New York Times Reading/Situationist Resistance in Today's World

Would Situationist strategies of resistance work today? Would a credit

card company be able to predict and neutralize any resistance in

advance?

            I think it’s pretty impossible for situationists to resist all forms of conformity and pre-made decisions in today’s world, and a lot of their resistance would be so unnoticed as to completely ineffective. So many things that have become an integral part of everyday life are also collecting information about us and telling us what to do.

Using the Internet for example has become so every-day, that the student who does not have a computer in the United States is at a huge disadvantage, even in the public school systems, which are supposed to be free. This student suddenly has to get into a car and go to the library to access information for homework and assignments. But what if that student doesn’t have a car, something that society is also constantly telling us that we need? Public transportation would be the next option, but what happens if the students’ town doesn’t have very good public transit, or the busses don’t run very late? Suddenly this student is jumping through hurdles to complete an assignment that a kid with a computer could get done very easily and quickly, and at their own leisure without worrying about what time the busses run, when the library closes, or if someone can give them a ride. The public school system, and higher education as well for that matter is telling us that in order to be a good student, we must have access to the Internet. But everything we do on the Internet can potentially be traced. Everything we write online is floating out in cyberspace, and it’s very hard to remove all traces of it.

            In some ways boycotting or resisting something like the internet could end up being more detrimental than it is worth, especially for students. But to break down this hypothetical even further, society tells us that to be a good student, we must have a computer. Alternately, society also tells us we must constantly be good students, or we will never get a good job. But the definition of a “good job” has been completely convoluted by an obsession with money and it’s ties to happiness that the definition is constantly changing.

            If someone chose to go without education, they would likely not have a high paying or extremely thought provoking job. This would be detrimental to quality of life in that it would be hard to pay for things like a house, electricity, and food. But who says having things like a house, electricity, and food are absolute necessities? Society tells us. Who says that the low paying job isn’t a good job? Maybe the person is very content in their low paying job. Society tells us.

            This internet example applies to credit cards. How do you realistically function in society without a credit card? Art you at a disadvantage? Probably. But if you do get one, how do you resist company profiling and psychoanalysis? You don’t. It’s impossible.

            Resisting everything is impossible. The thought process that goes along with this question is infinite. I could write about it forever. I’m sure there are some people out there who have resisted things like internet, but how do I know? It doesn’t show up on my google newsfeed, on facebook, on tv, or in the newspaper. So it resisting really affective? In some regards, I would say no, because making a statement without anyone noticing is not really making a statement at all.

Documentation Depiction

This project is meant to show the passing of time by documenting my every move over the course of 5 days, focusing mainly on my social habits.

The idea came to me on Saturday night after I had attempted to "Go out" with a large group of people from my dorm. After ditching them and walking home alone unnoticed,

I realized that once again, I was alone, and I kind of like it. I was relieved in a way to be by myself again, alone with my thoughts. I did this project not only to show

the passing of time over a 5-day span, but to learn something about myself, and analyze as objectively as possible my social habits. If I had to do this project again

I would compare my results with several other people's results and out myself on a scale based on other people's introversion and extroversion. I do think

however it would be hard to find people willing to carry around a little notebook 24/7 and document time so diligently.

Introduction

Reflection on Art Which Can't be Art by Allen Kaprow

1.When Kaprow brushed his teeth, it was not art, it was life. That is, at first. It is when he started taking more interest in the action, approaching it with more curiosity, that it became more like art. He noticed the tightness in his elbow, how his fingers wrapped around the brush, how he went about the action, and how he looked in the mirror as he performed the everyday task. Even with these observations though, the question remains as to whether Kaprow is thinking like an artist, that is noticing things that others don't necessarily notice, or is he making art? As Kaprow says "this is where the paradox lies, an artist concerned with making lifelike art does and does not make art."
I think Kaprow was successful in his resolution to observe his tooth brushing more, but I think the real artistic connection it has lie in the reflection that come in the hours, days, and weeks after noticing the act of brushing teeth. But at least for himself, I think Kaprow made art. He did an action that was went to be noticed, questioned, and observed. Similar in some ways to a painting in a gallery. It too is meant to be noticed, questioned, and observed.

2. Some of the actions I do in a nonconscious way are:
-checking my cell phone
-touching/playing with my hair
-blinking
-fidgeting
-walk to class
-turn on lights
-put on shoes
-check the time
-Do makeup/hair
-get out of bed in the morning
If I noticed and documented these things, some of them would change. I'm sure if I started noticing how much I blinked it would affect my blinking, I'd start trying to regulate it, make some type of pattern, or not do it so much. If I took notice of how often I checked the time I'd probably begin to realize how scheduled my life is and how much the human race relys on time to function. (what was life like before documented time?) Some of these activities obviously relate to the passage of time (such as checking the time) but some of them take some more thinking to realize how they show a passage of time. Maybe I blink more frequently as the day goes by. Maybe I fidget with my hair more often the more tired I am. As the day progresses I'm sure my image changes. I start out looking one way and end up looking another. Some of these activities would simply make me more aware of the passage of time if I noticed them, like I'm sure Kaprow did as he brushed his teeth. I'm sure those few minutes in the morning seemed to last longer the more he revered in them and noticed them.

Hmm.. I understand the project, but I'm still thinking about something interesting to document. It's funny, thinking about things you do without noticing them is difficult. It seems like I notice everything... I know I don't though. I need to give this project some more thought.