Critical Drawing Project + References (due 11.18.09)

Dan Perjovschi, "Have a nice day!", 2001

There is a rich history of using drawing as a means of social protest. Drawings (and their close relations, prints) have documented our societal failings and misdeeds, and incited uprisings, at least since the caves at Lascaux. For this second long-term project, you will develop a piece, or series of pieces, that explores drawing as a means of social protest/critique or a commentary on current events. The project will be developed over the next 4 weeks, with a full critique on 11/18. If you want to work from life, you have the option of working with 2 models in the classroom that you can pose or use as reference.

Start with some issues you feel passionately about, research these issues, then start doing sketches for your piece. This should be a thoughtful, considered project, and any controversial or inflammatory subject matter needs to be fully considered. Some questions to ask yourself about each topic: What’s the best way to talk about this issue? Does it need to be a drawing in the traditional sense, or a print? Does it need to be distributed (sticker, pamphlet, stencil)? How does the medium enhance/detract from the content? What do I want the viewer to walk away with?

The key to many successful artworks is installation and documentation. Think about how you are going to install your work, and what exactly you want the audience to see: Is it a drawing? A photo of a drawing? An animation? A live performance? Are you showing only evidence from a past performance? Are we watching a video of the performance?

Please plan in advance. Reserve an installation room if you need it, and consider how, when, where and what equipment (camera, TV, DVD player) you will need.

References:
William Hogarth
Honoré Daumier
Robert Colescott
Kara Walker
Raymond Pettibon drawings from summer 2003
Dan Perjovschi website
Dan Perjovschi at MoMA with video
Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla
Graffiti Research Lab: LASER Tag video