Themes in Contemporary Art chapter 4...
Why/how is photography related to Conceptual Art?
Describe three uses of photography in Conceptual Art practice "based on the premise that the photographic image could be employed as an artless or style-free document" (p. 137).
Do you agree with the foregoing premise? Why or why not?
Does the premise work better for some of the cited examples than for others?
Why is that premise necessary, do you think?
How do these uses of photography wind up further blurring boundaries between media and/or disciplines?
Why do artists in the 1960s make books? Why do artists make books now? (do you think the practice has changed purpose, process or due to context?)
What is the relationship between photography, conceptual art and Minimalism?
What is the political significance of photography in some artists' work?
Bertold Brecht and "alienation effects" (who was Brecht? how does he relate to the work of photographers other than Sekula?)... tip... you'll have to google him. His presence is not adequately explained in this chapter!
What are Structuralist theories of representation? (you'll need to look this up too!)
Why is Jean-Luc Godard brought into discussion? (note in general... Brecht and Godard come from disciplines OTHER than fine arts... why do you think their theories are important to photography that is linked to Conceptual Art?
Griselda Pollock-- who is she? what type of work has she published? How is her work referenced here?
Laura Mulvey--who is she? what type of work has she published? How is her work referenced here?
Walter Benjamin--who is he? what type of work has he published? How is his work referenced here?
What is the "politics of representation" described by Burgin? by Pollock? by Sherman?
What does the phrase "female subjectivity was produced in representation" (p. 157) mean???
How does appropriation occur in various works in the chapter? Do women seem to use it differently? If so, how and why?
Pay particular attention to Jeff Wall's use of certain aspects of advertising technology. What does he use and why?
What does Sekula mean by "theatricalized epistemological skepticism"? (Look these words up in a dictionary, for starters). Also consider the terms "hybrid" and "paraliterary" that he uses to describe his work. Why does Sekula use big words and phrases like "unilinear dictatorship of the projector"? (what might he gain or other people lose through his articulations?
Artists (what particular practices are these artists associated with? How does the photograph play a role in their practice?) What particular technology do each of these artists use? Do women appear to approach photography different than men based on the examples in this chapter? How?