Graduate Art Seminar Week 13

It would seem that we are on the cusp of "A Brave New World", where Utopian dreams have been shattered,and technology is bringing changes faster than we can measure,much-less foresee the consequences of environmental degradation,genetic engineering,and suburban sprawl.The idea that technology will save us has devolved into the feeling that the world is out of balance.War is still the driving force behind many technological advances,and money still rules.In a "Post Human"future,evolution may be the survival of the richest.Perhaps this is no different than it ever was,but it provides plenty of fodder for the artists and commentators of today.
In our world,deformation,decay,and chaos are the flip side of birth,growth,and regeneration and are equally valid subjects of artistic exploration.In fact,deformation might be a more important subject today regarding the various impositions we placing on the planet and in light of the adulation of the young and beautiful in our culture.Many artists through the ages have shown an interest in death and disease and have sought to subvert the accepted idealization of forms.The reading on Freak Photography made many interesting observations,where Diane Arbus mixed documentary and high art and brought some of the seamiest aspects of popular culture to our attention.