Ethnography of Art
Art is part of everyday life, in both its creation and consumption. In order to understand artistic expression, it must be placed in context; who created it, and why? Is it functional or inspirational? Economic? A demonstration of certain cultural values? How does art for sale in the global marketplace – the “trafficking of culture” – play a role in our perception of distant cultures? How does it impact those distant cultures? The M15 exercise will help you to develop your skills as an ethnographer of art.
• Choose a piece of art that is on display to the general public. It can be any PUBLIC object or expressive form, such as a sculpture, painting, drawing, textile, musical piece, dance, poem, etc., although it must have some permanence. Note: a privately owned and displayed piece or museum piece would not qualify, as these are only on display to a limited audience.
• If possible, interview the artist and/or some of the audience.
• Consider the following questions to stimulate your thought processes:
◦ What is the history behind the piece of art? Does it come from another place? What is its role in the community? Who created it? Who paid for it? Does it have a practical use?
◦ Art is a form of communication: What messages do you feel the piece is intended to convey? Does it exchange values or goals? Create an enduring memory? Seek to provoke action or inspire change?
◦ Does the artist’s intent match the audience’s perception?
◦ Who or what informed you that it is “art”? Who controls it? Who designed or decided on how it would be displayed?
◦ Develop a one-sentence universal definition of art.
• Post your description, along with a photograph, link (or other representation) to/of the piece, in the M15 forum, ending with your one-sentence definition of art.
• Check your links after posting make sure they are working, and avoid posting links to sites that require an account for viewing.
