Other-ness

A view from the public: what does *it* add to the mix?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/arts/design/27ligon.html

And some quotes.

On identity:

His big break came in 1989, when he got a grant from theNational Endowment for the Arts. “I thought if the government thinks I’m an artist, then I must be one,” he said. He started making art full time.

On the technology of composing:

Mr. Ligon forms letters with stencils because “it’s a way to be semi-echanical, to make letters that are not handwriting but have personality,” he said. “Handwriting would make these quotations too much mine, and stencils give it a bit more distance. They also allow me to keep being painterly but also have the kind of content I want a painting to have.” And rather than use oil paint, which can get messy, he uses oil stick, so that each letter has a more defined quality. For some works he has also flocked the canvas with coal dust to give it a textured, glittering feeling.

Neon sculptures create yet another message, a kind of 21st-century signage that hints at advertising but is quite the opposite of promotional. On the first floor of Mr. Ligon’s studio building is Lite Brite Neon, a custom lighting fabrication studio where, on a recent visit, the “negro sunshine” sculpture was being made for the Whitney’s window. On a long work table the perfectly made letters spelling out “negro” rested against a white metal backing. As Mr. Ligon inspected the progress, he explained that the front of the letters will be painted black, for a shadow play between light and dark. In the show there will also be neon wall reliefs that spell out just one word — “America” — from which the retrospective’s title was taken.

Difference and the Difference It Makes

Difference, as we see in this week's readings, can take many forms. What do we see in composition theory when difference is added to the mix?

Reflection

So I posted a reflection on my own portfolio, in response to the query about the difference between a field and a discipline: it turns out to have been a very productive question for my thinking ;) See http://www.wix.com/kyancey/demo3 (the tab labeled reflection ;) The other point I wanted to make was that as much as I like r/c as a discipline (no surprise there), I like the big picture, which I don't think we have had. So it's fascinating to me--and helpful--to see how what I understand R/C to be play out in the larger universe, which includes k-12 and creative writing. Last week, I especially appreciated the discussion about formalism as technique keyed to genre, which makes formalism look very different and is a healthy corrective. Looking forward to more of the same tomorrow ;) k