VPSA62H3 Foundation Studies in Studio • Fall 2015 • Department.docx

VPSA62H3 Foundation Studies in Studio • Fall 2015 •
Department of Arts, Culture and Media | Studio
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Course Outline
Course: FOUNDATION STUDIES in STUDIO
Course Number: VPSA62H3
Co-requisite: VPSA63H3 (But Why is it Art?)
Class Hours: Tuesday 2pm – 5pm
Lecturer: Professor Tanya Mars
Office: AA324
Office hours: Tuesday, 11am to 1pm or by appointment
Email: [email protected]
Foundation Studies in Studio is an introduction to the
importance of content and context in the making of
contemporary
art. You will be expected to draw on a variety of
methods/practices and to mine your own experiences to create
works.
Readings, presentations, gallery visits and class discussions will
provide a foundation for your investigations.
Along with content/context and methods/practice, the goals of
this course are to challenge your preconceptions about art;
to help you develop a rigorous, independent work ethic; and to

teach you to develop a critical eye and a sophisticated art
vocabulary. You will be given a series of projects that are
designed to challenge you and your imagination. Finding
creative solutions to these projects may take more time and
thought than you are accustomed to putting into art projects.
You will not be given examples of how to solve assignments
because the point is to learn how to find your own solutions
to the problems. Don’t panic. Open your mind. Learn to take
chances. Learn to experiment. Be sure to remember to
use library resources, as well as the Internet to do research.
Foundation Studies in Studio is intended to prepare you for
further study in Studio.
Important Dates
Project 1: Modular Material September 22
Project 2: Text as Image/Language as Art October 20
Project 3: Site-specific Art November 10
Project 4: Performance Art (For One) December 1
Quiz on the reading “Art and Difficulty” October 27
Field Trip October 6
Draft of Critical Response October 27
Critical Response November 17
Research Assignment 1 September 15
Research Assignment 2 October 20
Research Assignment 3 November 10
Research Assignment 4 November 24
Research Notebook December 1
Grading Scheme
Modular Material 15%
Text as Image/Language as Art 15%
Site 15%
Performance 15%
Quiz 5%

Critical Writing 10%
Research Notebook 10%
Fabrication Studio Lab Service 2%
Participation/Development 13%
100%
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Grading Scale
For grading scales and an explanation of what grades mean,
please refer to the Academic Handbook available on line at
the U of T website.
What is your mark based on?
A mark will be given to you for each project after it is
critiqued. Work not critiqued in class will not be graded.
Critical
writing and quizzes will be marked in a timely fashion. Marks
are based on adherence to project parameters, clarity of
concept and effective integration of materials and process,
complexity of project, execution, presentation and attention
to detail. Students are expected to approach the assignments and
projects as an opportunity to explore and produce
creative solutions to complex visual problems.
All work must be completed by its due date.
Late work will be marked one grade lower per week (class) late:

For example, if you submit an assignment one week past the due
date and if it is marked as a B, it will be lowered to a
C, simply because it is late. Obviously, work due on the last day
of classes will not be accepted after that date. If you
are ill and miss classes/assignments you will be required to
provide a verification of illness from a doctor in compliance
with University regulations. Form:
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~registrar/resources/pdf_general/U
TSCmedicalcertificate.pdf
Participation/Development
The participation/development grade reflects a combination of
the following: thoughtful contributions to discussions and
critiques; full attendance and arriving to class on time;
cooperation and assistance during presentations/critiques;
demonstrated growth over the course of the semester;
completion of the Level 1 workshop + Lab Service and
attendance
at two visiting artist lectures (see below).
Critiques
You must attend and participate in all critiques. Critiques allow
you to discuss the issues associated with choice of
material, presentation, and differences in perception. For
example, when is elegance necessary and when is crudeness
necessary? Do we all understand an image in the same way?
Why not? The discussions of these questions will point
you toward more complex responses to your projects. This
complexity will be reflected in grades. If you choose to
ignore the ideas discussed in the critiques (or worse yet don’t
attend) the possibility of developing your critical skills
will be greatly reduced. Think of critiques as an opportunity for
you to learn how to talk about both the technical and
conceptual aspects of your work.

Visiting Artists
There will be a series of Visiting Artist lectures on campus
throughout the term. You are encouraged to attend as many
of these lectures as you are able, since listening to artists talk
about their work will give you inspiration. In addition,
attending visiting artist lectures will be considered positively in
your participation/development mark. Information on
the Visiting Artists series and how to sign up will be available
soon.
Required Reading and Quiz
There will be a quiz on the reading: Chapter 4, “Art and
Difficulty,” in Leonard Diepeveen and Timothy Van Laar, Art
with a Difference: Looking at Difficult and Unfamiliar Art,
pp.93-121. This text will be available as a PDF on the
intranet. The book is also available in the library.
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Writing
One writing assignment will be given during the term. This will
be a 1,000 word Critical Response to a work or series
of works that you found difficult during our field trip to
downtown galleries.
Being able to articulate clearly what you think about what you
see is an important part of being an artist. This writing
should reflect some of the ideas that are discussed in class
during critiques as well as some of the ideas in the reading of
“Art and Difficulty.” It is important for you to develop a
sophisticated and knowledgeable contemporary art
vocabulary.
Note about plagiarism
In the majority of cases, plagiarism happens unintentionally.
You can review the University of Toronto’s notes on
“How Not to Plagiarize” at:
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-
to-plagiarize or on
Blackboard.
If you are experiencing any difficulty with reading and
language, or if you want to develop more effective study skills,
the university has many services to assist you. Don’t think of
these resources as remedial or only for those who speak
English as a second language. Reading, writing, thinking are
complex skills that require practice and fine-tuning, so the
more you learn about these skills the better. Some of the
learning resources/services offered at UTSC include:
English Language Development
http://www.ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/eld/
The Writing Centre http://www.ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc

Centre for Teaching & Learning
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/ctl
Materials for Projects
You will provide your own materials, as needed, for each
project. Getting materials and supplies are up to you. Check
with your instructor or senior students for places to shop or
scrounge for materials. Be aware that using appropriate and
good materials is essential to a successful project: please refrain
from using CD disks, garbage bags, or computer paper,
unless they strongly support a statement you are making. Read
the assignments carefully so that you will be prepared.
There can be no use of toxic materials in the studio (this
includes oil-based paint). If you are unsure of whether a
material is toxic, please speak to your instructor. You have
access to the Fabrication Lab 2 [SW105] and the
Mac Multi-Media Lab.
What are your Responsibilities?
You will be sharing the studio with other students in this
course. This is your collective space. That means that you are
responsible for the space. You are welcome to eat and study
here as well as work, when classes are not in session, but
you must throw out your own garbage and help keep the studio
clean.
Every art student will be given the keypad access code that
allows entrance after 5 p.m. when the doors are locked by
maintenance staff.

Students not enrolled in our department are not allowed in the
studios after 5 p.m.
KEYPAD CODEs for both AA305A and AA307 will be given to
you during the first day of class.
PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS ACCESS CODE WITH NON-
STUDIO STUDENTS.
Students with a disability/health consideration are encouraged
to approach the ACCESSABILITY Services Office. 416-
287-7560. Students can also drop by the office, S302B, inside
the Resource Centre. The Coordinator is also available
for appointments.
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Level 1 Workshop
All Foundation students are REQUIRED to complete the Level 1
training workshop to learn how to use the Fabrication
Lab and how to use basic hand tools safely. This workshop will
take place during the second class in Fab Lab 2 [SW105].

If you miss this class, you will be required to take the Level 1
workshop at one of two make-up sessions that will be
posted during the term.
If you fail to take the workshop, you will not only lose marks
from your Participation Mark, you will NOT be able
to use the labs in order to complete projects for other Studio
courses. Becoming comfortable and understanding
the safety regulations in the labs is an extremely important part
of the Studio Program.
The Level 1 workshop includes an on-line component on
WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information
System) training that must also be successfully completed in
order to access the Fab Labs with Level 1 privileges.
Detailed instructions on how to access the on-line WHMIS
training is included in the “Arts, Culture and Media Visual:
Shop and Safety Plan and Manual” you receive when you attend
the Level 1 workshop. Once you have completed
WHMIS, take a screen shot of the last screen to the Lab
technician. He will then record that your Level 1 training is
complete.
Lab Service
All students who use the Fabrication Labs must contribute 1
hour of service during the semester. This is a community
building process and your opportunity to understand how a
studio/shop functions. Sign up in Fab Lab 2 and the
technician will give you a task. This service is worth 2% of
your participation grade.
Basic Tools and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
These are required:

• safety glasses · make sure they have side shields to prevent
objects coming from an oblique angle and striking the eyes and
that
they are able to fit over top of
prescription glasses.
· Prescription glasses cannot substitute
for proper eye protection.
• ear plugs (disposable or semi-permanent)
• x-acto knife with a locking blade + spare blades
• ruler with cork back
Start collecting tools; keep them in a shoebox or a toolbox.
Start with the items above and add to your tools as needed.
FYI (For Your Information)
• Some Contemporary Art magazines: Art Forum, Art News,
Art in America, Artpapers, Border Crossings, C
Magazine, Cabinet, Canadian Art, Contemporary, Fillip, Fuse,
Parkett, Modern Painters, Frieze, Flash Art,
Esse. You can get an extensive list of art magazines on the
Internet. There are also on-line only
“magazines”such as Total Art Journal (totalartjournal.com) and
some of the print magazines have on-line
versions and/or back issues available for viewing.
• The Art Gallery of Ontario is free on Wednesday nights 6 –
8:30 p.m.
• Most galleries are closed on Mondays but many are open on

Saturdays and sometimes Sundays
• Check Saturday’s Globe and Mail, Thursday’s Toronto Star,
Saturday’s National Post, and Thursday’s NOW
magazine (free), and artoronto.ca for announcements, reviews
and listings of exhibitions and other art events
• The Power Plant Contemporary Art Galley (located at
Harbourfront Centre, and free on Wednesday‘s from 5 –
8 p.m.) is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art.
• There are two galleries on Scarborough campus:
・ The Doris McCarthy Gallery, which has regular exhibitions
by professional contemporary artists
・ Gallery 1265, the student gallery run by Studio students, is
located in the Meeting Place
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STUDIO PROJECTS
PROJECT 1: MODULAR MATERIAL Due: September 22
The goal of this project is to repurpose manufactured objects
from their common use into an art object.
You will build a modular sculpture. Your sculpture can be any
geometric form: a box/cube, sphere, cone, pyramid or
cylinder, etc. You can choose between two approaches:
1. Take apart one manufactured object and rearrange it into a
geometric sculpture
OR
2. Build a geometric sculpture using multiples of one kind of
manufactured object.
Develop a logic of construction. Let the qualities and
characteristics of the object to inform the shape and size of the
sculpture that you construct. Let these qualities and
characteristics also help you think through ideas of volume.
Volume can be both the quantity of the objects but it can also be
space inside or around the object.
Before you commit to an idea for your sculpture, experiment
with your object. Pull it apart, test its physical limits, use
it, repurpose it. An understanding of your object will emerge
from play. Explore the way in which colour, pattern, size,
repetition determine the final form your sculpture could take.
Consider how volume is achieved and explored through
process, form and material – how these choices are combined to
make a clear and integrated concept.

• Your completed sculpture must be a stable, self-contained
object with all of its individual components
purposefully fixed into place. You may use glue, hardware,
gravity, etc but how you choose to hold your
manufactured objects together needs to be considered carefully.
• Your consideration of volume must be evident in how you
design your object: volume is BOTH mass and
negative space.
• The size of your sculpture matters. For this first work a
minimum size of 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches
is required.
Materials you may NOT use: mirrors, CDs, DVDs, food or
computer paper.
Look at Dada, Surrealism, Minimalism, as well as the works of:
Carl Andre, Tom Friedman, Tara Donavan, Tony
Cragg, Cornelia Parker, Mona Hatoum, Sierra Santiago, Adrien
Spier, Ai Weiwei, Brian Jungen, Griffith Aaron Baker,
Choi Jeong Hwa, Alexis O’Hara, Maia Urstad, Charlotte
Posenenske
PROJECT 2: TEXT AS IMAGE/LANGUAGE AS ART Due:
October 20
This project focuses on the use of text as both image and

content.
You will experiment with typography and text. Choose a word
from the list below. Give careful consideration to the
material that you use to make your word. Think about the
meaning of your word and how it interacts with the materials
you choose. The material itself will contain information that
will make a difference to the context and underlying
concept of your work.
Choose one word from this list:
silence, fail, compress, addition, subtraction, disrupt, rerun,
elimination, eradicate, roam, stretch,
swell, doubt, crave, guess, cling, esteem, persecute, betray,
astonish, conviction, melancholy, fix,
dismay, delight, strain, lust, obey, lament, pull, tension,
agitate, exhilaration, obsess, blur.
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Using whatever means necessary, present the word so that you
express its meaning. You are not restricted in the scale
of your work. You may execute your project in 2D or 3D by
drawing letters, tracing letters, cutting and pasting letters,
creating your own stencil, or working with materials to create
volume, etc. You are to use only text. You are
restricted to one font but you may combine processes. You may
repeat, omit, slice, block, or overlap words or letters,
etc. Consider the entire space of your presentation (both ground

and figure). Spatial considerations will shift depending
on whether you are creating a 2D or 3D work.
Materials you may NOT use: mirrors, CDs, DVDs, food or
computer paper.
Look at Dada, Futurist, Surrealist, Constructivist and Bauhaus
typography.
Look at works by contemporary artists such as Micah Lexier,
Therese Mastroiocovo, Ed Ruscha, Ian Carr-Harris,
Melanie Counsell, Michael Snow, Raymond Queneau, Kay
Rosen.
Or these artists who use language or text in a more sculptural or
performative way: Hanne Darboven, On Kawara,
Gu Wenda, Xu Bing, Kelly Mark.
A useful website: www.thinkingwithtype.com
PROJECT 3: SITE-SPECIFIC ART Due: November 10
Choose a place on campus and make a work in such a way that
the work is “bound” to this place. Provide the viewer
(and yourself) with an experience where at least one of your
senses is heightened. You may use any material.
This artwork can be installed anywhere on campus outside of
the studio.
Think about the consequences of your choice of location, i.e. is
permission required? Think of this as an “intervention”
into the public. Think about the relevance of taking art into the
street, into a public arena. Think about the impact of
traditional public art versus an intervention. Think about both

the obvious political/social significance of your choice,
and the more subtle meanings, the subtext.
For permission contact Alex Macauley in writing:
[email protected]
For permission to use an area in the library, please note that you
need to contact the Coordinator of Circulation at least
72 hours in advance. For details see:
http://utsc.library.utoronto.ca/guidelines-student-art-projects
Materials you may NOT use: Computer Paper or Garbage Bags.
Look at the work of Kurt Schwitters, Judy Pfaff, Daniel Buren,
Andy Goldsworthy, Christian Boltanski, Krzysztof
Wodiczko, Fluxus, Walter de Maria, James Turrell, Christo and
Jeanne-Claude, Mona Hatoum, Rachel Whiteread,
Hamish Fulton, Mark Dion, Dan Graham, Sarah Tze, Karen
Henderson, Gwen MacGregor, Jean-Pierre Gautier, David
McFarlane, Liz Magor, Janet Morton, N.E.Thing Company,
Cornelia Parker, Simon Starling, Maya Lin, Cai Guo-Qiang,
Santiago Sierra, Pae White, Mark Wallinger, Susan Philipsz,
Jeremy Deller.
PROJECT 4: PERFORMANCE ART (FOR ONE) Due:
December 1
Create a performance work using a piece of fruit (any kind) and
an action within a 24 inch/61cm square.
Maximum duration is 5 minutes.
Your performance may take place inside or outside the studio.
Think about the totality of the work.
Think about the space parameters and how you will work that
restriction to your advantage. Consider the location and

how it informs the piece. If you perform outside of the studio,
will your choice of location require permission? How
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will the body look in the space? Will it require the addition or
reduction of specific clothing and or covering? Think
about your choice of fruit. What information does your fruit
choice bring to the performance?
Look at the work of Rebecca Horn, Coco Fusco and Guillermo
Gomez-Pena, Eleanor Antin, Suzy Lake, Stelarc,
Allison Knowles, Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Janieta
Eyre, Diana Thorneycroft, Rebecca Belmore, Lucy
Pullen, Orlan, Chuck Close, Carla Williams, Martha Wilson,
David Buchan, Louise Liliefeldt, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Black
Market, Carolee Schneemann, James Luna, Linda Montano and
Tsehching Tseh, Marina Abramovic and Ulay, Andre
Stitt, Roy Vaara, Alaister McLennan, Shawna Dempsey and
Lorri Millan, Margaret Dragu, Sinead O’Donnell, Clive
Robertson, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Julie Andree T, Ester Ferrar,
Zhang Huan, Andrea Zittel, Erwin Wurm.
CRITICAL RESPONSE writing assignment Due: Draft, October
27 / Final, November 17
Being able to articulate clearly what you think is an important
part of being an artist.

As a class we will take a field trip to several exhibitions in
downtown Toronto. You will see many things that you
might not consider art. Using the reading “Art and Difficulty”
as a starting point, you will write a 1,000 word critical
response to one work that you found difficult on the field trip
(how the work is difficult may vary for each of you, BUT
this difficulty DOES NOT refer to how hard it was to make the
work). The first draft of your critical response will be
given in class to another student who will give you editing
feedback about your ideas, your grammar and the strength of
your arguments. With this feedback and after discussion in
class, you will re-write your critical response and hand it in.
The objective of this assignment is twofold: to demonstrate an
understanding of concepts covered in the chapter by
articulating what you see, think and understand about an
artwork; and to becomes aware of the fact that writing requires
editing and re-writing.
You will include in your written response a minimum of three
citations (quotes from the reading).
Research Sketchbook
Size: it must be 8 ½ x 11 inches or larger with 50 – 100 pages.
Don’t forget to put your name and email address in your
Research Sketchbook.
Bring it to class every week.
Research is an essential part of the creative process. Each
student will be expected to keep a sketchbook that will
contain all forms of research relevant to their studio work. Four
research problems will be assigned (see below), each
specifically designed to help you with your studio projects. The

research assignments will be discussed in class, when
possible, to give you added feedback on your project ideas.
The research sketchbook is where you collect information and
work through ideas. This can include all kinds of things
that you find interesting: quotations, printed online articles,
newspaper or magazine articles, dreams, images, postcards,
things you find, etc. It is a place where you can explore,
experiment, and take chances.
Other things to include in your research sketchbook:
• notes on artists mentioned in lectures
• your WHMIS results should be taped into the sketchbook
• notes on artwork encountered on the Field Trip
• notes on in-class student critiques – during class, take iphone
photos of classmates’ artwork; after class, print
out and describe two projects by students, one that you feel is
successful (describe why) and the other that you
feel needs to be further resolved (describe how you would
resolve it)
• a paragraph or two about each visiting artist: what you liked
about the work, what you learned, etc.
Research Sketchbooks are due to be handed in several times
during the term. Check the Week-by-Week Calendar
below for those due dates.

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Research Assignments
For each research assignment (there are 4), students will:
• research 20 different works of art by 20 different artists
• this work should be relevant to the focus of the corresponding
research project
• glue an image of each artwork in your sketchbook (minimum
size 4 inches by 5 inches)
• note the artist’s name, year artwork was created, title of the
work, dimensions and any other specific
information about the handling of material and/or process
• note your sources using proper MLA bibliographic formatting:
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc/using-and-
citing-sources-0
• use at least 3 different kinds of sources (exhibitions,
exhibition catalogues, magazines, books, Internet)
• from this list of 20 artworks, pick one that you like and one
that you did not like
• write four sentences about each artwork explaining why you
like/dislike them
Research Assignment 1 Modular Materials Due: September
15
• List 100 materials that can be used for making art works.
Think outside the box; be inventive.

・ Choose one manufactured material on your list and make
three drawings.
・ Each drawing should demonstrate how the material could
be combined into a modular sculptural form.
・ Each drawing will use the same basic material but the
sculptural form that it creates (a basic cylinder, sphere,
cube, cuboid, cone, triangular-based or square-based
pyramid, triangular or hexagonal prism) will be
different in the three drawings.
・ Use one full page per drawing.
• Research 20 different works of art by 20 different artists who
use one or more of the 100 materials.
(see above for details on the
parameters for notation)
Research Assignment 2 Text as Image/Language as Art
Due: October 20
• Research 20 different works of art by 20 different artists who
use text in their practice.
・ Document one work by each artist (choose artists not
designers)
(see above for details on the parameters for notation)
• Select 10 words from a song (or songs) that you like. Each
word must begin with a different letter.
・ Draw each word by hand, using a different
typeface/font/style/stencil.

・ Experiment with size, letter spacing, kerning, bold, italic.
・ Draw the letters of each word no smaller than 1 inch/2.5
cm.
・ Each word should be on one page in your notebook.
・ Think about composition, repetition, omission,
transparency, colour, etc.
• Take 10 or more different pictures of interesting typography
that you find around you in real life, examples
include on milk cartons, billboards, signs, book covers,
make up containers, gas stations, etc.
・ Print these pictures in hard copy and glue them into your
notebook.
・ Indicate where you found this typography and why you
found it interesting.
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Research Assignment 3 Site-specific Art Due: November 10
• Site-specific art considers dichotomies of the natural versus
the built environment, indoors versus outdoors,
a space with people activity versus one empty of people,
etc. Closely observing a site is an important first
step in researching a location for your site-specific piece.

・ Choose a site outside your home and off campus. Observe
this site from the beginning of the semester until
the Research Assignment is due. The goal is to record
the evolution of a site over time.
・ After you choose your location, describe it in detail:
where is it? what is it?
· You will then make written notes about the changes that have
occurred at that site over time, as well as
visually documenting those changes.
· There must be a minimum of 5 written notations (4 sentences
each) and 5 visual documents (printouts of
iPhone photos).
· Glue onto 5 pages of your sketchbook.
・Next, take photos of 20 sites on campus, both indoors and
out.
・Pick 5 sites and document each with 5 images that create a
visual narrative.
・From these 5, choose your favourite site. Write a
description of why you are drawn to this site.
Consider this for the site of your project.
• Research the work of 20 professional artists who use site.
• Document them in your sketchbook. These site-specific works
must not be in a gallery setting. A work in a
gallery or museum does not qualify as a site-specific artwork.
However, any other interior space could qualify.
Research Assignment 4 Performance Art (For One) Due:
November 24
• Research the work of 20 performance artists and document

them in your sketchbook.
・ For research on all kinds of contemporary art, including
performance, sound, and film/video, these are
indispensable sites:
http://www.infraction.info/en/archives/performance-now.html
http://www.performanceart.com
http://www.ubu.com/
http://www.lilithperformancestudio.com/
・ Be very detailed and thorough in your descriptions. This
must be original writing. Do not borrow or plagiarize
from online sources.
・ Attach your responses into your sketchbook alongside the
printouts of the images.
• Choose one performance artist whose performance you liked.
Write about what you liked and why (150 words).
• Choose one performance artist whose performance you didn’t
like. Write about what you didn’t like and why (150 words).
NB: Performances take place throughout the term at various
galleries and institutions in and around
Toronto. Upper level Studio students also create and participate
in performance art.
Take the time to research what is going to be happening
this term.

Elijah 5
Works Cited
Gleick, James. “Big Brother Is Us.” New York Times. The New
York Times Company, 29 Sep.
1996. Web. 24 Aug. 2013.
Lam, Andrew. “All Things Asian Are Becoming Us”. The New
World Reader:
Thinking and Writing about the Global Community 3rd Edition.
Ed. Gilbert H. Muller.
Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. 36-40. Print.
O'Connor, Brendon. “Bored with USA?” International Views:
America and the Rest of the
World. Ed. Keith Gumery. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006.
160-162. Print.
PLEASE NOTE:
1) The O'Connor, Rice-Oxley, Bayles, Verdu, and Giddens
essays originate from the Gumery text. For them, use the
O'Connor example, but replace the author’s name, essay title,
and page numbers. Organize your sources by alphabetizing the
authors’ last names.
2) The Lam, Zakaria, Gore, and Diamond essays originate from
the Muller text. For them, use the Lam example, but replace the

author’s name, essay title, and page numbers. Organize your
sources by alphabetizing the authors’ last names.
3) For newspapers or news websites, use the Gleick example.
4) For additional information about MLA format, go to The
Purdue University Online Writing Lab at
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08.
Wang
1
Wang
4
Lanxiang Wang
English 812
Professor Elijah
Oct 24, 2015
Essay 2
Globalization in the World
American has dominated the world for many years, and the
world is affected by Americanization a lot. Our world has
changed a lot; not only culture, but even the economic aspect.
We can see many aspects of our lives in our country is being
influenced by Americans s, for example, we hear American
music everywhere; we eat fast food at various places; even we
communicate in American English. Four authors have talked
about Americanization and globalization: the article “We Are
All Americans” written by Vicente Verdu, who is the best-
selling author in Spain, talked about the Americanization in the
world. The article “All Things Asian Are Becoming Us” written
by Andrew Lam, used an academic tone to tell us the
Americanization and Asianization, and he believed that our
world is becoming Asianized now, and in Anthony Giddens’
essay, Globalization, he views globalization in two ways:

skeptics and radicals, and the author is believed to be a radical,
he believed that economic globalization is happening and the
world changes. The last essay is “The Rise of the Rest”, written
by Fareed Zakaria, this essay talked about the
Americanization’s status today, and the other culture’s
globalization. I believe that the culture of every countries are
everywhere across the globe, and I will talk about globalization
from the medias, economy, and technology.
As we know, Hollywood is the film’s magnate in the world,
but the films it makes are not just American. Most Hollywood’s
films have other cultures, for example, the movie “The Day
After Tomorrow”, which talks about the 2012, as the end of the
world, the big disaster attacked earth. In this film, there are
many other cultures, for example humans build the ark in China
and the main character’s brother lived in Japan. It shows the
Chinese culture and the Japanese culture, which means the films
in Hollywood today is already influenced by globalization.
“Asian stars in Hollywood include Ang LEE, Joan Chen, Justin
Lin, John Woo, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, and
Michelle Yeow.” Says Lam, “ Sandip Roy, host of a San
Francisco radio show called “Up Front” and a film critic, points
to the “Bollywoodization” of the United States”(37). I agree
with Lam, more foreigner actors work in Hollywood let the
Hollywood’s films become more global. Jackie Chan, the
famous actor in China, is also famous in Hollywood today, and
people in the world know more about the Chinese culture such
as Chinese kongfu by watch Jackie Chan’s video. Also the
largest film industry is not Holly wood, “The biggest movie
industry is India’s Bollywood, not Hollywood” (Zakaria,
198).Lam also said “Japanese animation is a good example.
There are more than 20 animated shows on cable channels,
ranging from Sailor Moon to Pokemon toe the latest teenage
craze, Kagemusba, a series about a half-human, half demon
warrior in a quest.”(37) I believe that globalization led the
Japanese animation industry join in the world’s market, nearly
all teenagers watch animation, even some adults. In many

American toy markets, we can find a model of Pokémon. In
China, many people learn Japanese by watching animation, like
how they learn English by watching American drama.
During the time that America dominates the world’s market,
the American’s global businesses have also affected negatively
the local business in the countries in which it operates. “Most
countries, the skeptics argue, only gain a small amount of
income from external trade. Moreover, a good deal of economic
exchange is between regions, rather than being truly world-
wide” (Giddens, 15). This is because they companies in those
countries cannot compete with the richer companies. This means
that local companies are forced to exit the industry while the
American global companies continue with their operations. On
the other hand, this has promoted industrialization in those
countries hence promoting the living standards. This has also
promoted global warming and increased pollution in those
countries. In order to survive, these local companies begin to
operate in a global market. Chinese products are always
different from the American brands; people can easily find the
label and print made in China. I agree with what Verdu said
“McDonald’s in France serves salad nicoise along with
hamburgers; in Greece, it serves cheese; and in Singapore, it
serves fried chicken. In Norway, McDonald’s uses salmon
instead of beef, and in India, they call the Big Mac a Maharaja
Mac and make it out of lamb rather than beef in accordance with
Hindu beliefs.”(24). this means McDonald’s become globalized,
not only just Americanized. Many of the U.S companies sell
their products globally. This will mean that those companies
will require more workers hence they have to hire and employ
workers in those countries.
In today’s world technology is developed rapidly between
nations, it may be military gadgets or communication tools. We
always share the Technology in the world; like we use the same
app to communicate. This is a pointer that the world is actually
becoming a global village where people are free to share with
one another. What is important to note about American

technology is that most of its engineers are immigrants. Foreign
students and immigrants account for 50% of all science
researchers as stated by Fareed Zakaria in The Rise of the Rest
(203). China and India are also powerhouses when it comes to
innovating new technologies. The sharing of these technologies
between nations of the world points to the growth of a global
village rather than an Americanization. This is because even the
Americans are victims of this new phenomenon and therefore
they cannot be perpetrators of the same thing.
What is happening is that the world is being globalized.
Cultures are mixed; people are less suspicious of each other and
the advent of communication tools have just made the world
appear like a village. I dispute essayists like Vicente Verdu who
claim that we are all Americans or that the American culture is
influencing much of our lives. In the past Americans were the
dominator. They going abroad and combine other cultures, but
things have changed. Foreigners are going to America and this
has made the American culture changed. Globalization has
therefore overtaken Americanization and today we live in a
global village. The influence of American culture is still strong
in some parts of the world, but that does not mean the world is
Americanized.
All in all, America can dominate the world as they used to, the
world changes and become globalized. Although
Americanization gives people many positive influence, like
wonderful movies, improves world’s economy, it also bring a
lot of problems, like the violent from movies and the break
down of some local businesses. However, globalization enables
the world to advance more rapidly as countries share resources
and technologies. According to various respectable media
outlets, the world we are living in today is a global village.
Rather than thinking of America globalizing the world how
about the world and America undergoing globalization. Today
in America you find various cultures meaning that it is too
feeling the impacts of globalization.

Work Cited
Vicente Verdu. “We Are All Americans” International Views:
America and the Rest of the World. Ed. Keith Gumery. New
York: Pearson Longman, 2006. 23-25. Print.
Anthony Giddens. “Globalization” International Views:
York: Pearson Longman, 2006.15-22. Print.
Fareed Zakaria. “The Rise if the Rest” International Views:
York: Pearson Longman, 2006. 198-203. Print.
Andrew Lam. “All Things Asian Are Becoming Us”
International Views: America and the Rest of the World. Ed.
Keith Gumery. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. 36-40.
Print.

102 Chapter 4 ART AND DIFFICULTY: Foucault's Nightmare
Figure 4.4 Barbara Kruger, We don't need another hero, 1986. A
billboard project
commissioned by Artangel, London.

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t104foucault105foucault106foucault107foucault108foucault109f
oucault110foucault111foucault112foucault113foucault114fouca
ult115foucault116foucault117foucault118foucault119foucault12
0foucault121
She Hears Birds
Artist: Susan Mentis
How can people see themselves hearing birds visually? Susan
created a touchable and visible way for audience to feel how
they hear birds.
This is an art work in a small gallery from 401 Richmond
Gallery in downtown. This artwork made by acrylic painting on
carvas is basically white. With concavo-convex image hanging
on the wall, the bird and the word “flighty” is hard to recognize
and understand.
Since all expressed are only the flying bird and the “flighty”
word, I found it difficult to understand. People who have no
idea about conceptual art may regard it as a rough and
uncompleted work. The introduction besides is unable to
explain enough. Some of my friends made a question that why
the picture means hearing while some skipped this rectangle
image on the wall. Several even described it as a meaningless
and time-consuming thing. It is common because people who

can’t get used to the new art often evaluate art subjectively. “
Many people have felt that art of the twentieth century is
difficult, and difficult works make them anxious, uncomfortable
and even angry. Some people think this is a terrible thing, yet
others precisely what art ought to do.”
Art sometimes is an imaginable connection and relation. Susan
implied on the introdution board:” flighty was a word used to
label a patient ans ‘she hears birds’ was a reason for
institutionalization” Audiences who lack of imagination to
associate a word with human are lack of capacity of
understanding this work. Though ignored by the majority, the
work makes sense to some people. It alerts us to take an eye on
the institutionalization. The difficulty is the element that
attracts and values through time.” Difficulty arises from a
relationship between viewer and awork.” The more difficult the
work is , the more people would be interested in it.
In my view, the work is a quite successful one that moved
me. Leaving many to be imagined by viewer, the meaning of the
work could be appreciated in different perspectives. Blank
means more than fully covering. The work could be thought in
either political or human way. The impact caused by human
should be paid attention to. That is the last reason why I found
it difficult. ” In visual art, unsettling difficulty that pushes for
change does not just arise from problem with basic
comprehension, it can also arise in a work’s involvement with
moral issues.”
In conclusion, different art works are separately difficult to
different people. It depends on how they present and the
viewers themselves. Susan leaves a deep impression on the
audience with the simple picture but complicated meaning. Her
work represents the contemporary perfectly. It is necessary for
people to appreciate conceptual art nowadays.

VPSA62H3 Foundation Studies in Studio • Fall 2015 • Department.docx

VPSA62H3 Foundation Studies in Studio • Fall 2015 • Department.docx

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