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Steve Reich

§ October 14th, 2008 § Filed under Informational Posts § 50 Comments

Please post 250 words on the Reich perfomance and 75 words responding to another student’s post by Wednesday night. 

Samples of Steve Reich:

Music for 18 Musicians, section II

Eight Lines

Different Trains feat. Israel Contemporary String Quartet

Four Organs, partial, South Bank Show - start at 1:00

A Message from Prof. Israel

§ September 11th, 2008 § Filed under Informational Posts § No Comments

I have just come back from the two exhibitions I have asked you to see between now and Sunday, and I wanted to amend slightly the plan for next week’s discussion (which will focus exclusively on *painting*). The Turner show at the Metropolitan Museum is very scholarly and comprehensive, and covers multiple genres of 19th century painting (landscape, history painting, and proto-abstraction).

To get to it, go up the main staircase (past the entrance), turn left, and walk past the photography exhibition we saw together (you might take a quick second look–I did!) and then keep following the signs for Turner. If you are pressed for time, 30-40 minutes should be plenty of time to see this show. Just try to get a sense of the trajectory of his career; the show is laid out chronologically. Maybe focus on one painting per room, noting titles of works that interest you.

In a room right behind the Turner exhibition on the same floor is the Met’s permanent collection of 20th century art, most of which is painting. The collection is just incredibly good, and you will find more Pollocks and de Koonings (and Rothkos and Olitskys) there than at the Jewish Museum. Make a point of seeing the show. Just look for the Damian Hirst “Shark” encased in formaldehyde at the show’s entrance. Again, a half-hour is plenty of time, especially if you don’t try to focus on everything)

Because I am adding to your workload (by adding another exhibition), I am subtracting the necessity of reading a Pollock essay; the writing I had in mind is too dense for our purposes. At this point in the semester, I’d rather we had a general discussion of the trajectory of painting than engage such a specific argument. Of course, you are always welcome to google away and find out as much as interests you about Turner, Abstract Expressionism, etc.

The Jewish museum show is quite interesting; it frames Abstract Expressionism as a movement made possible in part by two critics (Greenberg and Rosenberg); check out some of the letters and videos about these critics in the show. Note also the Cold War dimension of the movement’s reception.

I thought having you choose images worked well in our last class, and since Meredith has introduced you to test power point on google docs, we should extend that into next week’s class. Here’s what I’d like to do. I’m dividing you up into five groups, and giving each of you a specific responsibility:

The groups are as follows:

  • A. Tyler, Rebecca, Mia, James, De Asia
  • B. Tatiana, Sharon, Gavin, Beth, Mary
  • C. Harper, Angela, Melissa, Katherine, Suleman
  • D. Aleksandra, Joseph, Idrissa, Karen, Vivienne
  • E. John, Irene, Elizabeth, Jeanette, Angela W, and Richard

Group A members should each choose an image from the web on Turner (one in the show), and post it by Sunday night. Don’t repeat each other’s images.

Group B members should each choose an image from Pollock from one of the two shows and post it by Sunday night. Don’t repeat each other’s images.

Group C members should each choose an image from De Kooning from one of the two shows and post it by Sunday night. Don’t repeat each other’s images.

Group D members should choose from the following artists, shown in the two shows–Philip Guston, Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler, Jules Olitsky, Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Adolph Gottlieb, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein–and post it by Sunday night. Don’t repeat each other’s images.

Group E should choose any work from any artist not included above–Kokomo or E. Fred Muggs, anyone?!–and post it by Sunday night. Don’t repeat each other’s images.

This way we will have 26 images and plenty to talk about. A quick note about taking images from the web (check both museum sites and google images). In general, the “bigger” the file, the better the picture. Try to post nice-quality images.

To minimize the amount of time we spend at the beginning of class just setting up the following weeks’ schedule, REVISED syllabus information here. This way we can get started right away at 10:10 next Wednesday.

  • On 9/17, we will talk about painting (as above). We will also very briefly talk about “Fall for Dance” which we will see the following Tuesday night) your homework will be to see the Louise Bourgeois exhibition and, possibly, the Olafur Eliasson exhibition (those waterfalls near the Brooklyn Bridge) on the evening of TUESDAY, 9/23 we will see, together, “Fall for Dance” [if for any reason you cannot make this performance, let me know now]
  • On 9/24 we talk about one or both of the exhibitions, and the Dance performances, and go over the first paper assignment. Meredith may also do a research/tech tutorial about paper writing and exchanging papers.
  • We are off 10/1 and 10/8, which totally disrupts our pedagogical momentum, but allows you time to write an excellent paper, with the help of your fellow students.
  • On 10/14 we will see the opera Don Giovanni together at the Met [if for any reason you cannot make this performance, let me know now]
  • On 10/15 your papers will be due at the beginning of class, and we will discuss Don Giovanni.

All of this is now confirmed. Once we get there we will be about halfway through the semester, believe it or not. See you next Wednesday! Best, NI

First Writing Assignment

§ August 27th, 2008 § Filed under Assignment-Related Posts, Informational Posts § No Comments

Please write a 300-350 word essay about any single object, work, or image from any of the three exhibitions we saw together at the Metropolitan Museum. (In certain cases, you can write about an assemblage of works.) Use any font you like, provided it is a legible one, but please double space.

The key feature of your essay should be its specificity. You should spend about half of your 300-350 words describing in detail the image as closely as possible, and another half  describing what you think the image means or suggests. On the description part, try to use your own words. Sure– you can consult wall text, exhibition information from the museum’s website or elsewhere, but I’d like to hear what *you* see, not a paraphrase of your research.  On the interpretation part of your essay, please avoid telling a story about your encounter with the work; just get right down to what you think the work is saying (which is not necessarily what the artist him or herself intends).

In your writing, please avoid cliches like “the human condition” and “Great Art.” Keep it simple and direct.  You should be sure to give the work’s title (if it has one).  Indicate the word count on the bottom left corner at the end of your essay.   This assignment is due next Wednesday at the beginning of class.

Welcome!

§ August 17th, 2008 § Filed under Informational Posts § No Comments

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