Response to Reading for 4-13-09

When beginning this week’s reading of Writing Machines, I was initially intrigued by the concept of the humument. Much like the process of uncreative writing, this form of writing allows a writer to take someone else’s work and create something out of it that becomes his or her own. This process allows writers to exert extreme control over their message or it can allow them to exert virtually no control and to randomly change a text in the creation of a new page or new writing. In essence, this process allows for people to be as creative or uncreative as they wish but in the end, they are still able to create a new message out of an existing page or writing. In an overall sense, this process allows for writers to come up with creative new takes on past works.
I was particularly fascinated with two examples from this book. Firstly, I thought that the example on page one 89, which shows page 165 of A Human Document was extremely intriguing. While it is clear that the text of this page, although still visible, does not play a significant role in the artist’s reproduction but the art plays a particularly important role. I thought that this demonstrated a unique interpretation of the work through the artist’s placement of a human face on the page, clearly playing on the “human document” aspect. In addition, the artist could be making a statement about human nature through the different shades of the two sides of the persons face and the unique shape of his or her face. Secondly, I thought the example on page 93 was also extremely interesting. This rendition turns the original page into what appears what to be an indoor garden of some sort. This example is particularly interesting because the picture and the text that is left in both appear to play an equal part. In addition, both the text and the picture play off of each, picturing walls and a landscape while featuring both words in the text.
Johanna Drucker’s book also brings up important points concerning this method of art/writing. One of the most illuminating examples of this form came through her discussion of William Blake. Blake clearly took an interesting and innovative approach to his work, especially when you consider the technological constraints he face compared to modern times. I was particularly fascinated with his technique of illuminated printing and the amount of skill and effort it must have taken to complete a work in such a fashion. This became extremely apparent in my mind after I had completed my creative assignment for this week. In order to complete this assignment, I was able to utilize such modern tools as Google Images and Microsoft Paint. In this light, I was particularly impressed with Blake’s work as well as the work of others in similar time periods. However, it was clear that Blake took a uniquely innovative approach that allowed him to lucidly present his personal beliefs along with his personal artistic vision. Clearly, Blake’s work has had a lasting impact on the work of other Artists’ books.