, music that is featured in or has influenced the musical scores of films such as Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia, and Bunuel / Dali’s Un Chien Andalou.
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Jayda Giangrosso’18
Dominique Del Calzo’18
Rebecca Whitney’18
Becca Libby’18 Nikki Rivera’18
GROUP PRESENTATIONS Conceptual Art
Andy Warhol
You are assigned to be part of a research group that will collect, assemble and deliver presentations on one of four conceptual artists we have read about in Kenneth Goldsmith’s Uncreative Writing: John Cage,Yoko Ono, Sol Lewitt, orAndy Warhol. Consider yourself as Goldsmith describes, not just a writer, but now a “producer, publisher and distributor.” You may use powerpoint, google search websites, Youtube videos, or any other means you wish to complete this presentation for class. Work collaboratively to figure out how to distribute the workload.
I learned a lot about Andy Warhol through my research for this presentation. Previously, when I had thought about Andy Warhol the only images that came to my head were the Campbell’s soup cans and Marilyn Monroe. I also did not truly understand his work until I read the definition of conceptual art. Now I know that he was a conceptual and controversial artist, appropriating popular images and shocking people with his gay-themed films. Andy Warhol was the first to see art in popular objects. Rebecca Whitney’18
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol was a fascinating and brilliant artist. Though his films are a bit risque and paintings a bit controversial, each is done skillfully and with purpose. From researching his work, I have discovered how a conceptual artist uses material that is either original or appropriated to make a statement. The messages are bold and make one think about their meaning. I was particularly fascinated by his work “Kiss,” a film in which he films several different couples of different gender and racial combinations to show that love and passion have no boundaries and are mutual amongst people. While many people of the time period were outraged by this piece, I find it enlightening and refreshing, like much of his work. I also appreciated how colorful and bright his works were, in spite of their often negative themes. They are perceived as happy at first glance, before further examination leads to varied reactions. Conceptual art does that though; you feel one thing upon first glance and then, after a while, sentiments switch as the work is processed. Dominique Del Calzo’18
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John Cage With a backdrop projection of a portrait of John Cage, Nikki Rivera’18 introduced Becca Libby’18 who proceeded to play Cage’s score 4”33” on her flute. Class discussion followed.
Sol Lewitt I found learning about Sol Lewitt and the start of the conceptual art to be fascinating. In high school I got to create my own conceptual project in photography and learning about this opened me up to wanting to do it again. I never realized how limitless conceptual art is. Learning about Sol Lewitt I was able to see that art is about the thought put in to a project or the thougths a viewer has and not so much the appearance or what the viewer is looking at. When making the two Sol Lewitt dot pictures I made for class I learned a lot about how people can interpret the same things completely differently. I’m only one person and I was able to interpret the same words into two different prints. Overall, I found this project to be not only interesting, but enlightening as well. Aisling O’Connor’18
SHORT ESSAY Critique – Elmira College Art Faculty Show in the George Waters Gallery On Thursday, November 13 from 5-7pm try to attend the art opening in the George Waters Gallery [next to Mackenzie’s]. If you have a conflict, you may go to the gallery on Friday, Saturday, Monday or Tuesday from noon to 4 pm to view the show. Write a response paper that addresses your observation of “appropriation” as discussed in Kenneth Goldsmith’s Uncreative Writing. Explain how a piece of work(s) demonstrates the use of artistic appropriation. Is the application of appropriation more visual or conceptual? Explain your conclusion.
Marisa Carr’18 The first painting that stuck out to me the most was the picture labeled “Mom.” It was a painting of a lady who looked rather sick and hooked up to a machine, which had wires coming off her arms. She looked like she was in need of help or was dying. It was a piece of art that really made you think about what was going on, why she looked like that and what her condition was. It really gave you a free pathway to come up with any idea you wanted about it. It was detailed in ways that expressed how sick she was; it showed her pale face and skin well. Her hair was thin and looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. She had this helpless look on her face that made her look like she was falling apart. Even though I don’t exactly know what the meaning of the piece was, I could base my comments off what I saw.
Do not worry about providing THE right answer. We are looking at art, and you, as the viewer, are completing the artwork by offering an honest response.You are equipped with a critique skill that your classmates who are not in our class may not have, i.e., an understanding of how artists use “appropriation” in creating new work from the works of previous artists.You may notice quotation in the form of image and text. Look for evidence of that. Feel free to write the critique as an informal paper.You may use the first person.You should observe grammatical rules. Titles of artwork are italicized or underlined. If you quote from Kenneth Goldsmith, provide the page number in the text, e.g. (67).
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Heart Mom by Dan Reidy (on loan for Jan Kather’s installation Spiritual Journeys)
Aisling O’Connor’18 When Wisdom Withers and That will be ere the set of sun are two pieces of art that show appropriation. Each print shows the Venus de Milo in settings that one would not expect to see it. The use of a recognizable image, in these cases it’s the famous statue, creates appropriation. The artist took an image that already existed and added it to her own work. The use of hidden text in That will be ere the set of sun also adds to the appropriation. The text isn’t so much meant to be read as it is to be used to help the image. The text is distorted to look as though it is just an addition to the tree, as if there are just more branches than there really are.
When Wisdom Withers by Jan Kather
Rebecca Whitney’18 The piece that I thought best demonstrated Kenneth Goldsmith’s concept of appropriation was That will be ere the set of sun by Jan Kather. I thought that this piece demonstrated appropriation the best not only because of the imagery, but the medium itself. When the metal prints reflected the light, it created almost a holographic effect, causing the image to become distorted. I found the imagery of this particular print to fit Kenneth Goldsmith’s style the best. The distortion of reality is one of Goldsmith’s favorite themes. The flipped imagery of the reflection of the pond and the view across the pond was particularly interesting. I did have to look closely before I realized that what appeared to be clouds and a tree were actually reflections in water. The appropriation in this instance was the distortion of reality, by putting a reflection in an area of sight that it normally is not. Also an example of appropriation in this piece is the borrowing of a quote from Macbeth Act 1, Scene 1. The inclusion of this text can change the viewer’s interpretation of the piece. I know that for me personally it made me examine the rest of the details in the image more closely to see if there was a connection.
CREATIVE PROJECT # 4 Like Water for Chocolate Sketchbook Select scenes from Like Water for Chocolate that can be translated into sketches or collages. Quote the text from the book that inspires you. The text can be written around your drawing, collage, or sketch as we saw in Guillermo del Toro’s sketchbook for his film Pan’s Labyrinth. [Note: If you prefer to sing, write a poem, or do a dramatic reading, that is OK, too.]
Lying in the darkness the light of my life has blown out now blinded by sorrow need to ignite the light restore the burning flame need to banish the dark love will burn once more grief starts to suffocate wax drips slowly begin to fade into the bright light of love I’ll go down the tunnel with you. Rebecca Libby’18 composed this song based on the last chapter of Like Water for Chocolate. She brought her guitar and sang it for the class. It can be viewed and heard at this Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQU67ITiJ0Q
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The Shower Catches on Fire by Danielle Szumita’18
PAPER # 2 Tristan and Iseult Using at least five references from the text of Tristan and Iseult , explain why “Tristan,” which means “child of sadness,” is an appropriate name for the leading character. Did Tristan himself believe he brought sadness to others as well as to himself? Consider his relationships with King Mark, Iseult the Fair, Kaherdin, Iseult of the White Hands, and Duke Gilain of Wales.
Tristan: A True Child of Sadness Aisling O’Connor’18 Each name given holds meaning. Many times the meaning of one’s name makes sense in the context of their life. Tristan means “child of sadness.” In the story The Romance of Tristan and Iseult the meaning of Tristan’s name is appropriate for the character. Tristan was born of sadness and causes sadness throughout his life. The sadness that is caused by Tristan is felt by more than just the lead character; others throughout this story feel it too. Tristan causes sadness and grief to King Mark, Iseult the Fair, Kaherdin, Iseult of the White Hands, and Duke Gilan of Wales. King Mark is Tristan’s uncle. The two care for each other very much. Although this is the case, Tristan still seems to cause sadness and grief in the King’s life. Because Tristan was so great in the King’s eyes, there were four barons who hated Tristan. The barons wanted to make sure that King Mark did not leave his land to Tristan. These four barons came up with the idea to have the King married so that he would not be left childless. Tristan then “threaten[ed] that if the King did not yield to [the] barons, [Tristan] would himself go over sea and serve some [other] great king” (Bedier 26). By saying this, Tristan caused sadness upon the King. King Mark was said to be sad thinking about how he would find a wife so he could keep Tristan. Without this “child of sadness,” this heartache and all the others that came to be because of this threat would not have happened. Iseult the Fair is another victim of Tristan’s sadness. The two were in love and could barely live without the other. As much as they longed to be together, they could never be. Tristan tried to keep his Iseult from lamenting, but because she loved him so much she refused to take any help from him. Once during the story, Tristan won Iseult a dog with a fairy bell on it that would take away sorrow. As soon as Iseult found out that the relief she was feeling was due to the fairy bell, she threw it into the ocean. She said, “Tristan, while you suffer, so long will I suffer also” (Bedier 144). What Iseult is saying is that Tristan makes her feel such a heavy sadness because she knows that Tristan is feeling the same way. Once again, Tristan is causing suffering. This time, it’s to the one he loves most. Kaherdin is Tristan’s comrade. They fought in many battles together and they trusted each other so well. Tristan and Kaherdin became fast friends. The bond they share is a strong one. That is why when Tristan died, the suffering and sadness that Kaherdin felt was unbearable. In the story, “Tristen had gathered up his strength, and had half risen, leaning against a wall, and Kaherdin wept beside him.
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They wept [for] their good comradeship, broken so soon, and their friendship” (Bedier 194). When a friendship is as strong as the one Tristan and Kaherdin share, only grief can be felt when it is torn apart by death. By dying, Tristan inflicts such a heavy sadness upon his best friend. Iseult of the White Hands, the sister of Kaherdin, became Tristan’s wife. She wanted to be the best wife she could be for Tristan. This Iseult also cared for Tristan, even though he did not share the same feelings. As soon as she found out about the love Tristan had for Iseult the Fair, she was hurt. When she overheard Tristan telling Kaherdin about his love, Iseult the Fair, she “kept every word in mind”, in hopes that “she [could] avenge herself on her whom [Tristan] loved most in the world” (Bedier 196). The fact that Tristan could love one Iseult and then marry another was just too much for Iseult of the White Hands to handle (no pun intended). The weight of her grief was so heavy that the only way of coping was to enact revenge by telling Tristan that the flag on Kaherdin’s ship was black and not white, meaning that Iseult the Fair was not with Kaherdin. This became the second time Tristan inflicted sadness upon an Iseult. The Duke Gildain of Wales became a friend of Tristan’s during Tristan’s travels. The Duke originally owned the dog and fairy bell that Tristan gave to Iseult the Fair. Tristan knew that “the Duke loved this dog beyond everything in the world” (Bedier 142), so Tristan offered to slay Urgan the giant in order to be rewarded. His plan was to ask the Duke for the dog after killing the giant. So that’s exactly what Tristan did. He successfully slayed Urgan and asked the Duke for Pticru, the dog with the fairy bell. When the Duke finally agreed to give up Pticru, he said ”take it, then, but in taking it you take away also all my joy” (Bedier 143). By taking the dog, Tristan purposefully took away all that was keeping the Duke Gildian happy, plunging him into sadness. “Child of sadness” is the meaning of the name Tristan. This name fits the lead character of The Romance of Tristan and Iseult by Joseph Bedier. Tristan has caused sadness not only to himself but to others around him. He caused King Mark, Iseult the Fair, Kaherdin, Iseult of the White Hands, and the Duke Gilain of Wales to suffer from such a painful sadness. What an appropriate name for such a sad leading character.
Course Texts (all available at the College Bookstore): 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)
Lynda Barry, One Hundred Demons (Summer Required Reading) Thornton Wilder,The Skin of Our Teeth R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated Kenneth Goldsmith, Uncreative Writing William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library edition) Joseph Bedier, The Romance of Tristan and Iseult Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate
Downloads available on Angel: print out for class! 1) “Dividing Australia:The Story of the Rabbit-proof Fence” by Danielle Olsen 2) “Race – The Power of Illusion” – from PBS Documentary 3) Chapters 1, 2 & 6, 7 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 4) “Notes on the State of Virginia” by Thomas Jefferson 5) Essays from Goldsmith’s Seven American Deaths and Disasters 6) Genesis: Adam and Eve / Cain and Abel / Noah and the Flood
Students attended a special session in the printmaking studio with Professor Longwell and printmaker Grant Silverstein on November 19, 2014. A discussion about Rembrandt’s religious etchings was of particular interest because the class had discussed his etching titled Potiphar’s Wife earlier in the term while reading the Biblical story of Joseph.
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