Christie Milliken, "The Pixel Visions of Sadie Benning"

1. How is Sadie Benning's work related to general trends and characteristics in Riot Grrl subculture? How is Riot Grrl subculture similar to and different from punk subculture?

Benning's work has an "anti-tech aesthetic," which was characteristic of the Riot Grrl punk bands and subculture as well. Her soundtracks are dirty, sometimes incorporating the grind of the camera itself. Her images are pixillated, her editing is rough and obvious. The equipment she uses in itself is outdated and thus anti mainstream. She is creating for the sake of creating, just like the Riot Grrl punk bands, which many times were made up of girls with little to no musical experience. Benning's films were also made for girls like her, dealing with issues of growing up, dealing with sexuality and identity, as well as female empowerment, all done in anti mainstream working process. Riot Grrl subculture was similar to punk because it revolved around the same political and musical tendencies, but it was different because it was focused on the female movement. It encouraged girls to express themselves, form bands, and create art. During this time young girls were restricted from participating in street culture and this movement was their rebellion against this.

2. Why does Milliken refer to Benning's work as visual essays? What are the advantages of viewing the work in relation to this genre? What is meant by "radical feminist essayistic" form?

Benning's works, according to Milliken, are visual essays because they can not be classified under one genre. Her films span everything from fiction, to autobiographical. The advantages of this work is that the film is created from the first person perspective and place an emphasis on communication with their audience. The audience gets to experience her personal perspective without the limitations of a specific genre. The "radical feminist essayistic form" refers to her use of personal words and images in order to call others, as well as her self, to action on the issues with which her works deal with. In this form the female artist also clearly defines herself as different from the patriarchal norm.


Keller and Ward, "Matthew Barney and the Paradox of the Neo-Avant-Garde Blockbuster"

3. What has changed in the gallery art world that allows Barney to describe his work as “sculpture”? In other words, how has the definition of sculpture changed since the 1960s, and why?

The definition of sculpture had become much broader than before, changing from a concrete definition of an artfully created physical work of art to anything from media arts to architecture. The reason for this change has to do with the minimalist and post modernism movements that emphasized creation all across different mediums.

4. Tricky but important question: Why was minimalist sculpture seen as a reaction against the “modernist hymns to the purity and specificity of aesthetic experience”? In other words: Why do they say that minimalist sculpture is post-modernist?

Minimalist sculpture is post-modernist because it emphasized the concept of the experience a viewer has while interacting with a particular work of art.

5. Describe the role of the body in the works of Vito Acconci and Chris Burden. You may wish to consult the following links to supplement the descriptions in the readings:

For Acconci to find his own voice he had to confront the source of imperfection that restricted him, and this source was the body. The use of the body for both artists was for and against minimalism. Using the body took away the emphasis on the performance on the artist separate from the creator.
http://www.ubu.com/film/acconci.html

http://www.ubu.com/film/burden.html

5. In the opinion of the authors, what are the key differences between performance art of the 1960s/1970s and Barney’s Cremaster cycle? What do they mean by the term "blockbuster" in relation to the gallery art world?

The fascination in Barney's art is centralized on the extreme things one can make their body go through, the performance art of the 60s and 70s did not have the artist enduring painful and traumatic experiences for the sake if their work. By "blockbuster" they meant works with high budgets and high publicity, which was very unusual.

Walley, "Modes of Film Practice in the Avant-Garde"

6. What is meant by “mode of film practice”? Give two well known examples of non-experimental modes of film practice. Why does Walley argue that the concept of the mode of film practice can help distinguish between the experimental film and gallery art worlds?

A mode of film practice is a specific style or working process within the avant-garde, for example; classic Hollywood style, French New Wave, and post modernism incorporated into the avant-garde practice. Such classifications of film result in preconceived notions from the audience and other film makers, they categorize works into kinds of genres and thus help distinguish similar works of art.

7. What are some of the key differences between the experimental and gallery art worlds in terms of production and distribution?

Experimental films have more support and are more available to the public than gallery art. One can view avant garde films via the web, at festivals, and at universities. Gallery art viewing seems to be harder to come by and have less financial support from institutions, clubs, and festivals.
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