Art Resources for Blaffer Art Museum Exhibits
Mutual Aid and Collective Action
Beginning with a Bang! From Confrontation to Intimacy : An Exhibition of Argentine Contemporary Artists, 1960-2007 - by Victoria Noorthoorn and Americas Society
ISBN 9781879128347
Publication date: 2008-03-30
This exhibition catalog is from a 2007 show by Americas society. Along with many others, this exhibition features artist Eduardo Navarro and deals with themes of intimacy and confrontation by Argentine artists. It is an exhibition which connects to ideas in Makeshift Memorials, Small Revolutions about collective action and mutual aid, as the works sometimes respond to the long period of dictatorship and civil disenfranchisement which took place during 1960-19990 and still has pronounced effects on the society today.
“Theremin” - By David Pritchard
This article details the idea behind artist Indira Allegra's piece on the Blaffer stairwell. A theremin is an instrument which is not played with the lungs, but rather the body in motion. It is a more detailed and scientific breakdown of the mechanisms behind an instrument of this kind and may be interesting to a student of engineering or STEM fields.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1364&context=jhm
Intersectionality and Systemic Inequity
Blackspace : On the Poetics of an Afrofuture - by Anais Duplan
ISBN: 978-1-939568-32-8
Publication Date: 2022-01-14
Black artists of the avant-garde have always defined the future. Blackspace: On the Poetics of an Afrofuture is the culmination of six years of multidisciplinary research by trans poet and curator Anaïs Duplan about the aesthetic strategies used by experimental artists of color since the 1960s to pursue liberatory possibility. Through a series of lyric essays, interviews with contemporary artists and writers of color, and ekphrastic poetry, Duplan deconstructs how creative people frame their relationships to the word, "liberation." With a focus on creatives who use digital media and language-as-technology--luminaries like Actress, Juliana Huxtable, Lawrence Andrews, Tony Cokes, Sondra Perry, and Nathaniel Mackey--Duplan offers three lenses for thinking about liberation: the personal, the social, and the existential. Arguing that true freedom is impossible without considering all three, the book culminates with a personal essay meditating on the author's own journey of gender transition while writing the book.
Multiplicity : Blackness in Contemporary American Collage - Edited by Kathryn E. Delmez
ISBN: 9780300272963
Publish Date: 2023-11-28
Building on a technique that has roots in European and American traditions, Black artists have turned to collage as a way to convey how the intersecting facets of their lives combine to make whole individuals. Artists have assembled pieces of paper, fabrics, and other, often salvaged, materials to create unified compositions that express the endless possibilities of Black-constructed narratives despite the fragmentation of our times. As artist Deborah Roberts asserts, “With collage, I can create a more expansive and inclusive view of the Black cultural experience.” More than 50 artists are represented in the book’s 140 color images, with some creating original artworks for this project. Featured artists include such well-known figures as Mark Bradford, Lauren Halsey, Kerry James Marshall, Wangechi Mutu, Howardena Pindell, Tschabalala Self, Lorna Simpson, Mickalene Thomas, and Kara Walker. In addition to scholarly essays, the publication contains short biographies of each artist written by Fisk University students.
Cultural Trauma and Memory
The Ancestral Turn. Art and AsiaPacific (2019) - by David Xu Borgonjon
Publication Date: 2019-09-01
It takes a medium to contact the ancestors. Yen-Chao Lin's video short 'The Spirit Keepers of Makuta'ay' (2019), shot on hand-processed Super-8 film in traditionally Amis territory on the east coast of Taiwan over the course of a residency, records these moments of spiritual mediation. Lin, a Montreal/Tiohtia:ke-based artist of Taiwanese descent, has long pursued the crafts that allow you to know by touch the hard-to-see, like water dowsing, spirit possession, and 'kau chim' (bamboo slip divination). Her video is overlaid with the voice of textile artist and community organizer Rara Dongi, as she narrates in both Mandarin and Amis the changes she has witnessed in the community. Scenes of medicinal herbs and joss-money-burning in ritual preparations lead into quasi-ethnographic footage of Daoist possession, Christian sacrament, and Amis sorcery. The entire video is streaked with the burns and crackles of chemical developer and interspersed with cyanotype drawing experiments.
Framing Revolution: Multiframe News Themes in Lebanon’s October 2019 Uprising.” The International Journal of Press/Politics (2023) - By Sally Farhat and Jad Melki
SSN: 1940-1612
Publication Date: 2023-07-24
This study examines news framing of partisan media during uprisings. Through mixed methods, it studies the framing of Lebanon’s October 2019 protests, compares frames across political divides, and interprets story themes based on associations between multiple frames. First, the qualitative media framing analysis (MFA) inductively interprets issue-specific frames. Then, the quantitative content analysis deductively examines the developed issue-specific frames and the generic frames across five partisan news channels and tests the relationship between them and across the pro- and anti-protests media. Finally, multiple associated frames are grouped together into news story themes. Results from the MFA reveal six frames: solidarity, head-to-head, individualization, acknowledgment, disruption, and peace through violence frames. The study detected the frequent deployment of the solidarity, conflict, and acknowledgment frames and a significant framing difference between pro- and anti-protest channels. Pro-protest channels more often deployed the solidarity frame, while anti-protest channels more frequently used the conflict, acknowledgment, disruption, and economic consequence frames. Finally, the study developed four story themes based on associations between frames: Blame the protestors or the politicians; protestor violence begets government violence; divided they suffer; and politicians may not only be the culprits but also the solution. The resulting multiframe news themes offer nuanced meaning to generic frames that frequently appear with issue-specific frames and highlight the different roles a singular news frame can play when combined with other frames.
Apollo’s Arrow : The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live (2020) - by Nicholas A. Christakis
ISBN: 9780316628211
Publication Date: 2020-10-27
A deep, science-backed look at how the coronavirus pandemic will change the way we live forever -- from renowned physician and sociologist Nicholas Christakis. 'Apollo's Arrow' offers a riveting account of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on American society as it unfolded in 2020, and on how the recovery will unfold in the coming years. Drawing on a combination of fascinating case studies and cutting-edge research from a range of scientific disciplines, bestselling author, physician, and sociologist Nicholas Christakis explores what it means to live in a time of plague -- an experience that is paradoxically uncommon to the vast majority of humans who are alive, yet deeply fundamental to our species as a whole. Unleashing new divisions in our society and new opportunities for cooperation, this 21st century pandemic has upended our society in ways that will test, but not vanquish, our already frayed culture's capacity to endure and thrive. Featuring many novel, provocative arguments and vivid examples ranging across medicine, history, sociology, epidemiology, data science, and genetics, 'Apollo's Arrow' envisions what happens when the great force of a deadly germ meets the enduring reality of our evolved social nature.
Unaccustomed Earth (2008) - by Jhumpa LahiriI
SBN : 9780307265739
Publication Date: 2009-04-07
A novel by acclaimed author Jhumpa Lahiri, this is a collection of eight short stories that explore the Indian immigrant experience. The stories span from the 1970s to the early 2000s and are set against the backdrop of shifting immigration patterns and policies. The title refers to the delicate balance that second-generation immigrants must strike between adapting to American society and maintaining their cultural heritage. Consider these narratives alongside the portraits by artist Jarod Lew.
Artistic Practices and Processes: Informal Archiving
“Characterization of the Caput Mortuum Purple Hematite Pigment and Synthesis of a Modern Analogue.” Dyes and Pigments - by Elena Castagnotto, Fredrico Locardi, Sawssen Slimani, Davide Peddis, Laura Gaggero and Maurizio Feretti
ISSN: 0143-7208
This is a scientific investigation which addresses the characterization and the production methods of the purple pigment Caput Mortuum used since pre-historic times until the eighteenth century. Artist Varunika Saraf uses her research about this pigment in her series of works displayed on the second-floor hallway. In this text from Dyes and Pigments journal, one can trace the chemical characteristics of this historical color, which is notable for the color changes it undergoes when exposed to high temperature.
Remembering Forward: Australian Aboriginal Painting since 1960 - By Kasper Knig, Emily Joyce Evans, Falk Wolf, and Museum Ludwig
ISBN : 1907372148
In this catalogue from a 2010 exhibition at Museum Ludwig in Cologne, featured artists include Paddy Bedford, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Queenie McKenzie, Dorothy Napangardi, Rover Thomas, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula. Also included is an article by Richard Bell titled The Authenticity of Austrailian Aboriginal Painting in the Age of Globalization.
Memorials and Networks of Care
Meshwar Al Aheba (2007)
Performed by Abu Bakr Salem (Rotana)
59 mins
This is a selection of songs by musical artist Abu Bakr Salem, who Marwan Rechmaoui pays tribute to in his work, Abu Bakr.
Artistic Activism and Resistance to Power Structures
“What Is Feminist Art?”- Archives of American Art Journal - By Mary Savig, Mercedes Dorame, Sheila Levant de Bretteville, Deena Metzger, Martha Rosler, Ana Mendieta, Kristen Dorsey et al.
In 1976 feminist activists Ruth Iskin, Lucy Lippard, and Arlene Raven mailed a pink postcard to their network of artists with the prompt, “If you consider yourself a feminist, would you respond by using one 8 ½ × 11" page to share your ideas about what feminist art is or could be.” More than 200 artists replied in the form of collages, manifestos, drawings, and prints. On February 3, 1977, the responses went on view in a public gallery at the Woman’s Building, a feminist art and education cooperative in Los Angeles. The Center for Feminist Art Historical Studies, an organization affiliated with the Woman’s Building, filed the responses for future reference, and today they reside in the Woman’s Building Records at the Archives of American Art. The launch of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative in 2018 provided an opportunity for the Archives to reconsider these historical documents. In 2019, the Archives’ curator of manuscripts invited some of the original artists as well as a number of new voices to address the question, “What is feminist art?.” This Art Work journal feature reproduces ten examples of the 2019 responses, one notably by artist Every Ocean Hughes, alongside five from 1976–77, inviting comparison and conversation.
"Letter to an Encyclopedic Museum Curator" - By Michael Rakowitz
This article is a letter from artist Michael Rakowitz to a curator discussing his project The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist. In this ongoing work, Rakowitz reconstructs life-size replicas of ancient artifacts looted from Iraq's National Museum during the 2003 U.S. invasion, using materials like Middle Eastern food packaging and newspapers. His project has evolved to also address the destruction of cultural heritage by groups such as ISIS and the looting of archaeological sites, including the famous Lamassu sculptures and the Northwest Palace of Nimrud. Rakowitz's letter focuses on the potential for collaboration with the museum to discuss restitution and decolonization in the context of the looting and destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage. He proposes gifting his reconstruction of the Northwest Palace's Room F to the museum, in exchange for the return of a specific artifact from the museum's collection to Iraq. The artist emphasizes the importance of not just repatriating objects, but engaging in a deeper restorative process that acknowledges the displacement and trauma experienced by Iraqi communities due to cultural extraction. The letter also critiques the commodification of stolen artifacts, highlighting how auctions of looted objects, such as a relief from Nimrud sold for $31 million, further exploit Iraq's cultural patrimony. Rakowitz stresses that his reappearances (as he calls his recreations) are not just about replacing what was lost, but about confronting and haunting the institutions and cultures that benefited from this loss. Ultimately, Rakowitz challenges the museum to consider its role in the ongoing cycle of cultural extraction and displacement, proposing that a true restorative act would involve not only returning artifacts but also engaging in a broader reckoning with the historical and present-day effects of imperialism and colonialism on Iraq’s heritage.
The Art of Protest: Political Art and Activism (2021) - by Robert Klanten, Lincoln Dexter, and Andrea Servert
ISBN: 978-3-96704-011-1
Publication date: 2022-01-01
Thanks to art's ability to communicate and influence, it has always had a charged relationship with activism and politics. And, given the tumultuous times in which we live, with traditional democracies being challenged from all sides, the changing climate, global movements for social justice, and political upheaval causing millions to search for a better life abroad, this relationship has never been more important. Art and Activism will explore the connection between art, politics, and activism today, revealing how, over the past decade, artists have been engaging with political and social issues of all kinds, through different artistic mediums. Consider this text in conjunction with work by artist Kiri Dalena.
Pictured Politics: Visualizing Colonial History in South American Portrait Collections - By Emily A. Engel
ISBN : 1-4773-2059-8
Publication Date: 2020-05-26
The Spanish colonial period in South America saw artists develop the subgenre of official portraiture, or portraits of key individuals in the continent's viceregal governments. Although these portraits appeared to illustrate a narrative of imperial splendor and absolutist governance, they instead became a visual record of the local history that emerged during the colonial occupation. Using the official portrait collections accumulated between 1542 and 1830 in Lima, Buenos Aires, and Bogotá as a lens, Pictured Politics explores how official portraiture originated and evolved to become an essential component in the construction of Ibero-American political relationships. Through the surviving portraits and archival evidence--including political treatises, travel accounts, and early periodicals--Emily Engel demonstrates that these official portraits not only belie a singular interpretation as tools of imperial domination but also visualize the continent's multilayered history of colonial occupation. The first standalone analysis of South American portraiture, Pictured Politics brings to light the historical relevance of political portraits in crafting the history of South American colonialism. Consider this text in connection with the work by artist Alicia Henry, which deals with familial and racial politics via non-Western portraiture; or artist Jarod Lew, whose work raises questions ab out "official" versus "unofficial" histories and philosophical inquiries into the nature of truth, memory, and recollection.
Science Fiction, Futurism, COVID
Posthumanism in Art and Science : A Reader (2021) - Edited by Giovanni Aloi and Susan McHugh
ISBN : 0-231-55176-2
Publication Date: 2021-09-28
Posthumanism in Art and Science is an anthology of indispensable statements and artworks featuring groundbreaking theorists as well as innovative, influential artists and curators. Their provocative and compelling works speak to the ongoing conceptual and political challenge of posthuman theories in a time of cultural and environmental crises. Consider this text in conjunction with work by artist Rajni Perera, whose work deals with science fiction, cultural aesthetics after global collapse, and "future mythologies."
Being Human During COVID (2021) - by Kristin Hass
ISBN:9780472038787
Publication Date: 2021-11-01
Science has taken center stage during the COVID-19 crisis; scientists named and diagnosed the virus, traced its spread, and worked together to create a vaccine in record time. But while science made the headlines, the arts and humanities were critical in people's daily lives. As the world went into lockdown, literature, music, and media became crucial means of connection, and historians reminded us of the resonance of the past as many of us heard for the first time about the 1918 influenza pandemic. As the twindemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice tore through the United States, a contested presidential race unfolded, which one candidate described as "a battle for the soul of the nation." Being Human during COVID documents the first year of the pandemic in real time, bringing together humanities scholars from the University of Michigan to address what it feels like to be human during the COVID-19 crisis. Over the course of the pandemic, the questions that occupy the humanities--about grieving and publics, the social contract and individual rights, racial formation and xenophobia, ideas of home and conceptions of gender, narrative and representations and power--have become shared life-or-death questions about how human societies work and how culture determines our collective fate. The contributors in this collection draw on scholarly expertise and lived experience to try to make sense of the unfamiliar present in works that range from traditional scholarly essays to personal essays, to visual art projects. This text is an exploration of informal and formal archiving practices, memorials and networks of care, and artistic resistance to power structures.