Journal 11: February 19, 2015 Emily Jones

Assemblage Reading

• (p4) “In other words… conceal their sources“
• Dissonance between culture and classroom – in practice (architecture, web design, etc) borrow is normal, not bad
• Old: original > borrowed (378)
• New – assemblage: original is as valuable as the borrowed
• Shift from performance to action (400)
• Ex: a meme has borrowed image, borrowed theme, possibly a borrowed quote
• Effect in context (RS)
• Writing happens in a social environment, not a void
• Assemblage is common practice outside the classroom
• Ex: sending an email throughout a company to recirculate the company vision

Shia LeBeouf

• Accused over and over of plagiarizing, responded over and over in plagiarized tweets ( link )
• Example of the ways words can fit different contexts
• By not attributing ownership he created an assemblage, but it flopped in the context because as a creative artist he is expected to produce original content
• The value of a text lies in what it does (its effect)

Remix Culture

• Where there is action in context, assemblage is more likely to happen
• The work of a writer in remix culture is about selecting and arranging
• We listened to Strange Fruit by Nina Simone about lynching and burning black men in the 1930s, same words in Blood on the Leaves by Kanye West about how he didn’t think he was being treated fairly when he wanted to launch a clothing line
• Not an absence of original material, as West still writes own lyrics – this is remix culture, postmodern
• Is this more acceptable in this genre of music?
• Does it take away from the ‘lone genius’?
• Does it make a difference in audience perception if you know the original artist’s piece beforehand?
• (382) Assemblage doesn’t replace old practices, it validates remix (as a form of writing, etc)
• Soundtracks, found picture films, etc
• (387) “Comparing a text… performing in that context."
• Use of a template is an assemblage practice, ex: web design

Modernism – generally one artist creates something entirely original
Postmodern tendency – meaning changes with time, reframed works are new interpretations

Ethical issues

• There are cases and communities in which assemblage is not valued and can be punished
• Fair Use is a set of guidelines that defines when you can use certain things
• Ex:  second video of a baby crawling with a song in the background, band sued
• Four Factors of Fair Use
• The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or for nonprofit educational purposes
• The nature of the copyrighted work
• The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
• The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted works
• George Lucas vs fanfiction

Creative Commons

• To ‘save the world from failed sharing’
• Gives you a set of licenses to choose between, regarding availability
• Gives tools to creators to make choices about copyright
• Creativity and connection, access and control
• Move from content to community
• Ex: Fair Use Disney mashup met each of the four factors to avoid copyright infringement and qualify for Fair Use