Instruction
Choose to write about the essay by Clement Greenberg or the Gutai Manifesto.
Option 1: Clement Greenberg
Greenberg addresses the concerns of how contemporary art does (or should) relate to traditional art. But what he calls "contemporary" is now over 50 years old. Respond in some way to this issue, making sure you also answer all these questions:
How does Greenberg set up the distinction/debate between old and new art?
Today, in 2017 when you think about old vs. new art, how does the debate compare to the author’s debate?
What is one contemporary example of an artist or work (no earlier than 2007) that comes to mind when you read for this week?
What might Greenberg think if he knew about this artist?
Your final response--at least 300 words--will be organized, structured, with a single argument placed up front that ties everything together.
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Option 2: The Gutai Manifesto
Read the Gutai Manifesto and analyze the text. As you compose your response, start writing with courage and fearlessness, and then go back to find a single unified point that connects everything. You are not required to answer these questions, but they might be good starting points:
What do the artists who are writing this manifestos reject? What do they adopt as models? *If you don't recognize the art movements they refer to, make sure to look them up!
How do they position themselves in relationship to past art movements?
What do they propose as an alternative to other artistic approaches?
How does this manifesto and its priorities relate to other artists/movements we have spoken about in class?
What do you think of the following quote from the Gutai Manifesto?: "We thought at the time—and still do—that the greatest legacy of abstract art is the opening of an opportunity to depart from naturalistic and illusionistic art and create a new autonomous space, a space that truly deserves the name of art."
* Remember that unity isn't always there when you start writing, but you need it by the time you submit your response! So look around for the main "tree trunk" in what you wrote and see if you can place it up front.