The Presence of the Arts in Everyday Life & Ranking the Arts

Readings: Reception & Taste Adorno, Theodor. “Types of Musical Conduct”,

Introduction to the Sociology of Music. New York: Seabury Press, 1962, pp. 1-20.

DeNora, Tia. “The role of music in intimate culture”, Feminism and Psychology. 2002, Vol. 12(2), pp 176-181.

Hennion, Antoine. “Music Lovers. Taste as Performance” heory, Culture & 8, no. 5, pp. 1-22.

Halle, David. “Displaying the Dream: The Visual Presentation of Family and Self in the Modern American Household” Journal of Comparative Family Studies; Summer91, Vol. 22 Issue 2, p217-229.

Recommended DeNora, Tia, “Music as a technology of the self”,

Poetics, 27, 1999, pp. 31-56. Ehrenreich, et al. “Beatlemania. A Sexually

Defiant Consumer Subculture?” in Gelder, Ken and Thornton, Sarah, The Subcultures Reader, Routledge, London and New York, 1997, pp. 523-536

Fiske, John. “Elvis: A Body of Controversy”, Power Plays, Power Works. London: Verso, 1993, pp. 94-107, 122-3.

Ways of studying audiences/reception survey techniques survey techniques

telephone interviews, questionnaires at telephone interviews, questionnaires at events, etc.events, etc.

existing recordsexisting records ticket sales, attendance records, auctions etc.ticket sales, attendance records, auctions etc. analysis of posters, programmes etc.analysis of posters, programmes etc.

media analysismedia analysis Artists’ statementsArtists’ statements reviews by critics etc. reviews by critics etc. Other secondary accountsOther secondary accounts Fan clubs, websitesFan clubs, websites

Field researchField research Participant observationParticipant observation unobtrusive measures (ex.unobtrusive measures (ex.

Discourse analysis/SemioticsDiscourse analysis/Semiotics

Visitor, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, Summer 2002

What to analyze

numbers numbers characteristics of audiencescharacteristics of audiences

SES, age, race, ethnicitySES, age, race, ethnicity practices & responses of audiencespractices & responses of audiences

ex. Fans as subcultures ex. Fans as subcultures interplay between audiences & art formsinterplay between audiences & art forms Changing practices & their implications for the arts (ex.Corradi “How Changing practices & their implications for the arts (ex.Corradi “How

many does it take to Tango?”)many does it take to Tango?”) appropriation as a “technology of the self” (Foucault)appropriation as a “technology of the self” (Foucault)

contextcontext socio-historic ex. Fiske, Ehrenrich socio-historic ex. Fiske, Ehrenrich OtherOther

Meanings, agency and identity issues (through testimony of Meanings, agency and identity issues (through testimony of publics etc.)publics etc.)

Review of Semiotics & Media Theory

Underwood, Mike. Entries on Semiotics. “Code”, “Code and Ideology”, “Introduction to Semiotics”. From Underwood’s website: Communications, Cultural and Media Studies Data Base

http://www.http://www.ccms-infobaseccms-infobase.com/.com/ also in R The titles (in quotes) are in a database. Use the index of titles on the

left side of this web page to locate articles. The link to "Code" is not working but a copy is in the “resources” folder. After reading "Code", go to the website and select "Ia" in the index, and under "ideology" select "codes and ideology". When you get to the end of "Codes and Ideology", select "Introduction to Semiotics" at the bottom of the page. Subsequent sections in the introduction will be found on this page. Read all sections from "sign" to "structuralism and poststructuralism", then go on to "Criticism of Semiotics".]

Literary and visual studies Literary and visual studies approaches to understanding approaches to understanding the “public(s)” intended by the “public(s)” intended by the creatorthe creator

Yinka Shoribare, Yinka Shoribare, Diary of a Diary of a Victorian Dandy, 1998Victorian Dandy, 1998

Example: Semiotics & “Aesthetics of Reception”

Identity, Publics & the Arts

taste communitiestaste communities Inclusion/exclusionInclusion/exclusion status distinctions, symbolic boundariesstatus distinctions, symbolic boundaries Labeling theoriesLabeling theories

Choi Seang Rak and his avatar

NAME Choi Seang Rak BORN 1971NAME Choi Seang Rak BORN 1971 OCCUPATION Academic OCCUPATION Academic LOCATION Seoul, South Korea LOCATION Seoul, South Korea AVATAR NAME Uroo Ahs AVATAR CREATED 2004 AVATAR NAME Uroo Ahs AVATAR CREATED 2004 GAME PLAYED Lineage II GAME PLAYED Lineage II HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 8 CHARACTER TYPE Dwarf Warsmith HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 8 CHARACTER TYPE Dwarf Warsmith SPECIAL ABILITIES Craft siege weapons, whirlwind in battleSPECIAL ABILITIES Craft siege weapons, whirlwind in battle Other examplesOther examples from NYT magazine, 2007; from NYT magazine, 2007; Avator software: Avator software: 11 22

Recall: “Uses” & Lived Experience of the arts in everyday life:De Nora

interviewsinterviews four ethnographies of four ethnographies of

music in social settingsmusic in social settings karaoke at local pubkaraoke at local pub music therapy sessionsmusic therapy sessions aerobics classesaerobics classes retail clothing outletsretail clothing outlets

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Theoretical Basis of De Nora’s study music as a medium for music as a medium for

““social agency”, “identity work”, constitution social agency”, “identity work”, constitution of the selfof the self

emotional workemotional work CognitionCognition body, (energy levels, forms of intimacy)body, (energy levels, forms of intimacy)

reflexivity (self-monitoring & self identity)reflexivity (self-monitoring & self identity)

De Nora’s “Music Sociology” knowledge of music & self-knowledge of needs knowledge of music & self-knowledge of needs

Choices of music in certain places at certain times (music Choices of music in certain places at certain times (music effects)effects)

active role of listeners (how individuals “configure” active role of listeners (how individuals “configure” themselves)themselves)

music as a resource (“affordance”)-- music as a resource (“affordance”)-- feeling, desire, action, energyfeeling, desire, action, energy music & mental concentrationmusic & mental concentration

overview-- overview-- appropriationsappropriations of music as a “technology of music as a “technology of the self” (compare with Michel Foucault)of the self” (compare with Michel Foucault)

Videoclip:

Kevin Kline Kevin Kline In and Out.In and Out.

A different approach to Publics/Art Relations: “Democratization”

Making art worlds more accessibleMaking art worlds more accessible Form of activism?Form of activism? Community outreachCommunity outreach change in actual artchange in actual art ExampleExample

Queens Museum Queens Museum

Community-based Art Projects & Recognition of Publics

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are needed to see this picture.

linklink

Another Approach: Publics & Art Lovers (“Amateurs”) as Experts

Antoine HennionAntoine Hennion Complex notions of art-society relationsComplex notions of art-society relations ““amateurs” and taste as mediationamateurs” and taste as mediation Actor-Network Theory Actor-Network Theory

Human and non-human interactionHuman and non-human interaction The artwork and the publics as networked through The artwork and the publics as networked through

mediation processmediation process Ways of studying co-construction of self/artWays of studying co-construction of self/art

Others Question the Public’s Taste(s)

Example of Artists Approach to Publics as participants in Art Making

Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid’s national Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid’s national surveys about taste in art and what art would look surveys about taste in art and what art would look like if artists gave people what they say they want like if artists gave people what they say they want http://www.http://www.diacenterdiacenter.org/km/.org/km/

Ex. Use of audiences/patrons by artists Komar & Melamid-- Komar & Melamid-- Painting by Painting by

Numbers.– Numbers.– publics tastes as sources of publics tastes as sources of ‘inspiration’ but mocking ‘inspiration’ but mocking

V. Komar & A. Melamid. America’s Most Wanted, 1993

Komar & Melamid America’s Least Wanted, 1993

Komar & Melamid. Russia’s Most Wanted,1994

“Highbrow/Lowbrow”

L. Levine--study of audiences for L. Levine--study of audiences for ShakespeareShakespeare Socio-historic conditions for emergence of Socio-historic conditions for emergence of

status distinctions of publics (High Brow, Low status distinctions of publics (High Brow, Low Brow people)Brow people)

Implications for interplay of ranking publics & Implications for interplay of ranking publics & ranking art formsranking art forms

“The high culture model” (DiMaggio) How does culture become prestigious?How does culture become prestigious? Taste & participation in the arts as “Taste & participation in the arts as “cultural cultural

capitalcapital” (Bourdieu)” (Bourdieu) How “boundary distinctions” between artistic How “boundary distinctions” between artistic

genresgenres were created through institutional systems were created through institutional systems Use of nonprofit organizational models to elevate Use of nonprofit organizational models to elevate

the status of theatre, opera and dance (and enhance the status of theatre, opera and dance (and enhance their patrons’ social status)their patrons’ social status)

J. Clifford-- “On collecting art and culture” collectingcollecting

transformation of possessions into meaningful transformation of possessions into meaningful desire, orderly hierarchiesdesire, orderly hierarchies

system of objects (Baudrillard) -- system of objects (Baudrillard) -- Western identity formationWestern identity formation value partly from making collections “public”value partly from making collections “public”

central issue--what criteria used to decide central issue--what criteria used to decide what is kept & what is discarded?what is kept & what is discarded?

Ethnographic Objects in the Art/culture system (diagram, p. 100) factors in classification of art/artifacts (non-factors in classification of art/artifacts (non-

art)art) formalist, aesthetic, spiritual/ritualformalist, aesthetic, spiritual/ritual context (cultural, historical, aesthetic)context (cultural, historical, aesthetic) commodity, technologycommodity, technology

cultural signs vs. artistic--changing cultural signs vs. artistic--changing categories (beautiful, cultural, authentic) categories (beautiful, cultural, authentic)

ethical issuesethical issues

Note to Users of these Outlines--

not all material covered in class appears on these not all material covered in class appears on these outlines-- important examples, demonstrations and outlines-- important examples, demonstrations and discussions aren’t written down here.discussions aren’t written down here.

Classes are efficient ways communicating Classes are efficient ways communicating information and provide you will an opportunity information and provide you will an opportunity for regular learning. These outlines are provided for regular learning. These outlines are provided as a study aid not a replacement for classes.as a study aid not a replacement for classes.