Fall 2018
Robert Ransick
DA4103.01
Credits: 4
Time: Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
Course Description:
In this course, we examine the history of social practice and focus in on how artists are moving out of the studio and into the public realm with their work. Social practices in art incorporates many diverse strategies that engage social forms from public discourse, activism, online networks, shared meals, street interventions, social sculpture, performance, artist-initiated organizations, regional economic development, creative placemaking, systems intervention and more. Students will work collaboratively on projects focused off-campus that critically engage topics pertinent to this moment in history. All work in this class is situated within the public sphere. There are lectures, reading assignments, studio projects and critiques during the course.
Requirements:
Active student participation throughout all aspects of this course will make your experience much more meaningful and is necessary for the successful completion of the assigned work. There are reading/research assignments, weekly discussions, student presentations, critiques and the production of work during this course. Students are expected to be present for all class meetings. Please email me if you must miss a class. Chronic lateness and/or more than 2 absences will seriously jeopardize your standing in this course.
Students will be evaluated based on the following: Participation/attitude, creative/conceptual work, collaboration, documentation of work/wikipages and progress over the term.
Collaborative Projects:
In this class most work will be collaborative in nature. Small scale exercises and projects at the start of the term will lead towards a final project that will be conceived and realized in collaborative teams.
Wikipages:
All students are required to maintain a personal wiki site for this class. This space should act as an electronic journal and contain your research, project ideas and progress, summaries of all the class readings (must be posted by Monday evening at 6PM) and documentation of creative work. Individual and group pages are to be updated regularly (weekly). Each student is responsible for viewing and commenting on all student pages.
Over the course of the term you should create an annotated list of links to artists and artworks that you find compelling or are influencing your ideas (this should be updated each week).
Student Presentations/critiques:
Each student will present on a particular artist or collective over the course of the term. This is a research project and should include citations (multiple sources), images, video or other resources where applicable. All presentation materials — text, image, links etc. — are to located on your wikipage. You do not need to write out every portion of your presentation, but you should include an annotated bibliography for all the sources you find.
Each student will present ideas and work regularly over the course of the term. All materials are to located on the wiki.
>> Late work is not accepted!<<
Goodness:
I would like you to commit to the following this semester:
That you will be respectful of both your peers and my time and efforts with your own: that you will work your hardest, be self-motivated, learn through trial and failure and share what you learn and/or know freely with all.
That you will push yourself beyond the bounds of your comfort zone, and be brave, adventurous and surprising.
That you will be respectful to your public, their time, and aspects of their lives they share with you. Reciprocate with thoughtful and courageous work.
Classroom Inclusivity:
Bennington College is committed to fostering the intellectual growth of all students, and to creating a learning environment where human cultural diversity is valued and respected. To that end, in this course all students can expect a respectful, welcoming and inclusive environment. I hope that all students in this course will openly share their unique perspectives and, just as importantly, respect the perspectives, comments, and contributions made by every other student and guest that participates in this course during the term. If you feel that at any time that this goal is not being met, please don’t hesitate to see me, or speak with a college administrator (e.g., from The Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Student Life, or Academic Services) to share your concern.
Academic Accommodations and Health Resources
Bennington College provides reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities when such accommodations are requested and necessary to ensure equal access to College programs and facilities. If you believe you are entitled to an accommodation speak with Katy Evans, the Academic Services and Accommodations Advisor, about any disability-related needs. If approved, you will receive a memo detailing your specific accommodations; it is your responsibility to provide me with the memo and discuss the implementation of accommodations. Note that I will not be aware of your needs if you do not share this memo with me. Accommodations are not retroactive, so the sooner we meet to discuss your needs, the better. Also, students experiencing mental and/or physical health challenges that are significantly impacting their academic work are encouraged to speak with their faculty advisor and member of Academic Services (academicservices@bennington.edu or 440-4400) about the impact and to connect with resources through health and psychological services (440-4426 or 440-4451).
Office hours/help:
I am available for help or to discuss projects via office hours and email. Please email me if you would like to schedule a time to meet–do not leave voice mail! I am readily available via email and will regularly respond within a few hours.
Anna Kroll is the Digital Arts Technician and has regular help hours each week. For more information, please visit the POD website.
Local Transportation:
Shuttles, buses etc.
Books/Readings:
There are no required books that need to be purchased for this class. All readings will be handed out or can be found online.
Bibliography:
Art and Social Change, A Critical Reader, Edited by Will Bradley and Charles Esche, Tate Publishing 2007
Collectivism After Modernism, The Art of Social Imagination After 1945, Edited by Blake Stimson and Gregory Sholette, 2007
Come Together: The Rise of Cooperative Art and Design, Francesco Spampinato, Princeton Architectural Press, 2015
Conversation Pieces: Community and Communication in Modern Art, Grant H. Kester, University of California Press, 2004
Education for Socially Engaged Art, Pablo Helguera, Jorge Pinto Books, 2011
Participation, Edited by Clarie Bishop, Whitechapel, 2006
Places of Learning, Media, Architecture, Pedagogy, by Elizabeth Ellsworth, RoutledgeFalmer, 2005.
Relational Aesthetics, by Nicolas Bourriaud, Presses du Réel, 1998
Relations in Public: Microstudies of the Public Order, Erving Goffman, Basic Books, 1971
Seeing Power: Art and Activism in the 21st Century, Nato Thompson, Melville House, 2015
Social Acupuncture, Darren O’Donnell, Coach House, 2006
Social Works: Performing Art, Supporting Publics, Shannon Jackson, Routledge, 2011
Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, bell hooks, Routledge, 1994
The Art of Participation, 1950-Now, Rudolph Frieling, SF MOMA/Thames and Hudson, 2008
The Everyday, Edited by Stephen Johnstone, Whitechapel, 2008
What We Want is Free, Generosity and Exchange in Recent Art, Edited by Ted Purves, SUNY Press 2005
This schedule is a guide and will change over the course of the term, check back often.
Session 1: September 11
Introduction to the course.
What is social practice?
Collaboration.
Dérive.
View:
Dr. Omi Osun Joni L. Jones on Six rules for allies
Nato Thompson on Socially Engaged Art Outside the Bounds of an Artistic Discipline, from Living as Form.
Reference:
Creative Time Summit.
Session 2: September 18
Discuss reading.
Review Dérive work.
Discuss SC part 1.
Class visitor: Lauren Ruffin, Chief External Relations Officer at Fractured Atlas and founder of the Artist Campaign School.
Read:
Grant Kester, Introduction, pages 1-13 from Conversation Pieces.
Pablo Helguera, pages 1-26 Education for Socially Engaged Art
Student presentation(s):
Ahmad Yassir: WochenKlausur
Marion West: Suzanne Lacy
Session 3: September 25
Discuss reading.
Discuss SC part 2.
Class visitor: Brian Campion, VT. State Senator.
Student presentation(s):
Lucy Blue: Simone Leigh
Evan Caldwell: Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Read:
Pablo Helguera, pages 27-66 Education for Socially Engaged Art
bell hooks, pages 23-34 Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
Session 4: October 2
Discuss reading.
Discuss collaboration #1.
Class visitor: Anya Piotrowsk, Student Life/Community Engagement
Student presentation(s):
Iris Salin: Joseph Beuys
Julian Lambert: Rick Lowe
Read:
Darren O’Donnell, Social Acupuncture, pages 11-95.
Session 5: October 9
Discuss readings.
Discuss collaboration #2.
Midterm Work
Class visitor: Artist and alum, Marisa Prefer
Reference: Ted Purves
Student presentation(s):
Phoebe Grace: Fallen Fruit
Molly Warncke: Theaster Gates
Read:
Louis Bury, In and Out of Frame: Lorraine O’Grady’s “Art Is…”, Hyperallergic, Sept. 5, 2015.
Jay Rosen, The People Formerly Known as the Audience
Robert Ransick, Enough with Problem Solving, Let’s Start Creating, Creativz.us
Due:
Fundraising project.
Session 6: October 16
Discuss readings.
Midterm work.
Student presentation(s):
Madeline Poultridge: Jeanne van Heeswijk
Sarah Fadem: Tania Bruguera
Read:
Lucy Lippard, pages 408-421, Time Capsule, from Art and Social Change, A Critical Reader.
Reference: Lucy Lippard Creative Time talk.
October 19-22: Long Weekend
Session 7: October 23
Discuss reading
Midterm collaboration discussion/update
Student presentation(s):
Narcissa Hodzic: Paul Ramirez-Jonas
Michelle Freeman: Postcommodity
Reference:
Conflict Kitchen
Ghana Think Tank
Read:
Irving Goffman, pages 3-27, The Individual as a Unit from Relations in Public.
Robert Ransick and Blake Goble, A Manifesto for the Present, Urban Future Manifestos. Edited by Peter Noever, MAK Vienna and Kimberli Meyer, MAK Center Los Angeles, 2010.
Session 8: October 30
Discuss reading.
Midterm collaboration complete with documentation of all activities on the wiki.
Debrief on midterm successes and challenges.
Read:
Nicolas Bourriaud, pages 161-171, Relational Aesthetics from Participation.
Session 9: November 6
Discuss reading.
Read:
Elizabeth Ellsworth, pages 15-36, The Materiality of Pedagogy from Places of Learning
References:
–Elizabeth Ellsworth and her Smudge Studio.
-Maya Lin, Civil Rights Memorial at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
–United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., video.
–Center for Artistic Activism and their webinars.
–Hank Willis Thomas and his For Freedoms project.
PLAN DAY, No class: November 13
Session 10: November 20
Discuss reading.
Presentation of final project ideas–team meetings with Robert.
Read:
-Elizabeth Ellsworth, pages 37-56, Pedagogy’s Hinge from Places of Learning
-Christopher Lee Kennedy, Latent Learning Curriculums, Institute for Applied Aesthetics [Choose one section of Christopher Lee Kennedy’s Latent Learning to write about.]
Session 11: November 27
Presentation of revised final ideas to class.
In class, add answers to the following to your team wiki for both final projects:
-What is the core idea at the center of the artwork? (one sentence)
-What are your artistic intentions with the pieces? (why are you making this work)
-Who is your audience/participants and how are you inviting them into this work?
-What is your agreement with the audience/participants and how are you making that clear?
Session 12: December 4
Ongoing final project discussion and work.
Session 13: December 11
Final projects discussion and critique.
Last class. (All work from the term must be complete and located on student wiki pages by the start of class.)