Acts of Resistance: Activists Interlopers & Pranksters : The Conures in Distress- Bryan Gonzalez

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

The Conures in Distress- Bryan Gonzalez

Bryan Gonzalez

Final Post
December 12, 2017

The Conures in Distress

https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/wp-content/uploads/SunConureOutside1.jpg

Jayden Conure

https://beamagazine.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/postcard_1.jpg

Guerrilla Girls Postcard

As much as people like to deny it, we all still live in a world full of sexism, racism, and discrimination in general. Some are treated unequally because of their gender or the color of their skin. Some victims decide to fight against it while others are more sensitive and keep it inside. Some have wondered how it would be like to live in a world without discrimination. What if we only heard positive stories every day in the news? What if everyone could go outside without the fear of feeling threatened by others? We are extremely far as a society from living in a perfect world but as more activists rise and speak to general audiences, they spread their beliefs and messages in the hopes that others will join their cause.

What happens when an activist group like the Guerrilla Girls meet two strange men looking for a Utopia? In the play, “The Conures in Distress”, both humans and birds face the reality of discrimination. When the Guerrilla Girls accompany Diego and Jason in their search for a perfect world, they stumble upon the infamous land of the birds. Their leader, Clucky, is not to excited to see mere humans enter his land, but it is soon revealed that the Utopia isn’t as perfect as it was expected to be. The city is trashed. Litter and pollution pile up in the parks and oceans, food is constantly being stolen, and the museums are vandalized. But who is committing these crimes and why? Find out by indulging in this comedy! However, be prepared to discover the truth of the so called Utopia!

The Conures In Distress

What Do Both Humans And Birds Deal With??
DISCRIMINATION!!
Based On “The Birds” By Aristophanes With Some Help By The Guerrilla Girls Themselves!
A Play Written By
Bryan Gonzalez
The Conures In Distress

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Due Wednesday 12/13

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT

*due on the blog by 11:00pm on 12/12

Mapping Social/Cultural Hot Topics and Interventions: Art, Movements and Civic Action

The goal of this assignment is to get you to take a stand on a significant issue related to the course material and then to highlight and support a past or current act of resistance. In order to be a conscientious participant in community and society, one must attend the current events and important social/political struggles of current times. Race relations, gender equality, social justice, health care, reproductive rights, privacy, corporate regulation, marriage equality, religious tolerance, LGBT rights, etc. are all examples of issues citizens have engaged in acts of opposition and resistance, using any number of creative strategies.

From the database of current events and social issues that we have been discussing during the course, choose an issue, artist, movement or citizen action that exemplifies an act of resistance as we have outlined throughout the semester. Using one (or more) of the readings and resources we have used as a way to make a critical argument, create a writing project that encourages or supports the artist or movement and presents their work to a larger audience. Make a case for why this act of resistance is important, timely and worth engaging in and promoting. Be sure to research extensively and thoughtfully in choosing and supporting your artist or movement. Be sure that your project coincides with your own political motivations, ideas and your professional ambitions.

Consider and research extensively and thoughtfully the history and development of the issue you have chosen. The themes and topics of the course have had a recurring history of friction within America’s culture and institutions.You will need to describe and explain the strategies that have been used and are now being used to engage this issue currently and explain how the example you have chosen to highlight fits into the larger issue. The writing project can take the form of an online article, an essay, a blog, a website, tumblr, or even a podcast. Students can present ideas outside of this list if they would like to propose other ways of presenting their writing for this assignment. All students will propose their final projects at midterm and must have their project topic approved by the professor.

In addition to the writing project, each student will do an oral presentation, with visual support materials that summarizes your project. Be prepared to facilitate a discussion with your peers by preparing questions that will be topics of discussion.

INSTRUCTIONS: Be prepared to present your projects to the class in approximately 7 minute presentations. Visuals are a must. Feel free to bring physical props and handouts if appropriate. Remember you are ”pitching” the project to the class. Prepare a succinct and exciting summary of the project that is clear and makes the class want to look further at your project and potentially share the project, promote it and even get involved!

You must create a POST for your final project on the class blog. These must be completed and posted before class on 5/3 before 9:00am. This is a portion of your final grade. The post must include a link to your project, a clear and well written summary, images and/or videos. You will present from your post. Your project must live in the world (online or not) but all components of your project and presentation must link from the blog post somehow. Your resource list/bibliography must be included in your post or handed in to the professor.

********************************

Checklist for posting your project to class blog:

-clear and well written summary of your project on the class blog along with images and any videos

-link to your project which lives elsewhere in the world must be clearly included in your post

-presentations (7 minutes) will be from your blog post and must be linked directly from the post PLEASE CHECK YOUR POST and be sure LINKS and images are working BEFORE ARRIVING IN CLASS.

-research must be included in the blog post as resource list/bibliography

___________________

Due Wednesday 12/6

NO NEW READINGS

WORK ON YOUR SEMESTER PROJECTS!

___________________

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Due Wednesday 11/29

READINGS:

Chapter 3 Ready to Wear pgs 97-108 Interventionists
Chapter 3 Infrastructures of Resonance pg 55-82
Seeing Power

Group 1 presents

WORK ON YOUR SEMESTER PROJECTS!!

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

POST 3 (due 12/6)

Activism through Art Writing Assignment

Using the 'Interventionists' and 'Seeing Power' text books as resources choose a social or political issue often addressed by artists and activists. Then choose 3-5 projects that intersect/address/critique this theme. Present the ideas of this issue and the various projects that in different ways address the issue. You may use artists covered in the texts or feel free to use artists that you may find in your own research. How do the artists address the issue? What medium/media do they use? How do they engage an audience? Why are these challenges/critiques to these issues important? How is activism in art different from political activism outside of the art world? Is it? Use the readings extensively to help describe these projects, their critique of power and patriarchy and their place in a cultural and political landscape. You must include at least 4 quotes from (any of) the readings you have done for the class.

~800 words, at least 3 artist examples, 3 images and 3 quotes from the readings and 3 links to outside sources (portfolio sites, gallery exhibitions, videos etc)

_____________________

APOLOGIES for cancelling class today 11/15. I had car trouble on my way to class this morning. The readings below will be due NEXT Wednesday 11/22. Use the extra week to catch up and really get jamming on your semester projects!! Please email me with any questions. I will be collecting your quotes from the readings below next week in class so have these ready to hand in to me at the beginning of class.

Group 1 will present next Wednesday 11/22

Due 11/22

READINGS:

Chapter 7 Occupying Space 147-164 Seeing Power
Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Streets pg. 63-94 Interventionists

Review readings:

Seeing Power, Chapter 5 and 6 Seeing Power in Spaces pg 107-146

*quotes and questions for each of the readings above will be collected in class on 11/22. If you do not make it to class be sure to email these to Professor Cacoilo.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

___________________

Due 11/15 (class cancelled see above for assignments now due 11/22)

READINGS:

Chapter 7 Occupying Space 147-164 Seeing Power
Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Streets pg. 63-94 Interventionists

Review readings:

Seeing Power, Chapter 5 and 6 Seeing Power in Spaces pg 107-146

Group 1 presents

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

________________

Due 11/8

GROUP 3 PRESENTS!

Remaining Midterm presentations

READINGS DUE: Chapter 7 Occupying Space 147-164 Seeing Power
Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Streets pg. 63-94 Interventionists

Review readings:

Seeing Power, Chapter 5 and 6 Seeing Power in Spaces pg 107-146

AND

Interventionists, Chapter 1 Nomads pgs. 25-60

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

___________________

Due 11/1

Midterm project proposals due on the blog and presented in class!

A project topic proposal (~2 pages) and bibliography/research sources list is due on 11/1 printed and handed in to me and posted on to the blog with images. You will be presenting the goals for your project in class in short 2-3 minute presentations on 11/1. This proposal and presentation will be graded as your midterm. Your completed project is due at the end of the semester and will be presented in class as your final semester project. Please email me if you have questions.

Good luck!

Review readings:

Seeing Power, Chapter 5 and 6 Seeing Power in Spaces pg 107-146

AND

Interventionists, Chapter 1 Nomads pgs. 25-60

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

__________________

CLASS IS CANCELLED TODAY 10/25

Please review the readings that were due today for next weeks class and remember that your proposals for your semester project are due next Wednesday.

Due 10/25

POST 2

Please visit the exhibition Underground Up in the Visual Arts Gallery at NJCU (down the hall from class). Please use all materials available in the gallery to gather information on the artists and the pieces in the gallery. Please note that the exhibition also includes a huge mural outside in the courtyard outside of the sculpture studios.

Please write a short description of each of the works in the exhibition. What are the subjects, messages and media of the works? How do the artists address socio-political subjects in the exhibited pieces? Please describe how the work addresses these issues and how the work exists inside of a political and capitalist structure while critiquing it? Please review your readings from class. How does the exhibition touch upon issues of art, power and activism? How can you connect the exhibition of these works to issues of social and cultural capital. Please use the readings to highlight two major themes in the exhibition and connect several quotes to the work in the gallery.

You can include other art examples outside of the 3 exhibited but please focus on the Underground Up exhibition to a large extent.

~800 words. You must include at least 4 citations from the readings and 4 images (with captions) and 1 link to an external resource.

READINGS:

Seeing Power, Chapter 5 and 6 Seeing Power in Spaces pg 107-146

AND

Interventionists, Chapter 1 Nomads pgs. 25-60

COMING UP **A longer project topic proposal (~2 pages) and bibliography/research sources list will be due on 11/1 printed and handed in to me and posted on to the blog. You will be presenting the goals for your project in class in short 2-3 minute presentations on 11/1. This proposal and presentation will be graded as your midterm. Your completed project is due at the end of the semester and will be presented in class as your final semester project.

Steps from in class breakout discussion:

1. BRAINSTORM! Make sure each member shares their idea for a semester project. Discuss specific points in

the topic to focus on.

2. Write TWO complaints for your topic (s)

3. Connect to TWO quotes from the reading. Write/copy these under your complaints. Hand these to me at the end of class.

4. Discuss methods by which to create your project. Video, slideshow, audio podcast, website,

game, posters, performance, writing a song, magazine, zine, pamphlet, flyers, Instagram page, a blog.

5. Think of ways you may be able to combine multiple things into a more complex project.

Ex. make poster to promote your blog, throw a party to launch your IG page, get other people to make

something with you,

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

__________________

IMPORTANT: You have a writing assignment due 10/25 based on the exhibition Underground Up in the Visual Arts Gallery. See below for details.

**There is a live painting event as part of the exhibition Underground Up and you will be able to meet the three artists on Saturday 12-6pm in the gallery and outside in the courtyard.

Due 10/18

READINGS:

Seeing Power, Chapter 4 Seeing Through the Haze of Social and Cultural Capital pg 83-106

Review the Guerrilla Girls book AND/OR look extensively through their website at https://www.guerrillagirls.com/

Semester Project Topic!!

Think about your semester project topic. Read the project description on our syllabus and note any questions you may have about the assignment. Please write 1 or more ideas you are considering for your project topic. We will be discussing the project assignment in class. You must hand in your short list of project ideas with short descriptions of why and how you would like to make this project. You can just write these out on a piece of paper or, more preferably, type them and bring them to class. Please remember to include the ways that you plan to share this with an audience! Remember that these projects must exist in the world OUTSIDE of our class. How can you share these and engage an audience to impact their awareness of your topic.

**A longer project topic proposal (~2 pages) and bibliography/research sources list will be due on 11/1 printed and handed in to me and posted on to the blog. You will be presenting the goals for your project in class in short 2-3 minute presentations on 11/1. This proposal and presentation will be graded as your midterm. Your completed project is due at the end of the semester and will be presented in class as your final semester project.

Group 3 presents

A note about group presentations:

Be sure all groups create a summary (1-2 paragraphs) of your presentation on the blog with a link to your presentation materials and images. Groups that have already presented please do this immediately if you have not already. Each groups needs only one post. You decide who creates the post for the group. Groups who are yet to present must post their presentations when they are to present.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

Post 2 (due on 10/25)

_________________

Due 10/11

READINGS:

Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls pgs 7-95 (the whole book)

and

review previous week's reading

Seeing Power, Chapter 1 and 2 pg 3-54

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

_______________

Due 10/4

READINGS:

Books: Seeing Power, Chapter 1 and 2 pg 3-54

Interventionists, Chapter 4 The Experimental University pg 111-132

MAKE SURE YOU FINISH YOUR POST 1 assignment on

We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85 exhibition (was due 9/27 partial credit until 10/1 at 11:59pm)

GROUP 4 presents in class

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

____________________

Due 9/27

READINGS:

Book: Seeing Power read Introduction

and

Book: Interventionists read Anarchy in the Ruins pg 143-146 and Encyclopedia Entries pg 147-154

POST 1

We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85 --- assignment on the blog

Choose a project from the We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85 exhibition

and write a short description about it. Then choose one art project, one artist, group of artists, movement or theme and research them further. Illustrate your research and conclusions about this work and the artists and the social and political implications of the work. Be sure to use citations for the information you use. Relate your chosen project to the class readings thus far including Ways of Seeing by John Berger, On Photography by Susan Sontag and the segment of the documentary, Century of the Self, we watched in class.

Then choose another art project (not in the exhibition) that you connect to the first and compare and contrast them with the project from the exhibition. Describe each project but also include themes in relationship to the other. What is similar? How does each of them reach an audience? Are the messages similar? What themes connect them or set them apart? Who made them? What are some of the philosophies or policies that affect each?

Your short essay must be ~800 words. Be sure to include at least two images and two links. Assignments must be posted to the blog before 11pm on 9/26 the night before class.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

______________________

INVITATION (not mandatory but encouraged): you are all invited to join me at the Brooklyn Museum on Sunday, September 17th at 1pm to see the exhibition We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85 Please check out the website for directions to get there and meet me in the lobby by 1pm. Email me to let me know that you plan to come and so that I can expect to find you :) Bring friends!

Due 9/20

READINGS:

Read through the website for the exhibition We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85 on the Brooklyn Museum website: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/we_wanted_a_revolution

ONLINE

NY Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/arts/design/review-we-wanted-a-revolution-black-radical-women-brooklyn-museum.html?mcubz=0

Essence

http://www.essence.com/culture/brooklyn-museum-black-women-revolutionaries-feminism-exhibit

Artnet

https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/we-wanted-a-revolution-brooklyn-museum-936359

ON BLACKBOARD

John Berger Ways of Seeing Ch7

**Read the readings from last week if you did not already do so and prepare the quotes and description for each reading (last week and this week's readings) for collection in class. See the syllabus under 'Class Participation' for details.

__________________

Due 9/13

READINGS

John Berger Ways of Seeing Ch7 on BLACKBOARD

Susan Sontag excerpt from On Photography

http://www.susansontag.com/SusanSontag/books/onPhotographyExerpt.shtml

Intro

Who do you think you are?

What is your role in media consumption, critique and/or media making. How much of who you are is measured against media examples and images? How much of our common experience involves shared mass media images, events and stories? Use several media examples to illustrate your description of your relationship to media.

Can you think of ways that the media covers activists, acts of resistance and protest? How do you feel about this relationship? Use examples to illustrate your answers. Your blog post must be at least 4 paragraphs and you must include at least one link and ONE IMAGE.

GET THE BOOKS!!

Seeing Power: Art and Activism in the 21st Century by Nato Thomson, Melville House Publishing, Brooklyn 2015

The Interventionists: Users’ Manual for the Creative Disruption of Everyday Lives edited by Nato Thomson and Gregory Sholette, MIT Press, Cambridge 2004

Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls by the Guerrilla Girls, HarperCollins, New York 1995

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

______________________

Link to the Syllabus

Link to Class screenings

Link to our twitter hashtag: #actsofresistanceAIP

Discussion guidelines

The course material and discussions can often be provocative and challenging. We must therefore be careful to be respectful of each other and of our viewpoints.

We must come to class prepared and ready to discuss the readings. Please keep discussions focused on the readings and class materials and keep examples relevant and appropriate. If you have not done the readings you are not to participate in the discussion.