Art

Question 9
As a performative artist, critics see Laurie Anderson as a musician or performer whose work has transformed throughout the decades into a creative proclamation of life through her eyes. For each on stage presentation, Anderson encompasses the moment of the decade dressing the part and capturing audiences with her hippie gowns of the 70s and sci-fi, punkish dress of the 80s. Both appearance and spoken words capture the time period. Critic John Howell describes her, saying, This glittering concert character, like all pop persons, has changed clothing to update her assumed role, that of symbolic stand-in for the collective unconsciousness of the moment.
    In relation to culture and technology in contemporary society, critics describe Anderson as an artist who has moved forward with technology. In the early 70s, Anderson performed on street corners wearing ice skates with her feet engulfed in a block of ice. She used visual props to attract audiences and ensure her words were heard. As society progressed into the more contemporary setting of today, Anderson added advanced props such as slide shows and video footage during performances. Ann Sargeant-Wooster says Andersons use of technology has brought out the ever present theme of loneliness and the alienation rendered by our modern technological world. Wooster uses words and phrases such as elegiac mood and the musics quality of mourning as well as describes the lush opulence formed by Andersons electronic tableaux when she surrounds herself onstage with the accoutrements of high technology.
    In all, Andersons work both captures the culture of the time period as well as the personalities of the individuals of that time. She doesnt trap herself within one decade, but grows as an artist with time and presents those changes through her works both on and off stage. Critics also praise Anderson for the simple use of audio recordings during her onstage performances. Anderson recognizes the need to preserve performances in order to capture the time, setting, technology, and most importantly her voice and character at the time. Wooster writes, as the beauty of life performance soon vanishes from memory as does its flawswe can think of the importance of records for performance artists of all kinds.

Question 10
Janet Fishs Up In Smoke, captures a contemporary scene of a family celebrating what appears to be the 4th of July with a family or community picnic. It appears the subject of this large painting is the movement of freedom from truly being free to enjoy life to the conflict that comes from too much freedom, which ensues in fighting and discourse. For instance, the left side of the painting is crisp, clear, and colorful. The children in this part of the painting are playing and enjoying their day. The table of food on the left side is organized and neat. Some of the food has been touched and some is still sitting neatly in place. It represents a carefree time with no worries and the simple freedom to gather and enjoy a picnic in peace. In contrast, however, the right side of the painting is literally up in smoke. The smoke from the grill presents the chaos that develops when people seek freedom in different perspectives. What one side says is free is not anothers idea of freedom and fights break out. On the right side of the painting, the picture is not clear. The children who were once playing without a care in the world have run into others and conflict occurs. Fight ensues whether over a toy, name calling, or just a simple this is my side of the yard. The picnic table on the right side is also in discord. There is an empty soda bottle that has fallen over on the table. The plastic wrap on the food at the right edge of the table is falling away. Theres a sense of the picture perfect picnic becoming a reality of imperfectness. The peacefulness of the left side of the picture has disappeared within the smoke. Freedom has been compromised and what is free or who is free is no longer black and white, but instead an image of gray areas.