Trevor Paglen

I just finished reading Trevor Paglen’s Blank Spot’s on the Map: The Dark Geography of the Pentagon’s Secret World.

An engaging look into the “state within a state.”   With a multibillion dollar budget this classified or “Black World” is considered by some to be even larger than the unclassified, but officially does not exist.This example of experimental cartography, is just one of the many fascinating topics we explore in the class 21st Century Aesthetics taught by Artist and Historian Tiffany Funk.

Blank Spots on the Map

In this class we examine the theory and history that underlie emerging artistic trends, exploring topics such as Uncreative Writing, Hacker Aesthetics, Social Practice, etc. All contributing to an examination of where art may be heading.

I was particularly excited by a conversation we had a few weeks ago on Kenneth Goldsmith’s Uncreative Writing, a term I wasn’t familiar with a few months ago but am now super excited about. The practice of appropriation has been embraced by visual and sound artists for years, but only more recently have we begun to see this among writers.

Tiffany’s own work and research exploring technological interventions in biology is uniquely prescient and makes her a fantastic resource on the topic.  This seminar has been one of the highlights of the semester for me. Every class has informed my current art practice and has inspired me to consider new methods for making as well as has helped frame my work in light of these 21st century directions.

For more information on this class or any of the other amazing classes we have in the Interdisciplinary arts department, check out our website, and if you’re interested in a great blog on art and technology, check out Tiffany Funk’s blog Fetal Circuit.