Classroom ideas without looking at the guide:
I immediately connect this with appropriation in art. Which I love to teach about. I've always taught it really in my printmaking classes, but I'd also like to teach it more in my Intro classes. We could look at Lichtenstein and the debate over his work and if it is plagiarized (which the AIC had a great exhibit on him this summer...wonder if they have anything online about his stance on the issue) as well as Warhol.
It would be interesting to have students look into the issue and determine what is "Fair Use". That was one of the questions I had after watching this, "What exactly does 'Fair Use' encompass specifically in art?". We could examine the Shepard Fairey Obama photo case and take up a side, learning how to form an argument with supporting evidence.We can teach students so much more than just the process of art but also what artists need to know to protect themselves, as well as some lifelong skills that apply not just to art but have a broader, wider reaching relevance.
It would be interesting to see students trace the lineage of inspiration of artists...pieces or styles that have begat other works. I also see more applications to our Graphic Design curriculum where we create artwork from source material as more of a given (using stock photos, creating movies with soundtracks, etc.)
Another idea I had after skimming pinterest this morning and seeing a video clip from a collage painting assignment at Michigan Univ. was in connection to collage and the work of the Dada-ists. If we translate the idea of copyright in music to that of art and the form of collage, then it is okay to use a portion of the original image but not of the entire image. I would find it interesting to see what students would create if the directive was to research copyright laws, apply them to visual art and create a visual representation of what is deemed acceptable by law. Heck, I might even use that as an eperiment in my own art. Hmm...
After looking at the guide:
I could keep thinking about this for a long time (oh, wait...that's whats taken me so long to post from draft to final!). I love the tenants of the Remix Manifesto and believe there is truth there. I still struggle with my opinions about which side is right. I think maybe I see too much grey in the issue. Or maybe I like to pick sides based on my own needs at the time, not sure. I still struggle myself with the question from Ch. 2 - What is more important, the creative process or the final product? And I didn't quite realize I did until I read it there. I've always felt that the creative act is important for us as human beings for many reasons, and I have tried to transfer this attitude this to my students (after my own struggle with my ego about hanging good looking art work in the halls). But taking some time to think about my own process, when I create if I am not happy about the outcome, about the way the art work looks after I feel it is "finished", I find discomfort. One could argue (and I often do) then the work is not finished, and then it becomes about the process once again. I think I could go on and on about this, especially in the context of adolescent learners, but since this is a week 2 assignment that I have been chewing on through week 4, I better just post at this point. :)
PS: If anyone wants a GirlTalk album, go here: http://illegal-art.net/girltalk/ . Girl Talk lets you pay what you want for his albums here (unlike Amazon). (I have mixed feelings about his work too. I like it, but it makes me want to listen to more of the 'originals' not more Girl Talk. I wonder if my environment would change my opinion. Say if I was at a club, would I love it and dance my butt off? All I can speak to is my opinion after listening in the car or in a quiet house. Totally different environments.)
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