Category Archives: Essay

Filters

Author:
Category:

research: Comparison of manifesto, animal farm and surrealism Andre Breton

what is a manifesto? a manifesto is. verbal declaration of intentions, motives,views and issuer, this could be seen within creativity making  a creative video of art, or either a political party and a governmental movement. It is derived from the meaning of clear and conspicuous. This to my mind means my manifesto has to have clear cut conventions and portray a clear and genuine state of mind. There are many art movements that contextually produces a variety of opinions and aims.

political manifesto: The political manifesto that I have researched into is ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell’ Animal farm is a paradigm-changing novel written by the democratic socialist and observer writer George Orwell is a satire aimed at undermining Stalin and, as crucially, the admiration in which he was held by many in the British intelligentsia. The story is led by two pigs napoleon and snowball, they have the intentions to take over major farm with the act of revolution in order to run so in a new name of equality. Napolean is seen to drive away Snowball and strive through abandoning their previous pans of social improvement. He starts to work other animals to dust and is soon seen to be a direct carbon copy of that of the farmer. The key phrase of the book is when it is displaced that “all animals are equal” , “but some are more equal than others” . This story It highlights the morals of byword for how Stalinism worked and was practised. And due to this manifesto it snuffed the political chances of the British communist party of being a large political force.

It is interesting because although animal farm was not written in the form of a normal political manifesto,but a novella short story. Yet it was still written in order to compare the ideals expressed in the novellas compared with the fundamentals of communist manifesto written by Karl Marx. The story reflects a period during Stalin era in Russia. Many of marx’s ideas can be found in Orwells character, this is because Orwell had an influence wihtin Marx’s text. Karl Marxs manifesto Is said to be ‘worlds most influential political manifesto ever created’. this has been said as it argues:the lower classes are under pressure of their owners and that the lower class can be able to achieve their goals to overcome their problems by the formation of unions or riots. It also states the capitalism should be overthrown because communision is the only way for equality among the people. In the third section of the Communist Manifesto, “Socialist and Communist Literature,” the authors discuss the differences of communism and other socioeconomic systems. In their conclusion, “Position of the Communists in Relation to the Various Opposition Parties,”The Communist Manifesto is divided into a preamble and four sections.  the main issues wihtin the manifesto was: In capitalism, the industrial working class, or proletariat, engage in class struggle against the owners of the means of production, the bourgaeaie As before, this struggle will end in a revolution that restructures society, or the “common ruin of the contending classes” HIs views on political issues to summerssise where how if poor pope;le keep being treated and overpower by the corrupt and Conservative party,they will rebell in order to abolish the class system. he believed the idea of equality and founded Communism,yet his theories were seen distorted by those in high class powers making no real change to those who needed it.

now the comparison of animal farm and Karls manifesto is evident. and clear seen below:

RUSSIAN   REVOLUTION 

1) Oppressed by the Russian Empire before the Russian Revolution
2) Karl Marx was widely recognized by his knowledge and philosophies
3) Marx wrote the “Communist Manifesto” which recorded his principals and theories of abolishing the class system.
4) Marx’s “Communist Manifest” is convinced to be what Communism is based on. The idea of equality motivated Stalin and Lenin to start the Russian Revolution, which overpowered the Russian Empire.
5) However Karl Marx did not live to see the Russian Revolution that took place in 1917. He was then buried in Highgate Cemetery, North London. 

6) After the Russian Revolution, Karl Marx’s theories were distorted by Stalin, the Soviet dictator. He manipulated the people of the Soviet Union with violence and cruelty. 

Picture

ANIMAL FARM

1) Oppressed by Mr Jones before the rebellion of the animals on Maor Farm
2) Old Major was a ‘highly respected’ boar by all the animals in the farm. 
3) Old Major expressed his initial idea  for all animals to rule and live freely through his speech in the ‘big barn’ 
4) Animalism convinced the animals that they are being oppressed by humans, and roared with their “wildest excitement”  Major’s speech then inspired Snowball and Napoleon to initiate the rebellion against Mr Jones.
5) Old Major died ‘three nights later’  without having the chance to witness the animal’s revolution. The animals buried his body at ‘the foot of the orchard’
6) After the animal’s revolution against Mr Jones, Napoleon took charge of the Animal Farm. He abandoned the initial ideas that Old Major proposed, and corrupt the principles of Animalism. 

Now this was the most influential political manifesto ever to be created, yet was still abolished and twisted due to governmental powers guaranteeing a set of rules and yet not being compliant. This to me purposes the overall ideal that political manifestos are what the people want to be done yet are not taken into action. I believe when comparing to my more creative art manifesto this will be the large difference; that being the outcome and if the manifesto becomes a reality.

artistic manifesto: As I myself view art as my passion dn would hope to see a future career wihtin it, I personally believe artistic manifestos should be held to the same level of important as those of political manifestos. When researching two features of contextual art movements instantly stood out and these were, surrealism and futurism.The manifesto of surrealism is was written in 1924 by Andre Breton, and comatained 5 main aims and contextual ideas wihtin so. This consisted of:

  • how  not to be bored in company
  • how to make speeches
  • how to write false novels
  • how to catch the eye of a woman on the street
  • against death

He believed that belief in life is the most precious aspect of life itself, by which is meant for real life. He lived people were inveterate dreamers who were disconnected by operating of fate and how no matter his efforts he has been consented to labour. he images surrealism  to be a man who ‘remains in this respect a new-born babe, and as for the consent of his moral conscience, I admit that he does very well without it. If he retains any degree of lucidity, he can do no more than turn to his childhood, which ruined as it has been by his teachers’ pains, seems to him nonetheless full of charm.’Breton is said to say’ Dear imagination, what I love most about you, is your unforgiving nature.’

this artist has four main reasons to which he operates and why he created his manifesto, 1, within the bounds in which they operate dreams continuously show a sign of order. Memory arrogates and it is important to ignore these transitions. We must have many dreams, a series of dreams and represent ourselves through a dream itself. Secondly being awake should be considered a phenomenon. Not one  he has said’Not only does the mind display, in this state, a strange tendency towards disorientation (a tale of lapses and errors of all sorts the secret of which is beginning to be revealed) but what is more it seems that when the mind is functioning normally it does no more than respond to suggestions which come to it from the depths of that night to which I commend it.’ Thirdly, our spirit of those who dreams is content with that which happens to him. you need to live, fly and love to your herts content. If you die you do not know what will happen,re you certain to wake among the dead? we haven name we should be led. And lastly if someone fails it is because they have led to accept an impoverished idea of expiation. mystery and moment should be in san and make a future resolution. ]The artists then makes many poems about his work which I will further look into with future analysis.

comparison:

The differences to me between a political and artist manifesto is the way in which the intentions are written and carried about, On the political side they are said to point out injustice and make a claim to help change and create a new world. Whereas art is an exploration of who we all are,Not just negative but who we want to be and how we should go about doing so. It is written more so as a conceptual brainstorm of our imagination of the people who we would like to see ourselves as. To my mind, art is about changing yourself and not the opinions of others around yours to me I feel is less corrupt and more likely be be accomplished, rather than the broken promises of the political manifestos. However I will still in a similar way to those of political manifesto ideals but I will carry on the surrealism promises that I have been previously discussing.

Essay 1: Lewis Bush vs Clare Rae x Claude Cahun

By the end of Week 4 you will all have visited and Trading Zones (Lewis Bush) and Entre Nous (Clare Rae x Claude Cahun).

Lewis Bush Generic Finance Workers

 

 

Lewis Bush Map
Clare Rae, La Pinacle No. 2

Week 6-7 : 10 – 17 Oct > Inspirations Lewis Bush vs Clare Rae

AO1 DEVELOP IDEAS: RESEARCH > ANALYSIS

Mini essay:  Write 1000 words with illustrations and references

Essay question: In what way can the work of Lewis Bush and Clare Rae both be considered political?

In order for you to write a critical essay you must adopt this methodology:

  • Visit both exhibition and make notes on initial thoughts, what do you like/ dislike, consider how their work are exploring Political Landscapes in different ways.
  • Document installation with your phone and select specific images  that interest you for further research and analysis.
  • Use these images to illustrate your essay.
  • Make sure you caption images, artist name, title, year, medium, size etc
  • Look up influences for their own work, historical / political / artistic context
  • Consider how their work is made within genres of documentary and tableaux approaches ie. observed vs staged.
  • Find at least 3 different sources and read the the texts below for a broader context.
  • Incorporate quotes and comments from artist themselves or others (art critics, art historians, curators, writers, journalists etc) using a variety of sources (at least 3) such as Youtube, online articles, reviews, texts, books
  • Make sure you reference sources and embed links to the above sources in your blog post using Harvard System of Referencing

See this PDF for help with referencing: harvard sysytem of referencing

PHOTO-ASSIGNMENT 3:  Make a response to either Lewis Bush or Clare Rae and evaluate.

EXTENSION: Make a response to both photographers and evaluate.

DEADLINE:  Mon 5 Nov -this is a homework task that must be completed outside of lesson time. Upload essay with illustration on the blog

Helpful sources and guidelines

Here is a recent interview with Lewis Bush in online photography magazine ASX where talks about his creative process, method of working including general thoughts on the nature of photography

If you get blocked when you click on the hyperlink above, read article here as a pdf Lewis_Bush_article_ASX_v2

Links to his website and blog Dispothic – about visual culture with a particular emphasis on photography in all its many forms, from the mass vision of smartphones to the algorithmic vision of internet search engine.

Here are images of Lewis’ text from his exhibition Trading Zones in Jersey

Here is a recent photo-essay by Clare titled; A Photographic History in Jersey’s Rock Faces where she talks about her work produced in Jersey.

Link to her website and exhibition at the Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) in Melbourne, Australia and a link to her book Never Standing on Two Feet accompagnying her work

Consider how Claude Cahun’s work has influenced Clare Rae.
Consider how the following two statements may have had an impact on the work of Claude Cahun / Clare Rae

  1. In the public sphere, women must assume sufficient power to change the cultural imagery and the political landscape.
  2. Women, who had previously been barred from participating in elections, changed the political landscape by becoming voters.

Click on this blogpost: PHOTOGRAPHY, PERFORMANCE AND THE BODY for more in depth investigation of Clare Rae’s work in relation to Claude Cahun and artists exploring issues of gender representation in photography and feminist theory around  self-portraiture and male vs female gaze,

DOCUMENTARY vs TABLEAUX

Two texts by David Bate from his book Art Photography (2015), Tate Publishing on documentary practice and tableaux photography. Read these to get an historical and contemporary overview of both genres

David_Bate_The_Art_of_the_Document

David_Bate_The_Pictorial_Turn

ESSAY PLAN > STRUCTURE

Make an essay plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph. Here is a link to an essay structure.

  • Essay question:
  • Opening quote
  • Introduction (125 words): What is your essay question? Which artists will you be analysing and why? What are you trying to prove/ disprove?
  • Pg 1 (250 words): Analyse Lewis Bush in relation to your essay question. Provide any historical or theoretical context within art, photography and visual culture relevant to the artists work. Select a key image and use as an example to illustrate your point of view.
  • Pg 2 (250 words): Analyse Clare Rae in relation to your essay question. Provide any historical or theoretical context within art, photography and visual culture relevant to the artists work. Select a key image and use as an example to illustrate your point of view.
  • Conclusion (125 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between both artists. Bring a conclusion to essay question.
  • Bibliography: List all relevant sources used

QUOTE > REFERENCING > ACADEMIC SOURCES

  • Research and identify 3 literary sources from a variety of media such as books, journal/magazines, internet, video (Youtube).
  • Begin to read essay, texts and interviews with your chosen artists as well as commentary from critics, historians and others.
  • It’s important that you show evidence of reading and draw upon different pints of view – not only your own.
  • Take notes when you’re reading…key words, concepts, passages
  • Write down page number, author, year, title, publisher, place of publication so you can list source in a bibliography
  • Use quotes to support or disprove your argument
  • Use quotes to show evidence of reading
  • Use Harvard System of Referencing
  • See Powerpoint: harvard system of referencing for further details on how to use it.

Critical image analysis

https://www.photopedagogy.com/photo-literacy.html

Refer to the marking criteria and pay careful attention to Assessment Objective 1…

  • show critical awareness
  • show contextual understanding