1) Does this piece remind you of any other works from this course? How so? What differences do you notice? What do these differences achieve? How is one of these “superficial” differences ironic?
2) On a surface level, what is this piece about in terms of content? What is unique in its form? What does Goldsmith’s writing style force the reader to do? How does this “increase” or get amplified as the work progresses?
3) On page 14, it states, “Look at what we’re doing now, we’re talking. You know how much language is being slung around this room right now?” How does this point to what Goldsmith is doing with Soliloquy?
4) Besides publishing it in books form, he also set up the space installation seen below. How does that further develop the idea behind the quote above? (Warning: Before you answer this question, be aware that it also states on page 14, “And that’s the other part that really pissed me off about the art world because they just saw text and it was dismissed as if it was a 1971 Joseph Kosuth piece. So they’re reading it interpreting it visually. “)
Kenneth Goldsmith, Soliloquy, 1997, Installation View, printed paper 30″ x 23″
Will, since you were invoking Benjamin last class, I thought you might find this commentary from Jacket2 of interest, as the author suggests WB is an influence upon KG: http://jacket2.org/commentary/kenneth-goldsmith-unpacks-walter-benjamin%E2%80%99s-library
Interesting article, I like the idea theoretically. But i ask myself whether I would have been capable of making these connections myself without this article as I think in this case the stretch for Goldsmith is long enough to be tenuous (perhaps?). I tried listening but either my router at home is too weak/slow (likely) or the link is broken. Just not my night for links I think. “Recalling Benjamin’s vision of the collector’s magic and tactile relation to his or her objects, Goldsmith’s performance embodies the mark that the reader or collector leaves on a text through his idiosyncratic (to say the least) vocal rendition.” Now, for me, part of the unique irreplaceability of the moment and its successes and failures in my access to certain texts in turn become my own idiosyncratic relation, rendition, reaction to this lineage of thought.