Unintelligible Art & Medium Specificity

"The usual difficulty with the observer of modern art is that he does not inquire patiently and sincerely concerning the 'meaning' of a work of art which strikes him as grotesque, distorted or eccentric (in another word, unintelligible), but, by a sort of symbolic thought-process, recognizes its unrecognizability and thus thwarts any possible further intelligent interest or ultimate enjoyment. It is as if, in a crowd, seeking someone we knew and, looking into each strange face, we should recognize its unrecognizability and pass it by as irrelevant to our quest. This would be a perfectly natural procedure under the circumstances; but in art we are not looking for something we already know; we are looking for a new experience whose value and quality are unknown to us. In such a case to permit unrecognizability to be a barrier is to condemn ourselves to a life of monotony, without the thrills of discovery, insight and 'conversion.'" 

- Edward. F. Rothschild, "The Meaning of Unintelligibility in Modern Art," 1934.

And here's this week's assignment description:

Each student will choose an artistic medium (film, photography, drawing, painting, dance, performance, graphic design, poetry, literary narrative, etc.) and produce a work which explores the specific elements unique to that medium--like Brakhage or Daren’s films, Pollock’s paintings, Warhol’s prints, Cage’s music, etc. Artist statements should include a discussion of how their particular work functions as a celebration, commentary or critique of their chosen medium.

And here are some things to help jumpstart our conversation...

Jackson Pollock, "Number 6"

What might Pollock be up to? According to this experiment, how might he define 'painting'?

Andy Warhol, "Eight Elvises"

What might Warhol be up to? According to this experiment, how might he define 'printing'?

Now, regarding medium specificity in music--John Cage's "4'33."

What might Cage be up to? According to this experiment, how might he define 'music'?

Some helpful things to keep in mind as you make and write--I will evaluate your work with the following in mind:

• Did you choose a medium, identify a fundamental element of that medium, and produce a creative work that both conceptually and artistically engages with that element of the medium?
• Did you provide an artist's statement that explains (1) your decision to explore a certain element of the medium and (2) how your piece creatively engages in that exploration? 
• Did you consider (as mentioned in the assignment description) how your project functions to celebrate, comment on or critique the chosen medium.
• Did your creative project reflect thoughtfulness (in regards to form and content) and originality? Did your artist's statement meet the requirements as described in the syllabus, including articulating a clear, unified, critical reflection on your engagement with this assignment?