"The usual difficulty with the observer of modern art is that he does not inquire patiently and sincerely concerning the 'meaning' of a work of art which strikes him as grotesque, distorted or eccentric (in another word, unintelligible), but, by a sort of symbolic thought-process, recognizes its unrecognizability and thus thwarts any possible further intelligent interest or ultimate enjoyment. It is as if, in a crowd, seeking someone we knew and, looking into each strange face, we should recognize its unrecognizability and pass it by as irrelevant to our quest. This would be a perfectly natural procedure under the circumstances; but in art we are not looking for something we already know; we are looking for a new experience whose value and quality are unknown to us. In such a case to permit unrecognizability to be a barrier is to condemn ourselves to a life of monotony, without the thrills of discovery, insight and 'conversion.'"
- Edward. F. Rothschild, "The Meaning of Unintelligibility in Modern Art," 1934.
And here's this week's assignment description:
Each student will choose an artistic medium (film, photography, drawing, painting, medium, dance, performance, graphic design, poetry, literary nar- rative, etc.) and produce a work which explores the specific elements unique to that medium--like Brakhage or Daren’s films, Pollock’s paintings, Warhol’s prints, Cage’s music, etc. Students should consider how their particular work functions as a celebration, commentary or critique of their chosen medium.
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