Small lies? Authenticity and the artist interview
This paper examines the ethical and art-historical questions that are raised when conversations with artists are edited for sound clips or transcribed for books and catalogues. Should the reader of an interview be aware of how much has been ‘tidied up’ or redacted? Does it matter that what one is re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Art History, University of Birmingham
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Art Historiography |
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| Online Access: | https://arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/wainwright.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818879453308125184 |
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| author | Jean Wainwright |
| author_facet | Jean Wainwright |
| author_sort | Jean Wainwright |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper examines the ethical and art-historical questions that are raised when conversations with artists are edited for sound clips or transcribed for books and catalogues. Should the reader of an interview be aware of how much has been ‘tidied up’ or redacted? Does it matter that what one is reading is a version of the authentic truth of the original?
Drawing on four contrasting examples, I will trace the significance of the editing process, from the uttered voice to the edited page. Using Gretchen Berg’s interview with Andy Warhol, I discuss the ‘authentic’ artist’s statement. With Warhol’s a: A Novel, I explore the limits of a literal transcription. Discussing my series of interviews with the artist Morten Viskum, I examine the months-long process of determining the psychological underpinnings of his work. Finally, with the artist Nathalia Edenmont, I consider the interview in the context of a traumatic confession. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:30:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-835a4e00d08045609b42d6fe2136fecd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2042-4752 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:30:19Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Department of Art History, University of Birmingham |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Art Historiography |
| spelling | doaj.art-835a4e00d08045609b42d6fe2136fecd2022-12-21T20:17:29ZengDepartment of Art History, University of BirminghamJournal of Art Historiography2042-47522020-12-012323JW1Small lies? Authenticity and the artist interviewJean Wainwright 0The University for the Creative Arts, LondonThis paper examines the ethical and art-historical questions that are raised when conversations with artists are edited for sound clips or transcribed for books and catalogues. Should the reader of an interview be aware of how much has been ‘tidied up’ or redacted? Does it matter that what one is reading is a version of the authentic truth of the original? Drawing on four contrasting examples, I will trace the significance of the editing process, from the uttered voice to the edited page. Using Gretchen Berg’s interview with Andy Warhol, I discuss the ‘authentic’ artist’s statement. With Warhol’s a: A Novel, I explore the limits of a literal transcription. Discussing my series of interviews with the artist Morten Viskum, I examine the months-long process of determining the psychological underpinnings of his work. Finally, with the artist Nathalia Edenmont, I consider the interview in the context of a traumatic confession.https://arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/wainwright.pdfthe artist’s interviewinterviewingauthenticitytranscriptionethicsrecording |
| spellingShingle | Jean Wainwright Small lies? Authenticity and the artist interview Journal of Art Historiography the artist’s interview interviewing authenticity transcription ethics recording |
| title | Small lies? Authenticity and the artist interview |
| title_full | Small lies? Authenticity and the artist interview |
| title_fullStr | Small lies? Authenticity and the artist interview |
| title_full_unstemmed | Small lies? Authenticity and the artist interview |
| title_short | Small lies? Authenticity and the artist interview |
| title_sort | small lies authenticity and the artist interview |
| topic | the artist’s interview interviewing authenticity transcription ethics recording |
| url | https://arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/wainwright.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeanwainwright smallliesauthenticityandtheartistinterview |