Paragraphs on Conceptual Art Sol Lewitt and Coco Fusco: Observations of Predation in Humans: A Lecture by Dr. Zira, Animal Psychologist (2013)

Paragraphs on Conceptual Art Sol  Lewitt

• Conceptual art

• How do you initially approach your work? From a conceptual standpoint or a perceptual one? How do you weight each approach to your own practice?
• From a conceptual standpoint does it matter how the work looks?
• How much does chance play into your work, do you plan things thoroughly and keep it to a minimum or leave more room to figure things out in process? 

• The philosophy of the work is implicit rather than an illustration of the philosophy 
• Does the audience need to know and understand the concept as you see it? Does allowing the viewer to reach their own interpretations appeal to you or do you prefer to try to control how the work is digested?

• All steps in the process are of importance.
• Does this thinking find it's way into your own work? Are you more interested in the process or the final product?

• Art is not utilitarian. 
• Do you agree or disagree? Does architecture which is inherently utilitarian serve as art or something else entirely?

• Any idea that can be better stated in two dimensions should not be three dimensions. 
• Here he argues that in conceptual art the idea takes precedent over the form, most anything done sculptural becomes a contradiction to conceptual art as the form inherently draws attention to it's own surface rather than the idea first. Do you think this is a fair statement?

Coco Fusco: Observations of Predation in Humans: A Lecture by Dr. Zira, Animal Psychologist (2013)

• What was the purpose behind using Planet of the Apes as a backdrop for this talk? Would it have been hindered any by dropping it? What may this backdrop have added to the conversation?

• She focuses primarily on human behaviors which relate to aggression and dominance over one another, citing examples of the frequency of animal violence in nature shows. Do you think her assessment is accurate and fair?

• There is a focus on the way the human brain functions and has evolved and also mentions studying other animal behaviors in comparison. She also relates the inaccuracies of the Ape dogma such as "no animal kills for sport". what is the significance of these points?