The Birthday Party - 20/05/2010

Exhibiting with an intention to critique that of the white cube with a inherent fluxus quality imbued within the one off event! The group I was in intiated the construction of the mini white cubes with an intent to destroy them aesthetically by encouraging people to write their Pinter's Birthday Party quotes upon it. Other key displays of the event was the construction of the white cube cake and most importantly the lauch of the website:

www.sereneinnovation.co.uk/TheOrganisationofDirt.html

This exhibition has a seemingly ironic and humorous take in regards to celebrating the 'birthday' of the white cube. With black bunting symbolic of an anti-white cube and the destruction of the white cube (in the form of cake) it can be seen that the white cube can be viewed as a mockery in regards to the display of art. My reasoning for being so harsh upon the white cube is that it itself is deemed as a work of art in its own right to a certain extent.

Proposal: My White Cube is My Taxi

So I propose a travelling exhibition in the form of a taxi covered in Bumper stickers signed by individual artists. The fee for this exhibition will be covered by the Taxi fare. The taxi will be based in London. Consumers will be unaware of the exhibition until they enter the taxi where an exhibition catalogue or a text explication will be at their disposal. In essence the work is critiquing that of the white cube space and the concept of the artist as celebrity along with an element of escapism in the form Fluxus and Situationism due to the random generative possibilities they provide.

Combining Philippe Thomas' idea of the Readymade as signed by its owner with Michele Bernstein's comment, "Only taxis allow true freedom of movement. By travelling varying distances in a set time, they contribute to automatic disorientation. Since taxis are interchangeable, no connection is established with the "traveller" and they can be left anywhere and taken at random. A trip with no destination, diverted arbitrarily en route, is only possible with a taxi's essentially random itinerary".

I propose an exhibition that does not avert the commodity and capitalism but embraces it. By using Situationism as an overtly political medium in order to escape the powers of the signs (media) that subconsciously guide us through this supposed non-reality. I hope that the generative qualities of this moving exhibition will somehow provide escapism and allow a 'true freedom of movement'. Constructing a situation such as this will no doubt raise numerous problems:

1. Do I want the taxi to be known as a white cube/alternative space or allow the passenger to experience the true freedom of movement – but then how can they experience a true freedom of movement when they have a set starting point and destination in their journey.
   
2. Maybe the emphasis should be on the taxi as an everyday object experiencing this sense of freedom thus blurring the distinction between art and life in conjunction with the aims and ideals of the Fluxus group!
   
3. By embracing that of capitalism through taxi fares it would contradict the original notion I have posed, i.e. that the Taxi should provide a form of escapism but then if the passenger has a set destination and pick up point it will make no difference to them if they had to pay or not.
   
4. As the artist Manzoni inscribed his signature on a random person's show what is not to say that I cannot get artists to sign (in the form of a bumper sticker) the white taxi thereby undermining the role of the white cube to an extent. What I mean by undermining the white cube would mean by-passing the artists work, getting straight to the popularity of the artist and questioning what the consumers go to see when they visit a gallery. By getting artists to sign the exterior of the taxi would in some way propel the taxi into the realm of the art market – but would pose various issues including the deterioration of the art.
   
5. One key difference with this exhibition unlike the others is that the entry price is varying and there is no escaping our commodified/capitalist culture. There is only escape of the real for the taxi as an object.
   
6. How will the consumer know that they are in a work of art or will they see the exterior of the taxi as purely advertising? As Kaprow states in Essays on the Blurring of Art and Life, 'Those wishing to be called artists, in order to have some or all of their acts and ideas considered art, only have to drop an artistic thought around them, announce the fact and persuade others to believe it. That's advertising. As Marshall McLuhan once wrote, "Art is what you can get away with".'
   

I can see how contradictory this proposal may appear but this is precisely the problems avant-garde artist's face. By amalgamating the 'object' i.e. that of the artist's signature I hope to escape the notion of display as a form of fetishism by creating a situation. 'The "constructed situation" was defined as a moment of life, concretely and deliberately constructed by the collective organisation of unitary environment and the free play of events.' – Simon Ford. It could in effect be seen as similar to that of The Naked City, a creation which was credited to Guy Debord.

Context of Display

'The context of display is an important issue for art history because it colours our perception and informs our understanding of works of art.'

(Barker, Emma, Contemporary Cultures of Display, p.8)

This is to an extent true as it can be seen to elevate the artist to a position of the celebrity which in turn colours our perception of what we see when we look at art. With regards to this concept of celebrity, Gavin Turk appears to have taken a critical role in his artistic approach to that of the celebrity. At face value his work appears clever especially in regards to the Situationist critique below although referring to Badiou it is suggested that his work has become one in a process that Badiou reveals as an ego or narcissistic form of particularism i.e. it is no longer about the art but that of the artist, concealing the truth behind the art. In his attempt to restore the rights of an independent affirmation (to quote one of his 15 points) Badiou confers that:

'Art cannot be the expression of mere particularity, whether it be ethnic or "me-ist." It is the impersonal production of a truth addressed to all.'

(http://www.lacan.com/lacinkXXIV5.htm)

Debord and the Celebrity

"By concentrating in himself or herself the image of a popular role, the celebrity, spectacular representation of a living human being, concentrates this banality. The condition of the "Star" is the specialization of the apparently lived; the object of identification with shallow apparent life, which must compensate for the fragments of actually lived productive specializations. Celebrities exist in order to represent various types of life. Styles and styles of comprehending society, free to express themselves GLOBALLY."

(Debord, Society of the Spectacle and Other Films, 1992, p.80)

Let's Have A Party For The Common Object

Claes Oldenburg celebrates the common object by recreating it in material form. Whilst we are able to reify ourselves with such objects or rather ‘art’ it can be seen that Pop art has a significantly different agenda to that of Fluxus. Whilst Fluxus inherently strives for an art that is no longer considered art, in which no terms can be applied. In contradistinction to Fluxus, Pop artists considered painting and sculpture were different from that of the readymade object. With reference to Claes Oldenburg (in Art since 1900):

‘I am for an art that is political – erotical – mystical, that does something
other than sit on its ass in a museum…I am an art that takes its form from the lines of life itself, that twists and extends and accumulates and spits and drips, and is heavy and coarse and blunt and sweet and stupid as life itself.’

‘Readymades Belong to Everyone’

In the case of Philippe Thomas Readymades do belong to everyone.

"Pro-duced bar-code paintings which critiqued the art and museum world. Collectors and museums who purchased one were obliged to sign it, thereby questioning the status of an artist's unique signature.' (Art and Artifact: The Museum as Medium, James Putnam)

This is precisely what I have been looking for, a critique on the provenance and status of a signature be it of the artist or of whoever owns art.

Do Not Touch

Reading through Art and Artifact: The Museum as Medium by James Putnam I came across Dove Bradshaw's piece of Do Not Touch (1979) = genius.

"Bradshaw replicated an official 'Do Not Touch' sign from MoMa, New York, and also produced a museum label describing it. She then fixed it to the wall in one of the galleries; the label was subsequently moved by security guards." (In Art and Artifact, p.172)

The fact that it highlighted that anyone of an unsuspecting nature could replicate and attach such a label to museum institutions such as the MoMA in New York has further enhanced my idea for my proposal, which I am still conjugating. Although having being recognized as an artist in the book art and artifact it can be seen how Bradshaw has critiqued art and the museum world thereby questioning the status of the artist.

Picasso

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cJZHtMED5Q

This advert of the Citroen Picasso is of particular relevance as I feel it sums up one of the comments made by Allan Kaprow in his Essays on the Blurring of Art and Life,

"Those wishing to be called artists, in order to have some or all of their acts and ideas considered art, only have to drop an artistic thought around them, announce the fact and persuade others to believe it. That's advertising."

It is notable in this case that it is not the artist's signature but that of a robot's indicating how mechanical and repetitive today's society has become. What also is of note is how the provenance of any signature can have a detrimental effect on its reception.

Random Itinerary

"Only taxis allow true freedom of movement. By travelling varying distances in a set time, they contribute to automatic disorientation. Since taxis are interchangeable, no connection is established with the "traveller" and they can be left anywhere and taken at random. A trip with no destination, diverted arbitrarily en route, is only possible with a taxi's essentially random itinerary."

(Quote taken from Bernstein, Michele, "Derive by the Mile", Potlach no.9-10-11, August 1954 in The Situationist International: A User's Guide by Simon Ford)

Duchamp

Situating a Display - Practicum Week 7

We carried out a practical exercise to situate our various proposals/manifestos/drawings within an environment of string evoking Duchamp's The Mile String. One of the main objectives was to convey how we consider space as well as rethinking space in regards to the body's implication in such an experience. In regards to alternative practices, with particularly attention to Situationism, Fluxus and Abject art we were able to realise the fundamental principles of contemporary curating from the practicum. Like Duchamp, his work pushed boundaries, he explored or rather questioned what makes art, art? From reorganising and repositioning everyday objects (ready-mades) he was able to challenge such a notion.

Gavin Turk

It could be seen through the art work of Gavin Turk that he masks contemporary culture in a restaging of a contemporary masterpiece, The Death of Marat by Jacques Louis David. But then whilst this may encompass some of the theories of the Situationists it lacks in leaving his personality behind which was the Fluxus aim or rather embodiment of the values, which the movement stood for. I appear to be focusing on the aspect of the 'spectacle' rather than the other aspects of situationism such as 'detournement'!

Bumper Stickers

Bumper Sticker created by Me!



Bumper Sticker created by Gavin Turk:



From having had the opportunity of meeting Gavin Turk whilst on a history of art course (SOTA) in Venice it enabled me to gain a wider insight into the cognitive process behind his art. He challenged the notion of the artist as a celebrity and how a sign can be on the same level to that of the art produced. Ultimately it leads one to question why people attend exhibitions. Is it to acquire greater knowledge about the artist? Is it to view the art from a purely aesthetic point of view? Are we expected as cultured citizens to attend art exhibitions as it is the seen thing to be done? Or is it the media that attracts to such exhibitions in particular that of blockbuster exhibitions?

Reifying our current situation

The Situationist concept of the Spectacle as developed mostly by Debord explicitly highlights the unreal and how we reify ourselves to accept the system we are subconsciously part of that constitutes the spectacle. We are subconsciously guided through the system via signs which are enhanced by the employment of emerging technologies such as media. It is media and advertising that are ultimately concealing the truth and allowing us to live in this phantasmagorical 'reality'. This in turn leads us to question what we see when we look at art, is it the artist's signature/name as a sign of both the art market and artist's status or is it the art we look at first. Depending on the layout of the art it can be argued that the genre of the art is a signature, a sign in itself. With reference to Baudrillard the sign is consistent with our language as a kind of formal understanding between us and the object. Entitling such movements or groups such as Situationism or Fluxus their signatures alone, can stand in for most art works they represent, as we are labelling art. What is interesting to note is a quote that I have taken from the book Art Since 1900: Modernism, Anti-modernism and Postmodernism by Hal Foster and Rosalind Krauss.

 

'One could argue that Fluxus was the first cultural project in the post-war period to recognise that collective constructions of identity and social relations were now primarily and universally mediated through reified objects of consumption, and that this systematic annihilation of conventional forms of subjectivity necessitated an equally reified and internationally disseminated aesthetic articulation.'

The Situation as it stands with Fluxus and the Situationists

My idea derived from attending a course in Venice where we were fortunate enough to be lectured by Gavin Turk. His work explores the concept of the artist as celebrity. Some of his notable works comprise himself as that of a celebrity challenging the viewer as to what they see, the art or the name. As commented on in the catalogue 'Ant Noises at the Saatchi Gallery 2, 'He makes us question whether the celebrity status attracts us is more important than the work that has been made by creating friction between style and content.' Firstly let's look at the two movements individually assessing at the same time their similarities and differences.

 Situationist International:

Guy Debord was a central figure in the short lived Situationist International movement and appeared to develop the concept of the spectacle the most. Debord wrote the 'Society of the Spectacle', which he argues that the, 'production and consumption of commodities had developed in a modern capitalist society; to such an extent that life is lived in, and through, a series of mediated images'. The concept of the spectacle confers to the idea of the society controlling it. The political and technical progress of the twentieth century imprisoned the imagination that was supposed to run free. Situationists were against the mediated experiences that took place under capitalism. They wanted a return to spontaneity, allowing the imagination to run free. Debord's films are essential if we are to understand the breaking up of values masked by the concept of the 'spectacle.'

http://www.ubu.com/film/debord_spectacle.html

In conclusion to the aims of the Situationists it remains clear that,

'the construction of situations remains as valuable a step towards individuality, sponaniety, and finally, freedom.'

Anderson, Simon. "Situationist Aesthetics." Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. Ed. Michael Kelly. Oxford Art Online. 9 Mar. 2010 <http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t234/e0478>.

With both groups or movements it is clear that Fluxus appears as a playful medium with subtle and gentle attacks on the status of the immobile museum, seen as fun with no apparent interest in interpretation. Guy Debord from the Situationist International translates the idea of fun into a rebellious, up turned view of values against government will and authority.

Fluxus:

An informal international group of avant-garde artists who employed a varied rage of media. Most of their works often required the participation of a spectator in order for their works to be complete. The name Fluxus derives from the Latin for 'flow' and was conceived by George Maciunas (1931-78). Key artists of this group included: Yoko Ono, George Brecht, Dick Higgins to name a few. John Cage's concrete music (1939) and Duchamp's notion of the ready-made, were of particular influence in regards to Fluxus.

A key purpose of the Fluxus movement was to 'erode the cultural status of art and to help eliminate the artist's ego.' Michael Corris. "Fluxus." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. 9 Mar. 2010 <http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T028714>. In the manifesto of 1963 it explicitly conveys the aims of the movement:

The manifesto of 1963 exhorted the artist to 'purge the world of bourgeois sickness, "intellectual", professional and commercialized culture … dead art, imitation, artificial art, abstract art, illusionistic art … promote a revolutionary flood and tide in art, promote living art, anti-art, … non art reality to be grasped by all peoples, not only critics, dilettantes and professionals'.


 Michael Corris. "Fluxus." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. 9 Mar. 2010 <http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T028714>.

 Events were key to the Fluxus movement and provided minimalistic statements although highly abstract with minimal emotional impact to minimize the ego of the artist. A problem arose with regards to Fluxus and its relationship with collectors. The collectors saw it as too ephemeral and cheap consequently this could be seen as a triumph with regards to the Fluxus movement as they were against skill, artiness, expression and many of the qualities associated to art as we know it, supposedly through the 'spectacle.' The underlying consumer and capitalist market structuring our society creates an obstacle which explains why the aims of the statement below could never come to fruition.

 'If anything and everything could be art, and everyone was an artist, the whole system would collapse, fluxus thought had it. If only things were so simple. There were even complaints from hardcore fluxus artists that people with too strong a personality left too much of a trace of themselves in their work. These are the aesthetics of the Khmer Rouge.'

 Pasted from <http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/dec/10/art>