Hot Rod Biology

More valid than straight plagiarism, more valid than vapid unoriginality, more valid than draining the integrity out of another piece of communicationÖ

Although an admirable endeavour I do not see developing new forms or ideas as the ultimate value or role I would assign appropriation. It seems like you could appropriate from one era to critique another, you could appropriate from another culture to be inclusive, you could appropriate a convention because it suits the content, you could appropriate from one designer to re-present their work to a generation unfamiliar with the work (although I guess this was the lame rationale behind Gus van Sant's 'Psycho' remake).

I think it would be possible to do most of these things without being patronising, contentious or misunderstood. But Poynor isn't going to write about these examples because there isn't a lot to debate or the examples might not fit into a cultural critique of appropriation.

Thinking about it some more - perhaps these examples are what you would see as a 'new idea'. I was kind od focusing on the point that they weren't necessarily interested in new form.

Yeah, as I read this chapter I wasn't neccessarily so interested in new forms as I was new ideas.

Keith, in terms of "meaning behind it", what's the meaning behind Saville's use of the De Chirico painting? It's fairly ambiguous. I think what you were saying about Lynch and Twin Peaks comes in here ñ we don't really 'know' so it it becomes rich ground for our imaginations [and egos] to fill in. This is the respect in which I thought Scher's work wasn't as strong.

I should also say I'm a big fan of Paula Scher. Her work in appropriation did lead her into new formal territory, and what I've done with our band posters is in many ways due to her influence.

My recently revived interest in form [decoration some might say] isn't without it's contradictions, as I still think I would tend to value the idea over the form when evaluating work. I guess the Modernist in me is still attached to the notion that form and idea be inseperable from one another anyway? While I'm having 'fun with form' in my band posters, they do link directly to the conceptual activity that informs the band/music.

Lisa, I'm interested in your idea about appropriating from another culture to be inclusive. Obviously this relates to your Max project ñ how would you place his work, if he'd given you this as his intention. And again, that Workshop tiki t-shirt?

last Thurs:

I like your fertile/infertile analogy...

more valid, less valid? ìSherrie Levine presented a photograph by Edward Weston as her ownî...by doing so she certainly throws spotlight onto new ideas - I guess intention comes in here. I guess it is what Yoko is starting to talk about on her blog when she says ìdetaching from the outputî , that the intention and ìthe way of doingî define the artefact more than the final form....or is this Art?

something about Jeff Koons here

This is interesting, looking at Scher's Swatch poster, because what you've referred to as a 'simple literal pastiche', others have referred to as a parody..and I've been pondering how people decide to make this distinction between pastiche and parody. In this example, does it come down to the cultural references and knowledge of the beholder? Is it whether or not it makes us smile? Herbert Matter's Swiss tourism posters were ubiquitous in Switzerland, and often reproduced in poster collections. Does this mean Scher's poster was more successful in Switzerland (and therefore considered a parody) because people readily understood the reference (she had the nerve to stick a watch on a cultural icon!)

As I understand it 'parody' is 'pastiche', but goes further in that it intends to satirize the subject that is appropriated.

Yeah I guess you could argue that the Swatch poster has some satircal intent . . . that Scher is taking the piss out of Matter? or Swiss design? Or maybe the superiority/myth of the Swiss timepiece? . . . I'm not sure though, and I certainly don't get this from the work. Her reference was obvious, which I guess is why I'd said 'literal'.

The Twinpeaks guide book is a better example of parody. It can be read as a satirical swipe at the notion of truth in the commonly accepted format of a guide book ñ it thereby initiates questioning as to the value, relevance, and actual workings behind . . . tourism? television?