Détournement

Can we poke the finger at something by turning it back on itself?

Détournement involves the reuse of some cultural item – be it text, picture, sculpture, film or sound – in the creation of a new cultural item.  Like plagiarism and quotation it involves the reworking of something already made by somebody else, but it is neither.  French tourner is cognate with English turn (meaning both turn and express). Unlike plagiarism and quotation, détournement reuses elements to turn them back upon themselves in order to undermine or critique the source or meaning of the original.   In the visual arts it is most closely associated with the  Situationists.  The irrational dream-based combinations of images of the Surrealistists may - to some degree - evoke similar associations.

In VSW100 we were required to produce detourned collages and novel combinations.  Below are two images of Margaret Thatcher and three works  assembled around pieces of my aunt's china duck ornament.

The Humble Cardboard Box

VSW100 Art and Creativity is a sort of foundation unit in the Fine Arts Degree.  

 It’s about process rather than product; it emphasises lateral thinking and surprising yourself.  The first section was called “The Creative Mix” and was all about the cardboard box.  Last year they did plastic buckets.  We had to draw, photograph, brainstorm, demolish, reconstruct … all with no particular goal in mind.  Boy, did I learn a lot!

Here are a few of the scores of things I was forced to think of: