“As if there was much of anything in any human utterance, oral or written, except plagiarism! The kernel, the soul — let us go further and say the substance, the bulk, the actual and valuable material of all human utterances — is plagiarism. For substantially all ideas are second-hand, consciously and unconsciously drawn from a million outside sources" - Mark Twain
In Embrace the Remix, filmmaker Kirby Ferguson explores the challenges of originality and freshness in a world where creativity takes root in what has come before. Through his video, Ferguson highlights that remixing, referencing and reproducing previous innovations allows artists to engage in a cultural dialogue and allows art, technology and society to continue evolving. For our blog assignment, we will consider our own practices of remix and remediation with objects around our homes. YOUR TURN We are surrounded by things, mostly mass-produced. They occupy our shelves, desks, kitchens, and garages. Most of the time, these things go completely unnoticed and underappreciated. This blog assignment invites you to better know one of these objects, give it the special treatment it deserves, and expose (or undermine) its use and value in a way you could have never previously imagined.
Locate a common object that you find interesting.
Make a list of the identifying traits of that object.
Customize the object while thinking about and playing with one of those traits.
Document your results and connect your project to Ferguson's ideas about remix.
TIPS//TRICKS//TACTICS
Use a chair, toaster, box of tissue, houseplant or any object that speaks to you.
Question your object. Conduct a mock interview, asking it questions like: What is your job? Are you good at it? Who uses you? What do people think of you? What are the stereotypes that follow you? Then think about how you might highlight or subvert one of those characteristics.
Use more than one object if you like. Disassemble two or three things and transform them into something else.
Are you willing to render an object nonfunctional? If you're okay with not being able to use your object anymore, go for it! Cut the legs off your chair. If it's something you need or share with others, customize it in a way that retains its use.
Ask yourself: How can I enrich the environment I live or work in, or enrich the life of someone who sees it?