Analysis of the Time-based Media Reading List

CAGE, J. Silence: Lectures and Writings . Wesleyan U.P. 1973 
CHION, M, GORGMAN, C MURCH, W. Audio-Vision. Columbia University Press 1994 
COX, C, WARNER, D. Audio Culture: Readings In Modern Music. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004 
DANINO, N, MAZIERE, M. The Undercut reader. Wallflower Press, 2003 
ELWES, C. Video Art and guided Tour.  I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd. 2005 
FORSTER H, KRAUSS M. BOIS Y, BUCHLOH H.D. (EDS). Art Since 1900: Modernism, Antimodernism  and Postmodernism. Thames and Hudson 2004 
GOLDBERG, R. Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present. Thames & Hudson, 2001 
GOLDBERG, R. Performance: Live Art Since the 60's. Thames & Hudson, 2004 
HALL D and FIFER, J (EDS). ILLUMINATING VIDEO - An essential guide to Video art. Aperture 1991 
HAMLYN, N. Film Art Phenomena. BFI 2003 
HARRISON, Charles and WOOD Paul (Eds). Art in Theory 1990-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas.  Blackwell, 2003 
HEATHFIELD, A. (ED). Live: Art and Performance. Tate Publishing 2004 
KAHN, D WHITEHEAD, G  (Eds). Wireless Imagination: Sound, Radio and the Avant-garde. The MIT Press, 1994 
MACDONALD, S. A Critical Cinema: Interviews with Independent Film-makers: Volumes 1-5. University of California Press 1992- 2006 
O’PRAY, M. Avant-Garde Film-Forms, themes and passions  Wallflower. 2003 
RUSH, M. Video Art.  Thames & Hudson 2005 
ZURBRUGG, N (ed) Art, Performance, Media: 31 Interviews. University of Minnesota Press  2004

Websites:

www.ubu.com

www.lux.org.uk

www.vdb.org

www.eai.org

 The idea of a reading list is to somehow mould or improve a person in some way.  There are many examples of this such as the Great Books of the Western World[1] and The Western Canon[2].  Today these lists (particularly the former) are seem as methods of self-education for many people as well as being followed in varying degrees by many prestigious universities and colleges[3].  The classic texts on these reading lists, such as works by Plato, Sophocles, Aristotle, Homer, Euripides, Milton and  Shakespeare are widely regarded as ‘must reads’ in Western society and are seen as highly intellectualised pieces of writing.

The Time-based Media reading list is much more esoteric in comparison, its isn’t meant to create a well rounded or polished intellectual, but to improve the readers knowledge in their specific subject matter – that is Time-based Art.  There is a strong link Time-based art mediums in the themes of the books – ‘Audio Culture: Readings In Modern Music’, ‘Video Art’ and  ‘ Live: Art and Performance’ encouraging a real affinity with medium specific art.

Yet, there are also references to the ‘Avant Garde’, ‘futurism’ and ‘the 60s’ in M Opray and R Goldberge’s books respectively.  These phrases have connotations of integral movements within the art world.  And really they are the birth of our media – film, performance and sound, were all born out of Dada, Fluxus and the Avant Garde.

However, the TBM reading list seems to consist almost entirely (excluding John cage’s ‘Silence’) of accounts and descriptions of historicised art movements – with little reference to contemporary art.

Is this narrow reading list dangerous?

Whilst, it creates a comprehensive knowledge on the roots of our media, and situates them within history; the TBM reading list will undeniably have a degree of influence over its reader - And with the worlds of Fluxus and Dada being so far removed from contemporary positions on art; I wonder how wise it is to have such a specific set of books that are so deeply situated in the past. 

As I discussed earlier – The Reading List is a mould or guideline for its reader.  The Western Canon is by definition autonomous – it is seen as the definitive list of books to read in a lifetime.  It has been heavily criticised over the years such as in Allan Bloom’s ‘The Closing of the American Mind’ for underrepresenting various literary minorities ie. Women.

I agree with this criticism to some extent, the Western Canon is certainly narrow – Perhaps there should be a reevaluated version of some of the classic reading lists, but perhaps there is less need of that today.  Today, Reading Lists are generally seen as loose guidelines, not to be followed so linearly or rigidly.  There are of course people that undertake these strict reading lists, following them exactly as intended, but these are rare occurrences. 

The time-based media reading list, is of course meant to be followed loosely, and cannot be viewed as a canon, it is there to lay the foundations for a comprehensive knowledge in the field, but not meant to be constrictive.  And in my personal experience, it has worked in this way – I haven’t let a reading list define me,  but let it guide me and act as a base for my understanding.

[1] Ten year Reading list founded by Mortimer Adler and Robert Hutchins

[2]  Lifetime reading list compiled by Harold Bloom

[3]  Notably St. John's College in Annapolis and Santa Fe and and Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula still have a ‘Great Books Programme’ in place which they adhere to, but many other universities and colleges do incorporate some element of it into their curriculum such as The University of Notra Dame and Saint Anselm College