Last Tuesday's panel, "The Center and the Margin" was really thought provoking. I thought it was really great that we got a different conceptions of center and margin from each panelist. It's a little hard to pin-point what each of them actually covers; I find myself wondering if the more common public views of art count as being in the margin because they are less educated and experienced in the art world, or whether the more contemporary, new perspectives on art count as being in the margin because one often has to be involved or specifically interested in the art world in order to know about/appreciate them and the majority of the population isn't.
I think it's interesting to look at the center and the margin in art in terms of what is less accepted both in the art world and in society and how that manifests itself in art or in art movements, as well as how those manifestations seek to implement changes in society and the art world, and how those changes in alter what is marginalized in the future. I know that was a giant run-on sentence, but I hope it made at least a little sense.
Anyway, I'm just thinking about how a lot of cultural movements have had marginalization, or rebellion against the center as an integral part of their meaning. I'm not super culturally or historically educated, but the punk movement comes to mind. Hipsters are also defined by there lack of relationship to the center (although I think hipsters are dubbed hipsters by those who are more at the center, and do not refer to themselves as hipsters--who are hipsters anyway?). Again, I don't have a nuanced enough cultural education to articulate my point well enough, but I feel like there many cultural--or, actually I should say sub-cultural movements grow out of the margins and partially define themselves with that marginalization--I think this is true of several movements in art as well, especially those that are strictly anti-corporation, street art, maybe dadaism?
I thought one of the most compelling ideas that I heard during the panel was about how being on the margin can create communities, and a sense of belonging. I thought that was a really cool point, and it's one of those things that I feel like I've definitely seen but have never heard articulated before. Of course, this was in reference to artistic communities, which is really neat to look at, but I know for sure that it must happen just in society and culture in general. I'm thinking especially of the type of close-knit communities and unique cultures that seem to sometimes be created by marginalized groups in our society. These communities--from my very limited experience--can have very rich and complex cultural stuff going on, but a lot of it may not necessarily be accessible to those of us in the center (or in completely different marginal groups, as it were). Of course these cultures are frequently expressed through art, so it kind of comes full circle.
I think it's interesting to look at the center and the margin in art in terms of what is less accepted both in the art world and in society and how that manifests itself in art or in art movements, as well as how those manifestations seek to implement changes in society and the art world, and how those changes in alter what is marginalized in the future. I know that was a giant run-on sentence, but I hope it made at least a little sense.
Anyway, I'm just thinking about how a lot of cultural movements have had marginalization, or rebellion against the center as an integral part of their meaning. I'm not super culturally or historically educated, but the punk movement comes to mind. Hipsters are also defined by there lack of relationship to the center (although I think hipsters are dubbed hipsters by those who are more at the center, and do not refer to themselves as hipsters--who are hipsters anyway?). Again, I don't have a nuanced enough cultural education to articulate my point well enough, but I feel like there many cultural--or, actually I should say sub-cultural movements grow out of the margins and partially define themselves with that marginalization--I think this is true of several movements in art as well, especially those that are strictly anti-corporation, street art, maybe dadaism?
I thought one of the most compelling ideas that I heard during the panel was about how being on the margin can create communities, and a sense of belonging. I thought that was a really cool point, and it's one of those things that I feel like I've definitely seen but have never heard articulated before. Of course, this was in reference to artistic communities, which is really neat to look at, but I know for sure that it must happen just in society and culture in general. I'm thinking especially of the type of close-knit communities and unique cultures that seem to sometimes be created by marginalized groups in our society. These communities--from my very limited experience--can have very rich and complex cultural stuff going on, but a lot of it may not necessarily be accessible to those of us in the center (or in completely different marginal groups, as it were). Of course these cultures are frequently expressed through art, so it kind of comes full circle.
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