Intersections: The Writing of Contemporary Art
Day/Time: Monday, 6 – 8pm
Instructors: Jordana Mendelson / Sara Nadal-Melsió
Instruction Mode: In Person
Description: This seminar will explore the role of writing in the creation and practices of contemporary art. We will focus on works from the 19th century through the 21st century, from Baudelaire's definition of the modern artist to the use of writing and all sorts of inscriptions by visual artists. We will examine writing as a technology that defines, produces, and intervenes in artistic practices (art criticism, essays, titles, press releases, museum catalogs, etc.) We will look at texts by critics and essayists and by artists themselves, as well as at the uncertain relationship between the two. The seminar will be taught in English, but the languages of the texts will be in both English and Spanish. Among the authors and artists we will consider are: José Ortega y Gasset, Eugeni d’Ors, José Díaz Fernández, Sebastià Gasch, Remedios Vario, Maruja Mallo, Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Rubert de Ventós, Enrique Vila-Matas, Josep Renau, Antoni Tàpies, Antonio Saura, Ángel Gónzalez, Esther Ferrer, Estrella de Diego, Albert Serra, Chus Martínez, Xavier Antich, and Marina Garcés.