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In this module will examine the politics of ownership that surround the process of art production and consumption. By politics here, I mean quite specifically that we examine the dynamics of power (aka, who gets what, when, and how?) at work in the ideas and models of creative ownership that we use and circulate within our communities, cultures, and markets, whether we are aware of them or not. With regard to creativity and ownership, we will ask: What patterns do we observe around who gets credit for their creative labor? Who benefits from intellectual property laws? Who is left out? What kinds of creative labor are recognized, valued and protected above others? When did our current systems and ideas of intellectual property develop, and how does this history affect us now? What determines an equitable exchange when one artist borrows ideas or information from another artist or artistic tradition? How is the enormous share of the global economy that is generated through creative labor distributed and shared among creators? And perhaps most importantly, if we don't like the answers to any of the above questions, what role do we have as art workers and members of creative communities to change these norms and create new ones?
Our work in this module will culminate in a written assignment that asks each student to choose a specific historical or recent instance where creative ownership has been contested and to write an essay that articulates their own position on the dispute while drawing upon and responding to readings and discussions from the module.
OwNership 1
OwNership 1
Before lecture read:
Before lecture read:
Anthea Kraut, “Stealing Steps and Signature Moves: Embodied Theories of Dance as Intellectual Property” (2010) (text pdf; 17 pgs)
McKenzie Wark, "Cory Doctorow: Information Wants to Be Free, But..." in Sensoria: Thinkers for the Twenty-first Century (text pdf; 11 pgs)
Byung-Chul Han, "Shanzhai Fake," in Shanzhai: Deconstruction in Chinese, 2017 (text pdf, 7 pgs)
Prompt for reading annotation (submit on Canvas site):
Prompt for reading annotation (submit on Canvas site):
For each reading, summarize what the author suggests are the shortcomings of traditional Western ideas of intellectual property as a model for creative work, and give at least one example of this, from each reading.
OwNership 2
OwNership 2
The Cultural, Historical, Political, and Personal Context of Appropriation
The Cultural, Historical, Political, and Personal Context of Appropriation
READ:
Coco Fusco, "The Politics of Appropriation" from English is Broken Here, 1993 (abridged text pdf, 11 pgs)
Cathy Park Hong, "Bad English", from Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning (abridged text pdf, 11 pgs)
LISTEN:
Wesley Morris, “The Birth of American Music,” 1619 Podcast, 2019 (podcast, 34:34 min)
Prompt for reading annotation (submit on Canvas site):
Prompt for reading annotation (submit on Canvas site):
Both Fusco and Hong build their essays about cultural appropriation by drawing upon the ideas of other artists (properly cited and attributed of course!); for example, Fusco cites David Fung, Kobena, Mercer, Dick Hebdige, among others; while Hong cites Nathanial Mackey and Trinh T. Min-ha. Choose one such moment from each essay where Fusco and Hong introduce an idea from their own reading on the topic that you find to be particularly useful in your own thinking about cultural appropriation. In your annotation response, please include a quotation from each these passages that most succintly expresses the idea that you find interesting and then explain why you find this quotation useful for your own thinking.
OwNership 3
OwNership 3
Disputed Ownership within Our Artistic Communities
Disputed Ownership within Our Artistic Communities
D’Souza, "Who Speaks Freely? Art, Race and Protest" Paris Review (web link)
Coco Fusco, "Censorship, Not the Painting, Must Go: On Dana Shutz's Image of Emmet Till" Hyperallergic (March 27,2017) (web link)
Tourmaline on Transgender Storytelling, David France and the Life of Marsha P Johnson, Teen Vogue (October 11, 2017) (web link)
Whitney Museum Cancels Show of Mutual Aid Art after Artist Decry It as "Predatory," Artnews, Aug 25, 2020
Robert Kolker, "Who Is the Bad Art Friend?" New York Times Magazine (October 5, 2021) (web link)
Prompt for reading annotation (submit on Canvas site):
Prompt for reading annotation (submit on Canvas site):
Each of this week's readings address a recent controversy in the art world. Please choose two and in your annotation this week summarize the controversy, and the dynamics around ownership that you identify at work, so that someone who had not read the article could understand. You do not yet need to take a position on these, the goal here is to describe the debate accurately and concisely.
Position OWNERSHIP Essay
Position OWNERSHIP Essay
Across the readings and discussions in this module, we've examined various ways of situating the notion of ownership of creative works. In particular, we've pushed into moments where the ideas of ownership have been contested and challenged--whether with regard to legal ownership in the frame of intellectual property, ethically and morally with regard to modes of cultural appropriation, or economically as individual artists assert the value of their labor in various ways. It's time to take a position.
Choosing one or two real life examples where creative ownership has been contested (either one we discussed in class or something new), write a position essay asserting your own perspective on how creative ownership should be understood in the case(s) you have chosen to examine. Draw upon ideas and/or direct quotations from at least two readings from the module readings to support your position and to help you anticipate and preemptively respond to possible counter-arguments. It also may help if you choose an example that is close to your own artistic practice or field, so that your intervention and argument are directly related to your own community of makers.
The resulting essay should be 1000-1500 words and should attempt to both inform and persuade readers who have not necessarily read these texts or have deep background knowledge about the situation you've chosen to discuss. Give your essay an interesting title: imagine that the reader interested in your topic is browsing an arts and culture site (think Hyperallergic or BOMB Magazine) and comes across your essay, your title should state your position in an engaging way that makes them want to click and to read more. Please also include footnotes to cite your sources, following MLA 9th edition style guidelines. In week four, you will make a zine to accompany your essay that you will then be invite to donate to the CalArts Library for others to find as they peruse the stacks.
Use your assigned Canvas course site to submit your essay for grading.
SEE GRADING POLICY FOR MORE INFORMATION
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