Thoughts on Cage Matched Meaning(s),
(the) Aestheticization(s) of Relations(hips)
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[[[[[Shultz v. Fenchel] v. Reitz] v. Relyea] v. Mika] v. Relyea] v.
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(1,2) Sassing the Semionaut (see Q.3 of Serious Questions in my interview with Rainbo Video)

http://tautological-art.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html
v.
http://cosmosapersonaljourney.blogspot.com/2007/06/la-pasadita-piece.html

Ryan Shultz on Ryan Shultz:
“For my relational aesthetics project I chose to do a Tiravanija style cook-fest.”

Ryan Shultz on Ryan Fenchel:
“Ryan Fenchel’s project seemed to be in a similar vein.”

Seems about right. Importantly though, neither project is accessible to the class or the greater online community. Participation has been had, or so it is said; the Ryans may very well be making this shit up...

Regardless, the Ryans’ presentations of their respective projects roughly read as “We did this, and it was art.” Both projects seem to follow from an understanding of Relational Aesthetics as an exaggeration of sensitivity to signification(s). Ryan S.’s project, “BROWNIES,” derisively engages the exaggeration. Mostly thanks to the violence of his all-caps declarations of “ART BROWNIES”-ing, his inflection (in saying “We did this, and it was art.”) is obvious. Conversely, Ryan F.’s project, “La Pasadita,” embraces the involved aestheticization, at least in form, or so the poetic minimalism of his description of his project suggests. His matter-of-fact writing encouraged me to imagine him speaking very, very quietly, almost inaudibly, of his seven minutes in La Pasadita. But, is this minimalism what follows from a contemplative appreciation of the implied sensitivity to signification(s)? Or, is Ryan II dismissive of such sensitivity? Is his concise description of his project his declaration of embarrassment for “We did this, and it was art”-ers, or is it a thoughtful nod of approval?

Ryan Fenchel on Ryan Fenchel?
Ryan Fenchel on Ryan Shultz (on Ryan Fenchel)?

(1,2,3) Throughout our course, we’ve discussed manipulation, incommensurability, (dis)agreement, unanticipated resonances, gratuitous signification, (un)warranted assertions of efficacy, and the (im)possibility of communication. Over the past week, I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about the projects of fellow classmates, diagramming how the projects could be conceived of in relation to each other and in relation to what we have discussed in our class. (For example, juxtapose the Ryans’ respective projects and Cate Smierciak’s (http://relationalcate.blogspot.com/). If all three are understood to engage the exaggeration of sensitivity to signification(s) described above, how is Cate's project different from the Ryans'? Cate Smierciak on Cate Smierciak?)

(1,2,3,4) Eric Mika’s project (http://molior.net/stack/) provided a brilliant non-textual (huzzah) site (literally) for the exploration of ((the) aestheticization(s) of) relations(hips). “Stack of Sketches” offers a participatory structure in which, or through which, questions regarding (over)signification, and, furthermore, the practice of, or engagement with/in signification(s), can be developed, or, at least, comprehended. Eric’s introduction to “Stack of Sketches” says it all: “On Interaction, Cooperation, and Subversion.” I wonder, who else set about to blackout (or whiteout) the screen, only to find that you actually very-much-so-and-for-more-than-simply-aesthetic-reasons regretted your desire to not acknowledge others’ offerings in your own?

(1,2,3,4,5) Questions, many questions. On the past week, the projects, the quarter. So why not question the questions? What does my questioning of Shultz v. Fenchel, or Shultz v. Fenchel v. Smierciak, serve as? Or, my questioning of it on my blog? What do our class blogs serve as? What did our class discussions serve as? What did our class serve as?

Which then leads me to ask what appears to be the operative question: if Relyea v. Tiravanija isn't another relationship worthy of questioning?