Research; 'Co-Art: Artists on creative collaboration'

RESEARCH

COLLABORATION INVESTIGATION 

Co-Art: Artists on creative collaboration

Ellen Mara De Wacher

Begun 19th February- Finished 15th March (Intro+select sections+Conclusions)

This book is perfect to induce me into the concepts and ideas surrounding collaboration. As the last unit drew to a close I was beginning to discover the opportunities that could be had through collective means and the grass root approach with numbers used as a force for change. I began looking into collective 'creative' activation groups that often included artists. Therefore, reading this book in collective means and the interviews it contains will allow an insight into how these are used within the 'art sphere' I can then make that more fluid, apply the techniques and means across concepts and aims. This will allow me to continue my research as praxis approach and the investigation of how research lives and is accessed.

Introduction
The introduction discusses the history of collaboration as well as the brief implications this brought with it. It also goes through different collectives in differing cultures and countries as this held great impact on the works and also the implications.

The group IRWIN- 'group of painters'

'IRWIN addressed the historical traumas linked to failed utopian with works that layered imagery associated with conflicting political and social ideals'

'IRWIN also imagined a history of 'Eastern Modernism' to fill the lacuna in the official history of modernism told from the perspective of the west.' Page 8


Latin American Activist Collectives e.g CADA- 'artist groups came together to take on repressive political regimes and expose damaging neoliberal economic policies'


The artist groups that came together to work in Latin America show that creative activism and collaboration work very effectively together. I believe that there is a differing issue that we face today, neoliberal power forces within England are more well hidden than in classic 'oppressive' governments. Therefore for mobilisation, people have to become personally effected. Something that is not a marker of all national or artist lead movements that aim toward political consciousness and justice. It would however have to be a marker in our society that has grown accustomed to its individualism. This is the challenge my own art faces/ I face as I feel that within the creative sphere, activist collaborations are few and far between. Something I hope to change within my next unit. Looking more into groups such as the above mentioned may help me understand how it has worked before and how to modernise that. I have looked at recent ones such as C4AA it is just getting integrated into that work on an effective level that my work longs for.

British conceptual collaborations- Art & Language 'it is about joining intellectual and creative energies in such a way that the are 'not [...] the authors of our work so much as agents in a practice that produced it.' Page 11

I have already done some research about 'art and language' group and they have become of great interest to me as their collective consciousness and drawing together of differing fields is a very progressive way to work. The experimental nature of their work however does get reduced when they appear in oppressive or ironic institutions that do not give full value to their concepts.

Gilbert and George
He (&She) retroactive collaborations and She (&He) were both sections that spoke to me in a personal level. They discussed the interpersonal collaborations that can take place between partners, lovers or groups. As someone In a relationship with another artist I can see the strenuous yet rewarding battle that takes place daily to determine what each of you stand as and between. I have given ideas or draw out plans for my partner because our minds become artistically intertwined and as I see him most days am I not the best person to imagine his vision when he can not image such himself outside of words. This is an interesting paradox and due to my own work being very independent I feel this is more of a supporting role that I give to him and an interaction role that I receive in return. There are many examples of artist couples and pairs that have worked collectively and made great impact. Performative works as well as cross practice works feature heavily. Our owl self education will always differ from the next person. Therefore working together or in close proximity is bound to inspire another.

BANK's 'fax-back' project- 'mocked apparatus of contemporary art, especially the inflated market and tabloid coverage of British art at the time' (page 18)

This work reminded me of the work I produced when I re-wrote the governments document. This is something I would like to continue to produce. I think it's a very provocative media with many implications that are explicit yet subtle. This allows the viewer to double take the work. I think it'll be interesting to get more people to view these works that are not within the art world. Unfortunately many people who I would want to read it would not concern themselves with this sort of artwork. However it is also Intended to make people aware that these things are released without use even realising. The press release from the galleried that BANK used are very similar and are a very similar example. They deserve to be picked apart and scrutinised.


'American sociologist Richard Sennett, who has written widely on processes of cooperation, describes the dialogical as 'a conversation that does not resolve itself by finding common ground' (page 20)

Guerilla Girls
'The world of art and artists is great, but the system sucks. The art world is increasingly about power and money. Along with that comes discrimination, exploitation and income inequality' (Page 29)

The future: what the world can learn from co-art
Networked selves

The uncooperative self-

'Collaboration is still overshadowed by individualism. The fervent promotion of i social desires by consumer capitalism in the 20th century has led to overproduction, insecurity and alienation that have caused environmental, societal and psychological problems on a mass scale.'

'Sociologist Richard Sennet's has identified a new character type emerging in modern society, an uncooperative self, Ill-disposed for dealing with complexity and difference.'

A new spirit-



Training the audience (and the market)



Collaboration versus capitalist 

Rifikin Jeremy. The zero marginal cost society- the internet of things, the collaborative commons, and the eclipse.

Richard sennet. Together: The rituals, pleasures and politics of collaboration. London: Allen Lane, 2012 p.30