Chris Thompson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816653546
- eISBN:
- 9781452946184
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816653546.003.0003
- Subject:
- Art, Art History
This chapter discusses Joseph Beuys’ take on the art of silence in contrast to that of Marcel Duchamp and his oeuvre. The efforts to “remake” Duchamp’s works within the context of Beuys’ “Social ...
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This chapter discusses Joseph Beuys’ take on the art of silence in contrast to that of Marcel Duchamp and his oeuvre. The efforts to “remake” Duchamp’s works within the context of Beuys’ “Social Sculpture” had become an obsession for the latter until the end of his life. Such a conflict was not a product of competition or petty rivalry. Duchamp’s work, Beuys felt, posed the fundamental questions of humanity without addressing or understanding them. Given that and the fact that Marcel Duchamp was widely considered an exemplary of his time, Beuys could not accept Duchamp as such. He simply could not ignore the impact Duchamp’s work would have of the role of art and artists in society. Art, to Beuys, is and should be a vehicle for social change.Less
This chapter discusses Joseph Beuys’ take on the art of silence in contrast to that of Marcel Duchamp and his oeuvre. The efforts to “remake” Duchamp’s works within the context of Beuys’ “Social Sculpture” had become an obsession for the latter until the end of his life. Such a conflict was not a product of competition or petty rivalry. Duchamp’s work, Beuys felt, posed the fundamental questions of humanity without addressing or understanding them. Given that and the fact that Marcel Duchamp was widely considered an exemplary of his time, Beuys could not accept Duchamp as such. He simply could not ignore the impact Duchamp’s work would have of the role of art and artists in society. Art, to Beuys, is and should be a vehicle for social change.
Anna Couey
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780262034654
- eISBN:
- 9780262336871
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262034654.003.0021
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Technology and Society
Cultures in Cyberspace was a temporary communications network organized by the author in 1992 to connect five culturally diverse online communities in conversation: American Indian ...
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Cultures in Cyberspace was a temporary communications network organized by the author in 1992 to connect five culturally diverse online communities in conversation: American Indian Telecommunications/Dakota BBS (US), Arts Wire (US), ArtsNet (Australia), the WELL (US), and Usenet (international). Produced at a time of impending transformational technological change, the project provided a platform for people to participate in co-creating cyberspace, bringing their cultural backgrounds, stories and histories to the table. Cultures in Cyberspace was based on the premise that social, political and cultural meanings are made possible or not depending on who is connected to whom and the forms of communication that are supported and prioritized. The chapter discusses the art practices and socio-political context that informed the project, as well as its concept, design, implementation, and content. It includes participants' contemporary reflections on questions raised by the project.Less
Cultures in Cyberspace was a temporary communications network organized by the author in 1992 to connect five culturally diverse online communities in conversation: American Indian Telecommunications/Dakota BBS (US), Arts Wire (US), ArtsNet (Australia), the WELL (US), and Usenet (international). Produced at a time of impending transformational technological change, the project provided a platform for people to participate in co-creating cyberspace, bringing their cultural backgrounds, stories and histories to the table. Cultures in Cyberspace was based on the premise that social, political and cultural meanings are made possible or not depending on who is connected to whom and the forms of communication that are supported and prioritized. The chapter discusses the art practices and socio-political context that informed the project, as well as its concept, design, implementation, and content. It includes participants' contemporary reflections on questions raised by the project.
