.....

struggling to make my works for this semester has really made me resent the idea concept of insitutional critique. I never though it would directly affect me, because thinking about my art in terms of the future just scares me to death. But in regards to art making, which funnily enough before i came to art school, i though was a spontaneous action, and expression, has now turned into this regimented open discussion of my work and others. I began art school bright eyed and very cross disciplinary, until i got sorted into my section and isolated from the rest of the pack. now ive begun to dislike the idea of the art institution, knowing full well that we're going to be trying to be friends for a while, and this upsets me. The fact that if no one sees my art, it may not be art distrubs me greatly. I make art for myself and weather i destroy it or send it to the MCA when im done really doesn't make a fucking difference.
what happened to love and creation? maybe i was a 60's child born to late.
"institutional critique emerged as a genre. "- MIT press website.
Why are we still held back by it then in the 21st century. fuck the white cube.

to society or to not society.

"Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation." This quote from society of the spectacle really speaks to me within the context of social relations and critical spaces, as well as my day to day life, and art. I think, seeing a debord's text was published in 1967, it was both a way for him to explore the happenings of his context, as well as extrapolate the future. I think art now, (which is a total umbrella statement) has moved into representation, especially photography, there is nothing that cannot be made without using an aspect of everyday life, and representing that so to speak.
I think i do live through representation, especially as artists. I feel as though through technology we have strayed from direct experience and interaction, and now do not directly live anything. something to think about i guess.

..

The topic of public art and enviro art made me search through art and about, i noticed that there were a lot of public gardens around sydney which had been tended to look like symbols and patterns. Alas i could not find if it was linked, but the photographic exhibition in Hyde park, tied between trees, utilizing the public space, and utilizing the environment to exhibit rather than a gallery does seem to forge a link for me.
Check it:
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ArtAndAbout/About/default.asp

I believe a past student is a part of the exhibition too.

..

This might seem a little naive, but i really hate community/ public art.
maybe it has something to do with the fact it has to endure rain, hail, graffiti, and quite possibly public urination, why cant they be ephemeral? it seems in making these artwork withstand these non gallery treatments, we need to make them ugly and big.

Why cant more public art be like Christo and Jeanne-Claude, "Wrapped Coast, Little Bay, Sydney" where although it may not have lasted forever, it at least looked good. i guess public art needs to be dummed down a little, as not not offend any one..

But its just so pretty...

Off topic, but Debord is a little bit great.

During research for the essay, i found some gems in Debord's text, Society Of The Spectacle, and it made me think of different examples of artworks which i can relate too.
Debord talks about "the spectacle is not a collection of images; rather, it is a social relationship between people that is mediated by images." This made me think about my studio and my particular interest in photography, and its relation to society, as well as the abundance of images which is present in contemporary society. Something that also made me think was "All that once was directly lived has become mere representation."
This seems to really speak for me, and i believe that representation at times over takes life, and we as artists attempt to use representation to convey things we have never experienced, i mean, think about all the artwork you've ever seen about death?
Debord is certainly onto something.