Visual Arts, Columbia University, New York

This course examines ways of looking and ways of seeing, both personally & professionally as artists and in a larger cultural context. Through field trips to contemporary art and other cultural sites, conversations with visiting critical thinkers and practicioners, readings, discussions, and visual & written responses, we will examine how we look, think, act, create and respond--critically questioning our own artistic practices and ways of looking at the world.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

i have [public versus private, self-effacing but please look at/listen to me] feelings, i have feelings please (WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT?)


This is a screenshot of the 5,461st post on the facebook page of Columbia Admirers. Columbia Admirers' "about me" reads:

Columbia University Admirers understands the social awkwardness that plagues our community. Henceforth, this forum allows you to release your inner frustrations anonymously or not before you get bottled up into a depressive state for the best type of therapy is from which we receive public attention. 

Feel free to submit your deepest, darkest desires. 
Censorship not permitted.

This is meant to be a space for sharing positivity. 
Please be advised that if anything insulting is submitted, as backhanded as you can make it, it will not be posted.

Due to keeping privacy in this public domain, please submit to our anonymous tumblr (http://cuadmirers.tumblr.com/) and your entries will be published on this page.  

I've highlighted the sections that I think are relevant to consider when looking at the screenshot. When looking at this image in the context of the Eye and Idea blog, it's different than looking at the image on the facebook page. When looking critically at this posting about a posting in class, it's different than reading the posting on the facebook page alone in one's room. Public attention on facebook is public in that it's visible to nearly anyone, yet it's still somewhat private in the sense that the viewer is usually alone on their computer without anyone else physically present. Whoever posted this is both private and public. Whoever is seeing this post on their personal computer is private, yet the poster wanted it to be public in that sense--his feelings are not only to be received by Elle Christine, but also by anyone who reads the Columbia Admirers facebook page (Columbia Admirers has 4,204 friends who will receive its updates on their newsfeed, and its page is viewable to everyone). The words are put somewhere people are bound to see them, the feelings are public, the person it is about is tagged so that they're sure to see the post; the person who posted wants his very personal, private feelings to be known in public. But, the person is private in both his self-effacement ("the guy from your LitHum class/ that I bet you wouldn't recognize if we passed") and in his anonymity. In short, what I tried to say in a very long winded response is that I find the contradiction and affirmation between public and private attention in this post, its site of origin (Columbia Admirers as contained by the greater creature that is FACEBOOK), and the experience of viewing it to be compelling. Censorship not permitted unless it's private.


No comments:

Post a Comment