Shaun Leonardo's Interview
"I do equate that stubbornness and conviction with the same work ethic that my parents filled me with, but to this day, I don’t understand how I never felt that the historical art canon could not be achieved simply because of my ethnicity or color."
While watching a reading Shaun's interview I found it very humbling and easy to relate. I liked being introduced to his work and knowing that he was inspired by greats and never saw his background as an obstacle. He grew to showcase what life meant to him through performance. His background was the foundation of his work and had let him thrive in the art realm.
"Artists have to offer a different type of slowness to work against the speed of today."
Shaun explains how media outlets have created today's world to live on fast speed conveyor belt. A non-stop plethora of ideas, creations, etc. that has the world in a current chokehold. The idea of performing art or art in general is now being questioned again to artist if media itself and AI is the new art. He explains that artists of his time have an important role now which is to slow that process of art. There is a method to their madness, we can't act just on what we see or hear. Shaun let's us know that the meaning of art is to understand, process, and spiritual grain.
Khan Academy Performance Art
"The name of 'Madman' with which it is attempted to gag all innovators should be looked upon as a title of honor" -Technical Manifesto (1910)
Performing arts was introduced to disrupt silence, fear, sublime, and sacred art forms. This is what the futurist artist wanted to represent to their audience. Avant-garde was the new thing in Europe and had open many more doors across the western hemisphere.
"The Theatre of cruelty" - Antonin Artaud
Antonin had a theory that the stage, lights, and sound was not the focus in performing arts anymore. The object, and or the person was the focus. if there was a platform with all instruments and no noise then this too can be art. Standing or walking is art too. This reminded me of a video I watched last semester that showed a pianist not playing anything but just changing the pages of his music book and labeling part 1, part 2, etc. This is a performance by John Cage and how music had an impact on his viewers. The video is called 4'33.
Yoko Ono
"Yoko Ono art pioneered the idea of feminism in artistic practice."
Yoko is know for her activism and feminist fight. She shares a light through her pieces by making you think about yourself, who you are, what you do, and the effects of your own character to others.
"Her work has always been an indivisible element of her activism and life-long mission of communicating with the world at large. "
Yoko is know for her brilliant mind and coherent methods of showing women struggles and activism for world peace. She has been critiqued by the press and through those hardships she still maintained her focus on her work and what her work means to others and herself.
John Berger Ways of Seeing
"The idea of innocence faces two ways. By refusing to enter a conspiracy, one remains innocent of that conspiracy. But to remain innocent may also be to remain ignorant" (Page 32, Ways of Seeing.)
I believe John argues how difficult innocence can understand artwork. When someone is "refusing to enter a conspiracy" means to not have motives to get insight on pieces that are being shown. It's like only certain people get it and some don't and thats the beauty of art, its loud but silent.
"The art of the past no longer exists as it once did" (Page 33, Ways of Seeing.)
Famous painter. philosophers, musicians, and more have art tied to their discovery. A place where the internet was unheard of, made artist of this time to create precedents for the future. I agree wholeheartedly that art from the past is distinctive from our present. A lot of artist today are "inspired" by the "OG's" of a historic piece. Although, some artist may argue that their work is "unique" John argues that art is ubiquitous and surrounds us.
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