After reading this introduction, I was struck by a concept employed by community engaged artists: providing “content” versus providing “context.” I think that as artists, it is so easy to become obsessed with trying to prolifically produce physical, finished products, whether it be a play, a painting, or a film. This opened my mind to the idea that art can be an uncomfortable conversation with people who have had vastly different life experiences than your own. This is one such example of “dialogical art” (Kester 10). As artists we emphasize the importance of the process; however, it seems that we rarely stay true to this sentiment. This makes sense, as we live in a capitalistic society which thrives on instant gratification. Directly involving an artist or artists’ communities in their art helps to shift the paradigm from product-driven to process-driven.
Second, I was interested in the utilization of literal reality within the context of art. As an actor specifically, we use fiction to depict reality or reveal universal truths that live within us all. Why not draw the elements of art directly from the source? Why use a fictionalized character when you can use a real person with unique and authentic experiences? This idea has helped me to realize that something can be considered art and performance, even if it does not involve a long rehearsal process and predestined words to be spoken by dramatic shape shifters.
The third key idea that caught my attention was Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion that “the work of art can be viewed as a kind of conversation - a locus of different meanings, interpretations, and points of view” (Kester 10). Most art generates a conversation following its completion. However, with dialogical art, the conversation is at the forefront. The work never stagnates, it continually evolves because it is grounded in the endless ebb and flow of verbal exchange. This helped to broaden my definition of art and question the rigid definitions of art that are fundamentally rooted in a classist and exclusionary school of thought.
Questions:
- I wonder why, in my now fifteen years of education, I have not been exposed to the ways in which community-engaged artworks have effectively implemented solutions for pressing social issues (e.g. the WochenKlausur boardinghouse). How can we incorporate this into education in all levels of schooling from primary to college?
- Since this has broadened my definition of art, can art be classified as anything that does not pertain directly to survival? Or can art truly be anything?
- How can we effectively forge the bond between art and activism as students at CalArts at present?
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