this is my pip.... (1 Viewer)

[irnie]

it seems like no one is doing a topic similar to mine and other teachers i've spoken aren't very familiar with the topic area and im dying for some feedback from others on how to improve things... so here's my intro....


“That which is static and repetitive is boring. That which is dynamic and random is confusing. In between lies art.”

The first few times I stepped into art galleries, it was done in vain. I wanted desperately to be enculturated into this fascinating world of high culture. But then, when I began to study art theory at high school and thus began to grasp the ideas and notions of conceptual art, I naively thought I was having the lid to this cookie jar opened for me. The next time I visited a gallery, I thought to myself (viewing boundless art- from political propaganda to blatant statements about the flaws of our society), “Wow… how the times have changed. We can step into an epitome of ‘high culture’ and view statements about the acceptance of alternate sexual lifestyles, murder, the psychological, even pedophilia”. But the truth was I was still living in vanity, viewing this world from behind a façade.

I began to discover the somewhat illusive inner workings of this upper echelon of culture. And I began to think that the art viewed by the general public, in fact doesn’t make a statement about society as a whole and their perceptions, but in reality, reflects the views of those in positions of power and authority i.e. the various decision makers in the agencies of the art world.

Four years have passed, yet there remains this vivid enigma in my head; does the public art we view reflect the values and beliefs of our society, or, is the way that art is viewed by the general public shaped by the different agencies (i.e. art critics, curators, historians, media and the institution) of the art world?

This PIP aims to explore the inner workings of this ‘high culture’ and either prove or disprove my hypothesis, “Art reflects the values and beliefs of society”. It is important to consider the relationship between society and art as it is a part of cultural life. The type of art in which the research deals is the visual art of “gallery” nature, rather than music, dance and theatre arts. My personal objective is to prove my suspicion that the art viewed by the general public is influenced, dictated, if not controlled, by the roles of art critics, curators, historians, institutions and the media. Through my research of this social issue, I am ultimately interested to discover whether the society we live in is constantly being moulded by institutional forces and the measureless sources of power and authority, even through the arts. I will be examining this issue by navigating through four case studies: ‘Blue Poles’, the ‘Archibald Prize’, the ‘Art Gallery of New South Wales’ and ‘Regional Galleries’.

The methodologies employed for this social research will include secondary content analysis of media articles and various reports, a small survey regarding whether art has evolved from high culture status to popular culture status, and a number of interviews- encompassing the different agencies of the art world.

Altogether, the triangulation of these methodologies serve to give my research a balance, between levels of public knowledge, cross-cultural personal experience and findings relevant to local, national and global trends.



what ya think?

 

[Kulazzi]

Introduction

First Paragraph

• What is your PIP about and why did you choose the area of enquiry?​

Second Paragraph

• What is your central hypothesis? ie what are you setting out to prove via this research?​

Third Paragraph

• What methodologies have you employed in this research and why?

• Justify your selection of research tools - what are their advantages and why are they best suited to your research topic?​

Fourth Paragraph

• Explain how your PIP ivestigation will address the cross cultural component

• Remember to explain how this cross-cultural perspective will allow you (the reasearcher), to empathise (identify) with the "other"

• Also remember to explain how this cross cultural study presents you with a view that is beyond your normal realm of experience​

Fifth Paragraph

• This paragraph should allow you to round off the introduction.

• It should also explain how this PIP "journey" will enhance both your investigative skills and your socio-cultural literacy​

I think the first three paragraphs are not really necessary at this stage, place them at the beginning of your Central Material.

Expand on your methodologies - why did you choose them? Advantages and disadvantages? etc. etc.

I can't really see any cross-cultural perspective there. You haven't explained this at all. You need this, it is a must to include in your introduction. I don't understand what you mean by cross cultural personal experience?????? Once again, expand on this.

You also need to round off your intro by explaining how this PIP has really helped you gain insight into Art, or whatever.

Remember those paragraphs!

Look, see the quote above? Print that off and follow it step by step, actually if you look at the top of the PIP forum, there is a thread labelled "Important: Guide To The Writing of the PIP", print that off and read through it. It will help you a lot!a

 

[irnie]

Ok well all the teachers I’ve spoken to about my PIP (hsc markers and all that) have said to me that the PIP should read like a good story… that you have to pretty much engage the marker through the intro and express that this project is personal to you and why this personal to you… that is why the first few paragraphs are there… and I can’t put those types of things in my central material because I’m having four chapters and each is a case study!

My cross cultural is change over time and I will slot that in somewhere I guess. I also see your point with adding how this “journey” has helped me gain a deeper understanding and blah blah.

And also, I was told to be brief about my methodologies in my intro and instead put effectiveness and purpose of each and those types of things in my log..

 

[Kulazzi]

the quote I placed in my post above is from a HSC society and culture teacher, which was published in the culturescope mag which is the society and culture magazine, helping both teachers and students in this subject. I don't know about your teacher, but my teacher is an HSC marker and she told us to follow that guideline and if we do correctly, then it will guarantee a band 6 mark.

If you are very confused, I suggest you go to the state library and look through the PIPs there from last year and the year before to see how they have set theirs out. They are exemplar ones so there really isn't anything incorrect in them. Just go to the request desk and ask if you could have a look at pips, they will then ask you to go around to the back area of the desk where it is a private area and is restricted to reading certain books or projects, such as the pip. Just flick through, write down some quick, short notes about them.

 

[irnie]

yep, i read through that entire guide, and all the rest of the stuff that yo've posted about the writing of the pip. it all makes sense in terms of meeting the outcomes. one teacher i've spoken to about it is actually a head marker and she said that in order to get a really really good mark, you meet all the outcomes, along with everyone else, but you also have to set yourself apart by doing something different and engaging the reader.

i've read a few past pips and the one i liked was actually posted on here as an exemplar pip (about how ethnicity separates people in high school or something?) and theirs was set out subjectively in the first few paragraphs of the intro and then headed into the outcome type things... i kind of based the writing of mine on that structure

 

[Kulazzi]

oh...ok

well, I guess everyone has their own style and the teachers giver their own advice

 

[irnie]

chapter one

ok im getting frustrated at re-visiting my intro.... so i'll leave that for later... this is the draft of my first chapter: Blue Poles


“Vita brevis, ars longa. (Life is short. Art endures.)”

The value of an artwork can change over time, due to the role of socialisation agents. Different works are constantly found to be re-contextualised within different societies as varied audiences bring their own experiences and meanings to artworks from a different time, and thus the process of cultural transformation occurs.

When Gough Whitlam gave permission to the director of the National Gallery, James Mollison, to purchase Blue Poles, it was a source of conflict amongst the Australian public as exemplified by contemporary newspaper articles. It seemed at the time that this painting solely reflected the values of the artistically socially literate groups within Australian society.

The impending purchase of Blue Poles was reported in Australia in August 1973. The media reacted very strongly to the purchase of the painting, as the public was strong in expressing their concern over the “squandering of taxpayer’s money” . Another reason that may have alienated the public’s initial reaction was that the style of art, abstract expressionism, had originated in USA and this style had not gained exposure in Australia yet, argued the education officer at the National Gallery – April 2005.

The purchase was confirmed in the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Telegraph on 23 September. The next day the Sun ran the story under the heading “1.3 Million for Dribs ‘n’ Drabs” ; the obvious conclusion one draws from this is that this derogatory remark reflected the values of society at that time. The values of those within the agencies of the art world were a stark contrast to this.

Blue Poles was loaned out to the National Gallery, Washington before its despatch to Australia in the hope that “it would demonstrate immediately to the Australian public the status of the painting and it could help prepare the way for future cooperation and exchanges between the National Galleries of Australia and the United States”.

Within the groups of those socially literate in the arts, the purchase of Blue Poles was very significant in recognising that “Australia has entered the big league of international art purchasers”. The agencies of the art world and significant Australian artists were also quick to appraise the purchase of the painting- Daniel Thomas, curator of Australian Art in the Art Gallery of NSW and art critic for the Sydney Morning Herald, and Russell Drysdale described it as a “momentous coup for art in Australia” .

The fact that the purchase of Blue Poles gained Australia recognition in the international arena was evident in that even the media in USA had an opinion on the matter. Time magazine called the purchase “an audacious, if not inflationary, purchase” . Later in October 1973, Stanley P. Friedman claimed that Pollock’s friend, the architect and sculptor Tony Smith, had told him that he and Pollock, while drunk, had together splashed paint about on the canvas on which Pollock had subsequently painted Blue Poles and that Barnett Newmann was rumoured to have painted in the poles.

Consequently, Australian newspaper headlines reflected the American excesses. The Australian press reflected Friedman’s story in their headlines; “Barefoot Drunks Painted our $1m Masterpiece” and “Pair trod on $1m canvas” , “Sculptor admits hand in $1.3m Painting” , “Our Art Treasure Born from Binge” and “1.3m Art Trampled on After Booze-up” .

While the artwork faced slander in a number of ways through the media, those socially literate in the arts were adamant that this work of art would come to be of great value to Australia, as this subsequently came to be. There were even petitions being circulated in Sydney against the purchase. To one of such petitions, writer Patrick White replied:

I have received your letter and the petition you want me to sign condemning the buying of Blue Poles. I am not signing the petition because I think you are radically wrong. You are the kind of person any creative Australian has been fighting against as long as I can remember, the aggressive philistine, often in disguise, who has held us back.

While conflict circulated, even within parliament, in relation to the choice that was made, it was never asked “how the painting was made or about the merits of it” . The truth of the matter was that Australia was not yet familiar with the style Blue Poles was painted in- abstract expressionism. NEED POV OF HISTORIANS HERE ABOUT TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE WORK

Unlike in the dynamic model (as theorised by Martin and Bath) for popular culture, the media allied with opposition politicians and attempted to de-popularise or de-iconise the individual artist, and hence the genre of art, at first. This resulted in mainstream society adopting the opposite values about the work, the artist and the genre of the artist.

The publicity which has been given to this painting makes it extremely valuable oversees and in Australia… I fear [the Gallery] will not be large enough to accommodate the crowds of people who will come to Canberra from within Australia and from overseas to see Blue Poles.

The artistic institution eventually created a commodity in Jackson Pollock, by making him a modern icon/ hero of that culture. This was a representation of the social cohesion within the broader artistic groups. This can also suggest that art will reflect the values of mainstream society to an extent over time as a consequence of the role of various socialising agents. An obvious example that can be seen of the role these socialising agents play in cultural transformation, is the throng of school students who have visited the National Art Gallery over the past twenty or so years. They have become artistically socially literate through the education programs that are constructed to articulate to the youth of today what Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles constituted, how this has undergone change over time and unavoidably, the value of this painting. This indicates how the Australian society has undergone cultural transformation in regards to the arts, and continues to do so.

The painting was embraced as a modern icon. It was seen as an indicator of the direction that Whitlam believed Australia needed to follow. The purchase had global implications; it attempted to renegotiate Australia’s position with Washington. Equally, the purchase can be seen as an example of the aggressive use of culture as a propaganda weapon… and 1950s abstract expressionism- the American style ‘par excellence’- had become all pervasive in the Western world.

Blue Poles can be considered allegorical: for some it represents the ‘money and the waste’ of the Whitlam era… it is either a symbol of freedom or the abuse of freedom, depending on ones’ political stance or view of contemporary art.

The role of the artistic institutions over time to influence the social literacy of the public through the media and education officers, resulted in such a group fragmentation where some are wholly accepting of the artist and his work, others are partially accepting. However the least socially literate will still be oblivious as to the virtues of the values associated with Blue Poles.

It can be seen in this case study that the value of artworks can change over time. Through Blue Poles we can see the influence of the agencies within an art world (the
critics, historians, curators, media and the institution) can all become educators of the everyday fellow (mainstream society) to make them socially literate in the arts. Every individual may not identify with each of these values, but it can be said that Blue Poles is appreciated by Joe Blow and Jane Doe; even it is just to the extent that the public no longer questions the “shrewd investment of taxpayer’s money” .


ok yeah a little long and i still have to add a few things, but just in case anyone can be bothered to read... and give feed back

 

[Kulazzi]

That looks good from a glance.

If it is the same teacher who gave the advice out earlier, get them to check it. I think that's better because you would have actually talked with them about it and going through the pip with them.

I'm so tired, working through my cm now and then trials and then textiles major *sigh*

 

[irnie]

oh how i wish i could talk to that teacher again.... it was at one of those PIP days and i managed to talk to her one on one for about 5 mins...

so now im just working through it with my teacher, editing everything i've done so far, once a day haha...

and i know what ya mean about major works.... THEY SUCK!! i've got four... and right now, the others aren't even getting a glance... PIP is so time consuming

 

[Kulazzi]

yeah I know! I'm typing up my CM, if I'm over the word limit then it's ok, atm, it doesn't look like it though. I still have to conclusion and annotated bibliography!

Are you doing more than one major?

edit: WHOA MAN! I just read that you have four? What for? omg, are you going ok? I'm really stressed for you now! (I hope you don't get even more stressed by reading this)

 

[irnie]

lol.... yeah i reckon the conclusion won't be too hard... just string together the conclusions from every chapter... and the annotated biblio should only take an hr or two..

my majors are:
PIP- SAC
body of work- VA
portfolio submission- PHOTO
virtual exhibition- National Art School

and yeah.... one thing i realised, creative subjects just drain everything out of you! i've pretty much got a month after my pip to pull my BOW together and then a month after that for my portfolio, and NAS was due months ago but we (GP) lied to postpone it.... and i gotta put together a portfolio for uni course interviews!!! AAAAHH!

you nailed it on the head.... its total stress-o-rama

 

[Kulazzi]

you know what, to make you feel better, if I was in your shoes, I would be dead by now. seriously.

On a positive note, good luck with all of those, I hope you get into the course you want through your interviews, I'm sure you will :uhhuh:

 

[irnie]

lol, one can only wish... haha. the only reason i live is cos my teachers and tutors feel sorry for me in all my major work subjects because i have so many and have been pretty lenient with some deadlines and offered extra help..

and also the fact that im not allowed to medicate myself aymore haha

at this rate, it feels like i'll be lucky to pass the rest of my subjects, but i'm just tryin to get past it all FAST cos i would really kill myself if i had to come back for another year... lol

the hsc, it's just a process like everything else in life i spose and you can't put it off so the only thing to do is soldier on... (with Codral haha) and wait for the stuff that brightens your day and eventually all those days carry you through to the next stage in your life where you'd like to believe it won't be as difficult as right now...

lol, well yeah anyway that's my late night carry-on philosophy haha... good luck with all your stuff aas well, i'm sure you'll go great too... especially with all the good karma going back your way after you've helped out so many people with PIP stuff

 

[Kulazzi]

thank you! BOS distracts me too much tho!

 

[irnie]

i know! same here... but i gotta say, like for surveys and stuff, its a great place to post and reach thousands of people literally

im gonna keep posting my pip as i go thru and finish it

 

[Kulazzi]

yeah, others may be able to read it and contribute their feedback.

 

[irnie]

Chapter 2: Art Gallery of NSW

Quote

This chapter aims to prove that the degree of access that different groups within society have to art galleries determines whether art galleries truly reflect the values of all people and groups within Australian society. The chapter also illustrates the cross cultural element - how the role of the gallery as an institution, as well as the nature of its patrons has changed over time.

(i) Gallery Policies and Institutional Structure
The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), through its director and its educational officer are conscious of the need to promote broad access firstly through the choice of artistic works, as evident in the Gallery’s mission statement, that the fundamental purpose of the gallery is to “…acquire and present to the public the finest works of art available, with a special emphasis on the artistic traditions of Australia: to explore and inspire through our collection and exhibitions, the emotional and intellectual resources of our audiences…” . Secondly, the art and the institution aims to enhance this access by promoting artistic cultural literacy amongst its patrons, as evidenced by the statement about the gallery as “…custodians of works of art… as an education and research centre and finally an inspirer and explorer of artistic attitude and aspiration” . Not only policies but structures also promote access and cultural literacy to the patrons.

In aid of the curators at the art gallery in promoting access, there exists the Public Programmes Department which is “…committed to making the Gallery’s permanent collections and temporary exhibitions accessible to growing audiences” . The senior coordinator of education programs at the AGNSW, Tristan Sharp, expressed to me in my interview with him, that “education and public programs is not just about having something that people can do, but we’re simultaneously promoting not only the gallery but the role and value of art and its place in society” . This clearly suggests that there is a conscious effort on the part of the institution to choose works of art and temporary exhibitions which are in touch with specific groups as well as mainstream public values. The education officer spells out the same perspective in his comments.

(ii) Curators and Educators
The values of the institution are encompassed by the differing, yet similar roles played by the curators and educators of a gallery. T. Sharp says, “if you’re a public institution, you should be available for all the public; not only the middle-class, mainstream Australia, but all the different communities within our society” . This shows that despite the number of people who visit the gallery (1.5 million people a year, including the Brett Whiteley Studio – see Annual Report ), and whether or not they do represent all of society, the gallery has every intention to promote access to all groups within society.

One viewpoint regarding this idea is that “it’s not so much about the cultural group but the different niche audiences” . By this comment, the role of temporary exhibitions is implied. The AGNSW have a permanent collection which is a big piece of “Australian art history, Australian culture, and must fit into a bigger logic so it’s cohesive and understandable” , however, temporary exhibitions can present something “new and fresh” which enables the gallery to show “cutting-edge contemporary art that may only appeal to a couple of thousand people” . This view represents the fact that this public gallery tries to cater for not only the masses but also to groups that are interested in specific artistic genres.

A critical point that must be examined is the effectiveness of the measures that are taken by the gallery to ensure that they are indeed accessible to the whole of society. Having surveyed 100 people - a composite youth sample from my school and the internet - ranging from the ages of 15-20, attempting to provide a fair representation of the partons to the gallery from across NSW, I discovered the following.

While 51% of the respondents would rather visit the AGNSW over both the Museum of Contemporary Art and regional galleries, 66% are unaware of the location of the Archibald Prize - the AGNSW’s “most attended event every year” . This proves that while the AGNSW effectively promotes access in a general sense, as yet it’s ineffective in identifying in the public mind that the Archibald Prize promoted by the AGNSW and first exhibited at the AGNSW. I was surprised to discover that the vast majority of those surveyed knew about the Archibald Prize itself, however, was not aware of the location of its origin – AGNSW.

But despite this, poignant surveys are done from time to time at the AGNSW . Tristan Sharp explains the logic behind this, saying: “before you can work out what you can do for your audiences, you need to know who’s there” .

We’ll do surveys in exhibitions to get a sense of the type of people that are there. For education programs, I keep very close statistics on how many students come, what years they’re from, what schools they’re from, what regions of Sydney etc. We graph that information throughout the year. We also measure our Internet website and how many people come to that. At the moment we’re looking at having a questionnaire to track where they’re from- local, national or international.

In contrast to this excerpt showing that measures are taken by the gallery to ensure they are accessible to widespread society, my survey shows that a number of youth believe that there is a distinct alienation between the art gallery and themselves. 34% of the sample claims they were treated differently, due to the gallery’s attitude to such things as: age, appearance, and possibly class / status within society. They gave such explanations as: security tracking them through the gallery (“they followed me around because they thought I was going to touch something”), “it’s not a great place for kids who are loud”, and “school kids are treated differently, as a threat to the art works”. However, the majority – 66% - believe that there was no distinct alienation of the age group. They made such remarks I the survey as: “if one has an appreciation of art, it’s usually accepted by such institutions”, “most people are too busy looking at the art, not who turned up in last year’s fashion”, and “because it’s a public place and anyone who wants to go there can do so without being looked down on if they’re genuinely interested in the exhibitions”.

The institution’s ‘contemporary’ emphasis on access reflects its changing nature over time. The expert views of the education officer of the gallery on this development is that, “the history of galleries and museums is that they are driven by curators … as time and history has shifted, and society has shifted, there is a balance now between the imperative of the expert and … the different perspectives of audiences”, hence, the emergence of the education officer.__ He elaborated further on this in saying, “the role of the educator in a gallery has gained greater prominence and … has greater influence” because they are “audience experts”. ___ This comment is justified by the fact that education officers have the same art historical background and training as curators and they may also have education degrees, enabling them to be more perceptive of the audience’s interests. The role of the curator as a consequence, is not as strong as what it used to be, because the educators have become the bridge between audience expectations and the curator’s expert knowledge. ___

The developments discussed, explain how the institution has evolved and consequently its understanding of its audience has lead to art galleries losing their high culture identity and identifying more with the characteristics of a popular culture i.e., providing greater access to its artefacts, and the values associated with its displays changing and evolving over time. In other word, “the cross over between high art or fine art and popular culture blurs more and more with contemporary art.” ___

(iii) Architecture
The cultural changes in the art collection and changing degrees of access to the gallery are clearly reflected in the architectural elements and additions to the building. “A lot of people said the building looks a bit fractured and a bit schizophrenic”, to use the words of T. Sharp. The building has a big colonial front, similar to a classical Greek temple; there is an Asian section at the back, as well as a modernist school library look from the 70s and 80s. Each collection in its own space, as I observed on my visit, represents not only the artwork itself, but also the values of society associated with the art of that period.

(iv) Present Trends and Future Predictions
The transcendence of values can be seen as you look at any historical object and it’s representative of its time but, T. Sharp observes, every generation and person looks at it differently and that is why art lasts over many generations. There are people in their seventies now, who come and see the same painting as when they were five because it has personal meaning to them, not just social meaning. Consequently, galleries are guaranteed an expanding rather than a shrinking clientele. This is consciously promoted by the gallery’s policy regarding purchases for their permanent collection, in that “it must have a lasting significance and representative of Australian art history and Australian culture”. The process has also lead to a changing clientele in that the Asian gallery has attracted many youth with that cultural background enabling them to reengage with their cultural heritage through art.

Interestingly enough, the attendances at the art galleries increased dramatically after September 11. This was confirmed by art gallery staff and one explanation for the phenomenon would be that as society experiences instability individuals look for certainties, for comfort, for things that have meaning to them or remind them of their identity; galleries and museums step in. They are identified as safe places in our society where individuals can go and reflect, or they can rediscover their values or their ideas, by looking at examples of how other people think. In our society, as things get faster and more fragmented, galleries are a haven for time to slow down and for people to contemplate.

 

[jack white]

hey irnie, just thought i should say that you have a brilliant writing style. it really really really shows a deep personal interest in ART as well...
i see good integration of methodologies
however, i dont think the word "poignant" fits in where you have used it
the cross-cultural component isn't as elucidated as it perhapds could be (but that is easily done)
how close are you to finishing it?
and by the way, what was the title of your pip?
above all, i like your topic because it is very left field, probably difficult to keep social-sciencey but i really do not think any student would be doing such a topic...

a real personal interest in art shines through, muchly

 

[irnie]

thanks jack! im glad the personal interest does show.... seeing as though art is like... my life... haha... i figured the only chance i'd have at doing well with this pip was to pick sumpin SO far left field that it wouldnt be like anyone else's... hence the decreasing copetition... but its turned out harder than i expected... in terms of keeping SAC related.

my cross cultural element is change over time (i didnt clarify it in the intro but everything's been edited alot since) and seeing as though i've still got two chapters+ to write up... i havent given it a title yet... still looking for the right, quirky thing... i'll find it soon i hope

and i also changed the word poignant.

i will post the complete project on satday/sunday night..

 

[jack white]

and i anticipate reading over it!