Reviewer:  Kate O’Neill      

Blog being reviewed:  Deborah Jones

It’s clear from the blog that Deborah enjoys exploring the set works and is both good at and comfortable with documenting her critical thinking.  I have reviewed each task first and will conclude with a few general comments and suggestions.

On the Classification of Art:  I found lots to like in Deborah’s piece about Foucault’s work, especially that she sees and references the humour in it.  Also, she points out things such as how a child would approach their own list of animals and also that there are potential flaws in the classifications.

Good points are made regarding ‘common ground’ - which is well explained - and also the parallels drawn between Foucault’s list and a potential a, b, c, list for classifying art. Describing the exhibition at Tate Britain and the comparison of artworks displayed chronologically is a good addition. A date for the exhibition could be added perhaps.

The Art Coefficient:  I felt this piece shows a good understanding of the argument Duchamp puts forward which is also well explained. There are a few sentences that I think could be improved with some objective proof-reading, for example the end of the first paragraph is a bit difficult to read and might benefit from a bit more punctuation.

There is good use made of quotes from Duchamp’s paper and this is also referenced at the end. I think the website link needs to be established though.

The Institutional Theory of Art:  Deborah has managed to summarise a lengthy part of this paper really well, giving a succinct explanation of the ‘3 phases’, the influence of other writers and the overall conclusion regarding ‘an artefact’.

I really like the discussion that follows and makes up the main focus of the blog. It would be good to reference the relevant blog entry where your grandmother is mentioned. To finish it off well, the set questions need some responses.

Why Make Art?:  It’s really good to see the images in this blog which provide great illustrations for Deborah’s story and visually break up the text.  And it’s so interesting that Deborah’s experiences with an artist grandmother, making art at school and then being subsumed by a different career are so very similar to my own.  It helps me understand that this is quite a personal reflection she has shared - and also explains how Deborah’s affection for Matisse started very early in life!

The Question of Taste:  This response to Grayson Perry’s lecture is really well described and also improved greatly by the inclusion of images.  I particularly like the Ali Smith book-covers with David Hockney illustrations which sums up Perry’s points about popularity well.  Some careful proof-reading will help do justice to the discussion.

Social Purpose and SEA:  I really like the way Deborah has described the historical and political context, picking up on the seriousness of both the original event and therefore the depiction of it in Deller’s work.  A good point is raised about the advantages and disadvantages there are for the artist when they approach a work in collaboration with others as has been done here.

The inclusion of the video link and the images of street art inspired by this year’s events bring a strong personal element to Deborah’s discussion as well as underpinning her understanding of Deller’s intentions. Inclusion of the French anonymous street artist is another great example of politically motivated art and an inspired addition! 

Chance, Process and Outcome:  The overall style of this blog piece is looking really good.  Deborah’s introduction, bringing in references to musicians is really interesting and the rest of the blog includes some good examples of artists who work with ‘chance’ and includes excellent images. Deborah has completed and included an image of the Dadaist poem which is good to see.

The strong point for me in this blog is Deborah’s ‘perception’ of the argument - the imaginary line between chance and control - which is well described and a helpful tool for others.  I also like the personal reflections on Deborah’s Oblique Strategies pick where she arrives eventually at ‘Field of Dreams’ …….

General Comments and Suggestions

Reading through Deborah’s blog entries, it is clear that her ability to read, digest and employ critical thinking is a great strength.  I enjoyed reading it and considering how her responses sometimes differed to mine and at other times were very similar.  

There has been a fair bit of catching up to do, given your personal circumstances, and this is evident in the need for some tidying up, for instance of titles and dates, together with some careful and objective proof-reading. Adding in some more images would be great too.  However, the amount achieved in a short time is incredibly impressive.

For me Deborah, the best bits are where you employ your own critical thinking and there is some great content in this blog.  So I feel it’s well worth giving a little time to polishing it up.  Thanks for sharing it with me!