Lizz by Peter

<head> <style> @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ibarra+Real+Nova:400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=IBM+Plex+Serif:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,500italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=DM+Mono); @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Azeret+Mono:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,600&display=swap'); .macro-timed-insert { transition-duration: 5s; } .transition-in[data-t8n^=dissolve]{ -webkit-animation:appear 0s; animation:appear 0s; } body, tw-story { background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier'; color: #000000; margin: 0 auto; font-size: 14px; /* display: inline-block; */ text-align: left; max-width: 800px; line-height: 140%; } </style> </head> <img src="https://peterbjorndal.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/lizz-caicedo_chris-salas_artwork_1_cropped_web.jpg" style="max-width:600px;"> (css: "font-size: 150%; line-height: 100%;")[A critique of the work of Lizz Caicedo.] Originally performed by Peter Bjorndal on 11/11/21 for the 2D Design department at Cranbrook Academy of Art. <head> (text-colour:#d8d8d8)[[[View page by page->TitlePage]]] (link: "(text-colour:#d8d8d8)[Home]")[(goto-url: 'https://bjornd.al')] <style> @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ibarra+Real+Nova:400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=IBM+Plex+Serif:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,500italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=DM+Mono); @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Azeret+Mono:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,600&display=swap'); .macro-timed-insert { transition-duration: 5s; } .transition-in[data-t8n^=dissolve]{ -webkit-animation:appear 0s; animation:appear 0s; } body, tw-story { background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier'; margin: 0 auto; font-size: 14px; /* display: inline-block; */ text-align: left; max-width: 800px; line-height: 140%; } </style> </head> (enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:white))(css: "font-size: 100%;")[`[`//Slowly, with emphasis on each word of his name. From there, dramatic narration.//`]`] Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein: one of the greatest and keenist philosophical minds this world—and thus the known universe—has ever had the pleasure of allowing to Exist. `[`//Breathe in deeply, follow with a strained and high-pitched voice.//`]` In 1953, two years after his death, the opus—no—the //magnum// opus, //Philosophical Investigations// was published to `[`//misspeak and say “universals”//`]` universal acclaim. Well, except for one man who had a problem with it, trust fund kiddie—and `[`//have voice crack if you can//`]` notable atheist `[`//look around the room//`]`—`[`//switch to British accent//`]` The Right Honorable Sir Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell - Order of Merit, Fellowship of the Royal Society, whomst've said this about Wittgenstein’s writings: `[`//Continue in a British accent even though it will soon cease to be funny.//`]` (css: "font-size: 100%; line-height: 140%; display:inline-block;margin:1em;")[I have not found in Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations anything that seemed to me interesting and I do not understand why a whole school finds important wisdom in its pages. Psychologically this is surprising. The earlier Wittgenstein, whom I knew intimately, was a man addicted to passionately intense thinking, profoundly aware of difficult problems of which I, like him, felt the importance, and possessed (or at least so I thought) of true philosophical genius. The later Wittgenstein, on the contrary, seems to have grown tired of serious thinking and to have invented a doctrine which would make such an activity unnecessary. I do not for one moment believe that the doctrine which has these lazy consequences is true. I realize, however, that I have an overpoweringly strong bias against it, for, if it is true, philosophy is, at best, a slight help to lexicographers, and at worst, an idle tea-table amusement.] `[`//Back to ####### ######### impression//`]` So too does the self-effacing orator of this essay believe that philosophy, and thus, critical art theory, is nothing better than something to do with your rich trust fund buddies as you discuss marketable artists whomst'd've'nt you will try to prop up for your next tax evasion scheme. `(`Note: This was not Wittgenstein’s argument.`)` `[`//Really sell that I am smart and that everything I say is true even though I don’t back it up, and especially sell the idea that this is not a cop-out argument.//`]` Therefore, I will be citing no further references as to not end up coexisting in the wretched ignominy that Sir Bertrand A.W. Russell’s corpse found itself in. <head> <style> @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ibarra+Real+Nova:400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=IBM+Plex+Serif:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,500italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=DM+Mono); @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Azeret+Mono:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,600&display=swap'); .macro-timed-insert { transition-duration: 5s; } .transition-in[data-t8n^=dissolve]{ -webkit-animation:appear 0s; animation:appear 0s; } body, tw-story { background-color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier'; margin: 0 auto; font-size: 14px; /* display: inline-block; */ text-align: left; max-width: 800px; line-height: 140%; } </style> </head> <img src="https://peterbjorndal.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/image-one-1.jpg" style="max-width:600px;"> <head> <style> @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ibarra+Real+Nova:400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=IBM+Plex+Serif:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,500italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=DM+Mono); @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Azeret+Mono:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,600&display=swap'); .macro-timed-insert { transition-duration: 5s; } .transition-in[data-t8n^=dissolve]{ -webkit-animation:appear 0s; animation:appear 0s; } body, tw-story { background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier'; color: #000000; margin: 0 auto; font-size: 14px; /* display: inline-block; */ text-align: left; max-width: 800px; line-height: 140%; } </style> </head> (css: "font-size: 150%; line-height: 140%;")+(text-colour:black)+(bg:black)[`[`spoiler`]`Am I dehydrated, or am I just plain thirsty?`[`/spoiler`]`] `[`//In normal voice, but sounding a little pissed off.//`]` I bring up Wittgenstein, and that whole diatribe, for when I first saw this piece I thought of his idea of a private language—the idea that “a language understandable by only a single individual is incoherent.” But that was mainly because I couldn’t fucking read any of the shit that these posters had on them except for the word “please.” Upon closer inspection, I realized that, in fact, I //could// read them. That, tragically, threw a wrench in my plan to bust out my unique, and not totally dry and boring and smug fifty thousand word essay on why `[`//switch to smart person voice again, briefly//`]` it is //I// whomst’d’vd’vgd’ggh’gh’d’ghveve’d’ve is the smartest person in the world. Instead, it brings me no pleasure to talk about the other reason to bring up Wittgenstein—his resplendent love life. Iykyk. (Putting that acronym here further enhances the solidity of my unsubstantiated claims I make later on. That being said, iykyk.) Yes, I then imagine a young Wittgenstin, or me, or you, lying on the grass looking up at the sky, thinking about desires. A language within yourself you’re working on sorting out: incomprehensible thoughts gradually floating from your chest, rising into the air, and forming words you can sort of comprehend. They’re merely whisps: blink or scratch an itch and the cirrus clouds of text have morphed into something else. For a moment you’re self-aware, you understand your desires. “I want you only if you want me too.” Hhhgh, I’m glad I got that off my chest. `[`//In normal voice//`]` I appreciate the wholesome nature of this creature’s thoughts. They want the connection to be reciprocal. What’s the use in loving someone who doesn’t love you back? It isn’t very productive. It sure wouldn’t make me happy. It sure would be a waste to want someone who doesn’t want you back… (I never follow this up. It’s just red herring foreshadowing to keep your interest.) The piece is so nervous but so competent. The shaky writing, the shaky spiral, the shaky background, it feels so anxious. Err, unquiet. Yet it looks so thoughtful. It’s aware of its restless nerves when contemplating #RelationshipGoals. (#AlwaysUseCamelCase.) Moving to the other large print, the words “please baby” circulate what looks like a stone tablet before it's carved with sacred information (tax records). The little person falls into the abyss thinking about the answer to their request. The center print, which, like, basically, took me forever to figure out what it said, reads, “I feel you `//` on the back of my neck `//` down between `//` my shoulders.” Could it be that the little figure is in close proximity to another? ...Intimately? Or perhaps it could be referring to another soul simply walking by, the air from their intrepid wake hitting the back of their admirer with paralyzing force. Whatever the case, it seems to be a halfway private thought. It needed to be written down on paper, but maybe not needed to be read by everyone, only those who truly care. <head> <style> @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ibarra+Real+Nova:400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=IBM+Plex+Serif:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,500italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=DM+Mono); @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Azeret+Mono:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,600&display=swap'); .macro-timed-insert { transition-duration: 5s; } .transition-in[data-t8n^=dissolve]{ -webkit-animation:appear 0s; animation:appear 0s; } body, tw-story { background-color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier'; color: #000000; margin: 0 auto; font-size: 14px; /* display: inline-block; */ text-align: left; max-width: 800px; line-height: 140%; } </style> </head> <img src="https://peterbjorndal.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/image-two.jpg" style="max-width:600px;"> <head> <style> @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ibarra+Real+Nova:400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=IBM+Plex+Serif:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,500italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=DM+Mono); @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Azeret+Mono:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,600&display=swap'); .macro-timed-insert { transition-duration: 5s; } .transition-in[data-t8n^=dissolve]{ -webkit-animation:appear 0s; animation:appear 0s; } body, tw-story { background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier'; color: #000000; margin: 0 auto; font-size: 14px; /* display: inline-block; */ text-align: left; max-width: 800px; line-height: 140%; } sup { vertical-align: top; font-size: 0.6em; } </style> </head> `[`//In normal but slightly angry voice//`]` Okay, enough of that, what’s the deal with the work? That’s what I’m really assigned to do today, not to be some droll talking in a silly voice, but to be a helpful critic: to deliver a set of concrete problems to the artist so that the artist may go back to the drawing board and churn out something better than the `[`//switch to British accent//`]` post-punk neo-expressionist bull pucky that they’ve done here.^^1^^ Okayokayokayokay. So what unsuspends my disbelief? For me, it’s the text that reads “please.” It contradicts the intimacy of the rest of the prints. It looks like type for a book cover or band logo rather than something made methodically by hand. The same goes for the type on the smaller print, to a lesser degree. It looks slightly better since it doesn’t have a 3D effect on it, but it still takes away from the handmade-ness of the art. `(`Note: Even if this is a subjective critique dealing with matters of taste, let’s remember that high-end graphic design is just the luxury version of something made to be tossed in the recycling bin. It takes much more willpower to throw out something handmade than it does an orchestra program, regardless of the paper it’s printed on.^^2^^`)` Next, and this is minor, I felt a little sad when I realized that each individual handwritten letter wasn’t actually unique to itself. It took away more of the intimacy and trust I’d developed with the piece. Love letters typed from a script font are not the same as love letters handwritten—with that said, the sameness of the lettering did help me decipher its glyphs using context clues. As well, it might seem petty what I’m about to say, but I don’t care about abstraction just for the sake of abstraction. The abstraction on the right-hand piece is fine because it’s easy for me to incorporate into my interpretation of a person contemplating their turbulent thoughts. With the other two pieces, I cannot place what the abstractions are supposed to mean with any great certainty. To me, they read as simply decorative, a way to fill space.^^3^^ My penultimate `[`//remove glasses from face//`]` (second-to-last) `[`//place glasses back on face//`]` nitpick before I wrap this up, I don’t like the pixel-y look of these prints. It looks too much like when one prints out a lowres image onto paper that is clearly larger than the image resolution can handle. It’s out of place for something that feels so handmade. All this cash spent on this cool paper just to be run through something to make it look pixelated? Nah man. And sure, maybe that was the point, but if so, it’s, again, illogical given the rest of the themes present in the work.^^4^^ In conclusion, and continuing to break the Rules `[`//breathe in deeply, don’t say what’s in the parentheticals//`]`(“rules,” for those keeping score at home, referencing back to Wittgenstein via Kripke’s commentary on Wittgenstein’s rule-following paradox^^5^^), the poster on the right would be improved only if I could read “only if” without having to guess that that’s what it actually says, and it’s edges looked, again, less like a lowres image. Otherwise it’s near perfect. Seriously, it’s really great. And maybe it’s only really great because I genuinely like listening to Carly Rae Jepsen and “I Want You To Want Me” by Cheap Trick, but who cares? For the other two, they have the potential to appeal to people who like being reminded of their favorite thirsty song lyrics, on which liking this work is also predicated, but are held back by their blobby, meaningless backgrounds. <head> <style> @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ibarra+Real+Nova:400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=IBM+Plex+Serif:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,500italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=DM+Mono); @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Azeret+Mono:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,600&display=swap'); .macro-timed-insert { transition-duration: 5s; } .transition-in[data-t8n^=dissolve]{ -webkit-animation:appear 0s; animation:appear 0s; } body, tw-story { background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier'; color: #000000; margin: 0 auto; font-size: 14px; /* display: inline-block; */ text-align: left; max-width: 800px; line-height: 140%; } </style> </head> <img src="https://peterbjorndal.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/image-three.jpg" style="max-width:600px;"> <head> <style> @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ibarra+Real+Nova:400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=IBM+Plex+Serif:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,500italic,600,600italic,700,700italic); @import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=DM+Mono); @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Azeret+Mono:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,600&display=swap'); .macro-timed-insert { transition-duration: 5s; } .transition-in[data-t8n^=dissolve]{ -webkit-animation:appear 0s; animation:appear 0s; } body, tw-story { background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier'; color: #000000; margin: 0 auto; font-size: 14px; /* display: inline-block; */ text-align: left; max-width: 800px; line-height: 140%; } </style> </head> Anyway, to the bots and art collectors surfing the web for keywords and names of philosophers you use to create buzz, I think this work by Lizz Caicedo `(`facilitated in part by Chris Salas`)` is worthy of being admired and resold for a large amount of money on the secondary market, and I’m sure Wittgenstein would agree. And to the young lovers, whoever you are, I hope your troubles are few and all my good wishes go with you tonight. [[♥->Joker]] ———————————— (css: "font-size: 75%; line-height: 80%;")[1. Darn it, I said I wasn’t going to do this, but here we are. Backing up my label: (1) The punk poster aesthetic came from punk’s roots of not giving a fuck and ripping things from other things and DIYing on the cheap to tell the government and Neo-Nazi punks to fuck off. `[`Citation: Dead Kennedys - “Nazi Punks Fuck Off.” Also of note: Destroy 2’s version of the song from their live album //We Are Voice & Rhythm Only// distills DK’s message further to an even more direct condemnation of Nazi punks in nine seconds of grindcore fucking bliss.`]` These posters capture that spirit but move from that punk angst to a more mature post-punk. They’re printed on paper that no punk would use and their topic is less political/hating their record label and more personal/introspective, for better or for worse. It moves away from the “anyone can cook” ethos of punk, to something more craft-based. (2) Neo-expressionist in the sense that they contain a lot of abstraction with some figurative details. Even though these are prints, they feel like they’ve had fast brush strokes applied to them at an instinctual level. “Bull pucky” because post-punk is lame and did away with all of the good things about punk like its DIY ethos and inclusivity (except for Nazi punks) and became something that felt more exclusive and upper crust. 2. This idea was taken from Nick James Scavo’s essay, “2018: Against Worldbuilding - Fight The Snob Art of the Social Climbers!” published by Tiny Mix Tapes in, you guessed it, 2018. “The audience was greeted with an expensive-looking, Risograph-like printed program embellished with incomprehensible Medieval-revivalist iconography — tortured insectoid and frog-like figures in wizard cloaks positioned in Hieronymous Bosch- or Chaucer-like scenes. The archetypal character imagery recalls early sprite-like Final Fantasy RPG archetypes, except the “roleplaying” in this case is within the actual shackles of contemporary feudal life. (My first thought was that the program was printed so beautifully, it could possibly be worth something post-performance. After the concert, I ended up throwing it away in a subway trash can.)” 3. Being rather novel, they may serve as a signal to a potential partner that they have the resources to waste a bunch of time developing fresh looking backgrounds. Knowing that it takes a lot of time to do this, they are signaling that either they (A) don’t have to work a job and probably have “fuck you money” so they can afford to waste time making blobs, or (B) they do have a job but are so resilient that even with the turmoil that comes from being a wageslave, they still have enough energy to create. Perhaps that’s cynical, but perhaps it’s not. After all, this artwork is thirsty //AF//. (And I don’t mean that in the sense of “fuck me eyes.” I mean in the sense of the more earnest “someone care about me eyes.”) 4. I once saw a painting somewhere recreating the digital interpolation effect that was ugly but productively frustrating. I can’t find it now though! Grrrr. 5. //“I don’t want to go to school, I just want to break the rules.”// - Charli XCX. Also, this: “Many people suppose that grasping a rule amounts to getting at the right interpretation of the rule. Through the rule-following paradox, this conception is shown to be deeply misconceived. We are led back to a plain view of practices in which rules are embedded, a view that the criteria which determine the right or wrong of the use of a rule lie in the application, not in some mental entity. Meaning or the extension of a rule is settled on “agreement in form of life”, according to Wittgenstein. But this notion can only be appreciated when we note its dynamic nature and the role the rule-follower plays as an agent.” From the article Wittgenstein: Rule-following Paradox, Forms of Life and Education, written by Kenny Huen for //encycopedia.com//.]