THE t,;~IVERSITY OF ~EW SOUTH WALES COLLEGE OF ~E ARTS Thesis/Project Report Sheet Surname or Family name: ...... -::'aoby................................................................. 00 00 00 00 Fir11 name: ················-·-·--· Davta -··-·•• •• •• ••···········•• ••················· Olher namc,s ..........Julian .......... ····························· .............. _....... _ Abbn:¥,auon for dqrs u 1iven 1n Ille t.'navenny aiendar. .............~.~.:~ ....................................................................................................... ·-···-·····- Sd»ol: ························-·- Schooi of Art .......................................... Facul~: ............... Coilei:e of Ans ·-········-············ .. ························ Tille: Art anci Kindness ........................................................ -... ···········-------·· .. ·········· .. ·······--..... _ ·····························• ................................................................................................................................ Abstract 350 words maximum: [PLEASE TYPE) The thesis. and the elthibited project, is most consistently about langu~e. how it controls perception. action and culture. The title Art and Kindne•• is from a ·poem' bued on the accidental drowning of Ian Burn the conceptual artist and i.natigator, along with Mel Ramsden and Roger Cutforth. of the Art Language Journal (Roger Cutforth wu a tutor of mine between 1969 and 1972). The 'poem' operates on other levels that deal with preteneion. or shallow intellectual practice within western art. also the collision of order (ae artifice. or lie I with wildemesa, or chaos (u reality, or truth). There are sixteen 'poems' and 'narratives', all about art, elthibited in bra.ille as well as digitally marupuiated imago and tat. through a combination of graphics software. The point ia to render the work a camouflage of conventional code, Le. 'picture', 'poem', 'lyric', 'art', 'song', 'melody'. 'humour', 'drama' whilst sub'versive'ly dismantling all of those codee, in their commonly known presence, by means of the content (message). It ie not a quixotic aim of this project to grandiosely 'reinstate' poetry as an art form at this end of the twentieth century. Nonetheless. in a culture that commonly neglects or suppresses the full range of subjective dialogue by depreaaing the intellectual or cultural en.vil'onm.en.t to a tame programming of'iasues' (refer to .url&e Glau .Bead Game• by Herman HeHe) this will be one opportunity to see if works function by infusing an amalgam of apparently popular or conventional form with 'obtuse', 'difficult', 'rare', or 'ephemeral' notions. >.. a matter of speculation, the following are explored aa a path to understanding the nature of ; language and its control systemics: the nature of language in the formation of order and presence of chaos • the graphic presence of multimedia and particularly recent audio software, as a metaphor for synaesthesia • problem• and challenges for accurate espression through Romaniaed language • some difficulties of ideology in dealing with formalism • deception, illusion.. meaning and kindneH. O.:larauon rdatin1 IO dispmuon o( pro,ea repon/lhesis I un fuUy aware o( IJle policy o( the Univenny rela1in1 10 _the re1en1ion and use o( higher de1ree project ref)OIU and t.hese.s, namely dial die Un1ven1&y reuans the c:op,e.s 111bm111u (or eum,nauon and II Cree IO allow them IO be c:onsulled or borrowed. S11bjea 10 !he provisions of lhe Copynpl Aa 1961 111ven11y may 1uue a proJCa rq>OI\ or lhes11 an whole or III pan. 111 phoiostal or microfilm or other copying medium. ion by Un1ven11y Microfilms of a JS0 word absuaa in Oissen.a1ion Abc1racu lnicrnauonal (applicable to doaora1a Dale !here may be e11cq,uonal cir s ea ~uiring r conditions oa use. RequelU for 2 yean m1111 be made III wn1111g 10 lhe Reg1s1rar. Requau (or a longer penod o( renncuon may be caisidered in pan1cd by • leucr o( supp,rt Crom lhe Supemsor or Head of School. Such ~ue.su m1111 be submiued w1dl die O.ic of c:omplellOII ol ~u,remcnu for Award: Rc1u111r and Oq,uty Principal IBIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO lliE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF lliE lliESIS Art and Kindness Dave Cubby© 1994 1 ... Index • p. 3 - 1. Introduction Speculation on the apparent truth • p. 5 - 2. Art and Kindness Speculation on Sixteen 'poems' and 'narratives' • p. 21 - 3. 31 F Add Noise Speculation on the graphic and metaphoric potency ofdigitised sound • p. 26 - 4. Harder and softer ware Speculation on the /1,ux of form, content and change • p. 28 - 5. Irishchiaroscuro Speculation on the nature oflanguage and formation oforder • p. 37 - 6. Lupercal Speculation on the nature of language and presence ofchaos • p. 51 - 7. Sabine, honey is that you? Speculation on paradigm shifting across social a­ gender to the strains of apocalypso • p. 58 - 8. A Blue Refuse Speculation on the telling oflies • p. 61 - 9. Selected Bibliography Speculation on references used throughout this project 2 1. Introduction The title of the work is from a 'poem' based on the accidental drowning of Ian Burn the conceptual artist and instigator, along with Mel Ramsden and Roger Cutforth, of the Art Language Journal (Roger Cutforth was a tutor of mine between 1969 and 1972). The 'poem' operat.es on other levels that deal with pret.ension, or shallow int.ellectual practice within west.em art, also the collision of order (as artifice, or lie) with wilderness, or chaos (as reality, or truth). There are sixteen exhibit.ed 'poems' and 'narratives', all about art, exhibit.ed in braille and mounted on the walls of the gallery, as well as digitally manipulated images and text, through a combination of graphics software. The 'poems' have become lyrics and the 'narratives' instrumental. The exhibition opening incorporates the launch of an Audio CD. Each work has been sound sampled through an Ensoniq Sampler and a number of digital programs including Steinberg Cubase, Digidesign ProTools and Sound Designer via a Macintosh comput.er. Throughout the exhibition the soundwork will be available as an audio CD relayed through speakers in a list.ening room at the rear of the gallery. The point is to render the work a camouflage of conventional code, i.e. 'picture', 'poem', 'lyric', 'art', 'song', 'melody', 'humour', 'drama' whilst sub'versive'ly dismantling all of those codes, in their commonly known presence, by means of the content (message). The audience will experience the mix of signals of the lyrics in one form or another as t.ext, or imagery or sound as well as in tactile form. The exhibit is work produced in a unique audio-visual form, fusing traditional with advanced practice across visual art, lit.erature, sound art, drama, typography, and other devices such as braille or digital manipulation, with the aim of disturbing conventions oflanguage and thought. It is not a quixotic objective of the show to grandiosely 'reinstate' poetry as an art form at this end of the twentieth century. Nonetheless, in a culture that commonly neglects or suppresses the full range of subjective dialogue 3 that commonly neglects or suppresses the full range of subjective dialogue by depressing the intellectual or cultural environment to a tame programming of'issues' (refer to "The Glass Bead Game" by Herman Hesse) this will be one opportunity to see if works function by infusing an amalgam of apparently popular or conventional form with 'obtuse', 'difficult', 'rare', or 'ephemeral' notions. Each 'verse' is intentionally drenched in meaning as well as elegantly crafted. A great deal of effort is spent on the 'finish' of each 'poem', washed over repeatedly until the best possible outcome is achieved. All of the work, apart from the audio CD, is saved onto Macintosh files, Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 or Adobe Illustrator, and can be downloaded, individually or as an exhibition, and scaled from A4 to any appropriate format, complete with recommendations for mounting and display. Consequently, the exhibition is available as a package for publication as a book, CD ROM or digital transmission. Dave Cubby December 1994 This Master ofFine Art Research thesis is wholly dedicated to Rory Cubby who assisted me greatly in the production ofthe audio CD. We jointly wrote sections 3 and 4, presenting that work as a paper to the 'Multimedia and Design Conference' at the Key Centre of Design Computing, University of Sydney in September 1994. Rory also contributed generously to the development of ideas and my confidence throughout this project. He has a fine mind, patience and a great kindness that comes only with exceptional talent. Dave Cubby February 1995 4 2. Art and Kindness Art and Kindness Drowning ofa Caring Conceptual Artist. 3:2Cmina Written by Daw Cubby C Comi:io-f and Arranged by Rory Cubby and Daw Cubby C Vocal1: Dave Cubby All of you making art that looks like art be warned, there is a lot of it, billowing in and out of lives. Well, a wave is coming that's nothing oo do with fashion, your leading edge will be shown then forgotten, washed oo the past. A swell beyond your dabbling creations, roo deep for you t.o sense, has been waiting t.o break and clear the coast. It is a sudden, serious instant before all of you will be taken in this rip, as I am by a child beckoning this man inoo the drowning conscience. In there and out here through thunder waters returned oo chaos surging beneath the horiwn of thought and worldly imagining. My search for shore is ended, a secret perspective sighted, the water is a huge lens directed at the good old land as I am filling up with brine. Marine riddles of the strange and familiar this unexpected bright from dark view, ironic that absolute confidence does flow from final terror. Art of appearances echo feebly now across the face of surf, a splashy shallow showing, rolling over and gone until all will be drowned on a notion waving. 5 The Boring Man as Artist and Educator A man who di.d not move or improve. l:OOmina. Written by Daw Cubby© Com~ and Ammpd by Rory Cubby and Daw Cubby© Vocala and Guitar: Dave Cubby Now that you are an artist, as you claim to be, you may become a famous one, if you work hard and show the way.