first assignment questions.
NAME: Kean O'Brien
MEDIUM/MEDIA IN WHICH YOU WORK: video and photography
STUDENT ID#: 2192082
TELEPHONE #: 773.469.9005
EMAIL ADDRESS: kean.obrien@gmail.com
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ART?
To communicate through a shared visual language.
WHY DO YOU MAKE ART?
To create a dialogue of communication with myself. To share my knowledge and personal experience through creation.
WHAT IS YOUR INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT OF THIS CLASS?
Through video I explore my personal tension between desire and impairment, the lose of connection and enable a place for that contact to be found. Previously I have made performances based upon my struggles with identity and my attempts to find balance within that battle. This classes exploration of theoretical problems related to performance is a necessary examination for my work. I am also interested in using photography as a mode of documentation for my performances and I am in the process of figuring out how a different medium can operate with and for my work.
WHAT DO YOU PERCIEVE TO BE THE BIGGEST ART TABOO?
Taboo; challenges social norms and is directly oppositional to our culture. I believe that honesty and emotion is the biggest taboo in art.
WHAT IS POLITICALLY INCORRECT IN THE ART WORLD?
Views on pornography.
Pornography is a testimony of the expression of human sexuality. I believe that censorship of erotic work is the supervising denial of certain elements of human sexuality, and a tool to control selective portrayal of “expected” sexual ideals. Representation and consumption of material depicting of any sexual or nonsexual act between consenting human beings is essential to a free society.
A work of art that remains only because of its aesthetic value can be viewed as less significant, or even insignificant, and when something lacks a value as important as that, the merit of the piece obviously decreases drastically. Within this method of judging art, it appears that one could go a step further and decide on whether art with “offensive” messages (messages that are generally regarded as outside what is widely acceptable in our society) are more important and successful then art which plays it safe and stays within the ethical realm of what subjects our society is comfortable with.
WHAT IS POLITICALLY INCORRECT IN THIS SCHOOL?
SAIC is solicited as a conceptually based school with liberally minded artists and teachers. My experience with making videos about sex, identity, gender and pornography has proven that this school is lacking in its progressivist language and education. I am not sure what is politically incorrect about the school itself but i do believe that the language taught here by some is politically incorrect and in ignorant thought.
ARE THERE IDEAS YOU HAVE WANTED TO PURSUE BUT HAVE BEEN HESITIANT FOR FEAR OF BEING POLITICALLY INCORRECT? IF YES, EXPLAIN?
No.
ARE THERE IDEAS YOU HAVE WANTED TO EXPLORE BUT HAVE NOT DONE SO BECAUSE OF ANOTHER REASON? IF YES, EXPLAIN.
Violence has been a reoccuring theme in my work. Specifically dealing with sexual violence. I have had a hard time exploring that out of fear of what i will find on the other side of my exploration... How i will emotionally be effected by the product of my work.
DEFINE “ARTIST’S RESPONSIBILITY.”
It is hard to quantify an artists responsibility. I believe an artists responsibility is simply to be honest with themselves and create good work based upon that. To make honest work one must be well educated and have a comprehensive consciousness of what they are trying to say with their art.
DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITY AS AN ARTIST? IF SO WHAT IS IT?
Because I deal with gender and sex i feel i have a responsibility to acquire knowledge and educate myself on these topics so i can clearly articulate what i am trying to say. I try to keep in mind that the topics i deal with in my work are sensitive and perhaps politically incorrect which means that my pieces may be the only thing on these topics that people see, therefore i want to make an accurate appraisal of my ideas.
DO YOU FEEL THERE IS SUBJECT MATTER THAT IS COMPLETELY OFF-LIMITS IN REGARD TO ETHICS, ARTIST RESPONSIBILITY OR GOOD TASTE? IN OTHER WORDS, IS ANYTHING SACRED?
No. If anything I am most interested in work that deals with difficult subject matter that may be considered restricted or uncharted.
DESCRIBE WHAT A GOOD EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IS FOR YOU.
A space that facilitates an open exchange of ideas during critiques and classroom discussions. I find that readings given in class are most beneficial and absorbed when they are discussed in class thoroughly. I relate well to visual examples of the art being discussed. The best classes I have been in have provided me with many visual examples broadening my knowledge of artists' and pieces of art that relate to my work...that inspire me to create. Being pushed intellectually by have demands put upon me and what i am bringing to the table is the most important element of my educational experience.
