I wanted to change up the routine for today, mainly to make a point about authority and how we tend to silently agree and internalize the demands it places on us. Rather than start with the stretching and mind games I decided on assigned seats. The students were greeted by rows of chairs each with a name attached to it. As far as I could tell everyone sat in their assigned seat. Except, one student who swapped his name tag with someone else’s. Interesting. Little rebellious act I am trying to figure out if after a class of encouraged chaos I would be willing to sit where I was told. Maybe, maybe not. A Theremin also greeted the students – which by the time I got back to the classroom was making a horrible racket. Part of what I love about this instrument is that it sometimes has a mind of its own. I gave the students 5 minutes to ask me whatever they wanted to ask about the last class. A few good questions, but none really about “meaning.” Which is fine.
Today’s class began with two rules. 1) students that wanted to talk needed to hold the Barbie and unopened pudding packet I brought from home. 2) students could choose not to participate in the conversation (either by answering or asking questions or attempting to answer or pose questions) were required to give up a shoe for every 20 minutes they remained silent. The shoes were placed on a table off to the side. Shocking that so many gave up one shoe after 20 minutes. Fewer were willing to give the other up after the next 20 minutes. I let the last 20 minute interval slide without a penalty. The rules were arbitrary and a bit silly on purpose. I do wonder how far this obedience thing can be taken, but then I also wonder about when it crosses into a line of abusing power.
The subject today was largely anarchy, Bakunin, and Dada. I started by asking about the role of nonsense and play in the American educational system. Good responses at to what the problems are with how we are generally taught. Both positive and negative responses as well as different interpretations of “nonsense” and “play.” It was a good way to start. Then, we segued into questions of authority, power, systems of governance, etc. Huge topics and I simply couldn’t keep up with students interested in talking. I abandoned the hold the Barbie and pudding rule mainly as a way of asserting my authority and therefore conducting the discussion. If students pass the objects around they get to choose who speaks next. If I pick I get to choose, simple as that. I should have let the object thing continue without interference. I wonder if the students would share the responsibility of distributing the conversation so one voice doesn’t dominate, or not. I need to think about that more. When given authority what do you do with it?
The whole point of talking about these issues is to set up the conversation about Dada on Thursday. There we can take the ideas generated today and on DADADAY! And filter Ball, Tzara, and Duchamp through them. My hope is that it makes the seemingly chaotic nature of Dada make a bit more sense. Not that I want Dada to be sensible, but that there were reasons why they did what they did. I do want to address issues of beauty, skill, talent, aesthetics as they relate to concepts and cognition. For me the most interesting question today was what is the difference between aesthetic and cognitive concerns when it comes to art. The main point being that what we are dealing with is artists largely driven by ideas with aesthetic concerns taking a back seat. In order to address this we briefly looked at Duchamp’s Mona Lisa and Serrano’s Piss Christ.
A good gathering day, but I missed the exercises and the mind games. I hope that the students could feel the difference in not starting the class this way. In order for the exercises and projects to be affective I know that we do need the occasional “gathering” day – which basically amounts to sitting around and talking about the readings and projects. The main goal, of course, is that by the end of the term the class no longer needs me to demand these activities that they simply do them on their own. It was gratifying to see at least a few students interested in the Theremin at the end of class. I mean really, who doesn’t want to play with a Theremin, the things are just about as cool as they could be.
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