CLASSIFICATION
Swallow ID:
5779
Partner Institution:
Simon Fraser University
Source Collection Label:
Reading in BC Collection
Sub Series:
Reading in BC Collection
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Title:
George Bowering English 414 Lecture 11 at SFU on October 4, 1973 #670
Title Source:
cassette and j-card
Title Note:
On J-card: English 414 Lecture 11 Oct. 4, 1973; Gertrude Stein: Composition as Explanation continued
Language:
English
Production Context:
Classroom recording
Genre:
Speeches: Talks
Identifiers:
[]
Rights
Rights:
Copyright Not Evaluated (CNE)
CREATORS
Name:
Bowering, George
Dates:
1935-
Role:
"Speaker"
CONTRIBUTORS
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Image:
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Cassette
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Extent:
1/8 inch
Sound Quality:
Excellent
Physical Condition:
Excellent
Other Physical Description:
Black and white clear jewel case with J-card
DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T00:30:21
Size:
35.8 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV for master files and .MP3 for online files
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T00:30:17
Size:
33.7 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV for master files and .MP3 for online files
Dates
Date:
1973-10-04
Type:
Performance Date
Source:
J-card
LOCATION
Address:
8888 University Dr, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
Venue:
Simon Fraser University
Latitude:
49.2784
Longitude:
-122.9231
CONTENT
Contents:
Side
Track
No.
Comments
One
0000
0028
Bowering begins by explaining title of “Composition as Explanation” at some length
0112
Reads passage and discusses it as a further elaboration of “Composition as Explanation”. “Composition is the difference” – Stein. Things cannot be seen as different unless they are first seen as similar otherwise there would be no such
concept as different.” Bowering waxes metaphysical. Composition and difference are discussed at some length
0170
Cubism does not want to arrest some object in a moment of time, it wants to get multiple views of the same thing into one space that resists the movement of time. Bowering says he will discuss this further later on in the lecture
0178
Composition is involved in the consciousness of seeing (the similar in the different); placing yourself physically in the scene
0181
Stein on the avant-garde: “No one is ahead of his time. It is only that the particular variety of creating his time is the one that his contemporaries who are also creating their own time refuse to accept.” She once stated that she created the 20th Century when she wrote The Making of Americans. (Created 20th Century America)
0190
Against description. (Places the writing in past). H.G. Wells is given as an example
0222
McLuhan and rear-view mirror thinking is discussed briefly. “Artists are not ahead of their time,” said McLuhan, “everyone else is behind the time.”
0231
Stein wants to create one’s time, says Bowering. This is the only thing one can do if one is not satisfied trying to describe (or translate) one’s time. This places one in the past and Stein is not interested in this
0240
“Those who are creating the modern composition authentically are naturally only of importance when they are dead because by that time the modern composition having become past is classified,” said Stein, “and the description of it is classical. This is the reason why the creator of the new composition in the arts is an outlaw until he is a classic. There is hardly a moment in between and it really is too bad, very much too bad, naturally for the creator but also very much too bad for the enjoyer. They all would really enjoy the created soon after it is made than when it is already a classic”
0250
The irritation (shock) of the new (in literature or visual art) is discussed
0270
What is the source of this irritation? Stein locates it at the reader’s (or audience’s) experience of the work (rather than the work itself). Bowering gives a rather unconvincing David Hume-like analogy
0279
What is the source of this irritation? Stein locates it at the reader’s (or audience’s) experience of the work (rather than the work itself). Bowering gives a rather unconvincing David Hume-like analogy
0300
The Stein sense of beautiful versus H.D.’s sense of the beautiful which is the eternal and perfect
0320
Repetition, beginnings and the ‘natural thing’ are discussed
0344
Stein does not want to describe but to find the main characteristic. To solve problems she looked at what was not done, Bowering explains
0380
The effect Stein wants to achieve is similar to the effect the cubists wanted to achieve. She wants to get multiple views of the same thing happening in the same time, explains Bowering. Repetition is discussed again as is the parallel in writing with a painting’s effects showing no recognizable object (no nouns)
0401
Stein’s repetition of main characteristics in different circumstances is discussed as being the way she paints a picture of a person’s life. This perspective is discussed in relation to a historical perspective. Her point was to make people look at and hear her writing in the same way that the cubists wanted people to look at painting. A great deal of art is self-referring in the 20th century, says Bowering. Visual examples are shown
0450
While showing slides, Bowering discusses perspective, composition referentiality and abstractions
0596
Description is criticized again and discussed in relation to the paintings on the slides. As soon as one enters into description the elements of nature are used by the artist who wants to direct the viewer/audience into having a certain set response to his main subject material
0622
Description; interpretation, perspective; values systems and ego
0657
Stein’s phrase on composition is discussed in relation to the direction of attention versus process of mind
0684
End of lecture and side one
Side two is blank
Notes:
SFU BC Readings formatting
NOTES
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