The Remixed Archive
The "contrapuntal," as articulated by Edward Said in Culture and Imperialism, provides a productive lens through which we can think about how remix can redefine master narratives. Said takes the notion of the contrapuntal from music, where two or more distinct melodies form a polyphony; the contrapuntal, or counterpoint, also refers to the backstitch in sewing techniques, where stitches overlap and not consecutively sewn, but rather in a back and forth (non)sequence. The contrapuntal, like remix, has to do with bringing together oppositional perspectives and thinking through disparate experiences: it is as much a knitting together as it is a tearing apart.
With remix's affinity with amateur making, we could perhaps think about how care goes hand in hand with remix: in an essay on "Professionals and Amateurs," Said calls for an intellectual spirit of amateurism that he defines as "an activity that is fueled by care and affection," and
Said's definition of amateurism--with its emphasis on care and love--is motivated by the origins of the word itself: amateur comes from the Latin amare, to love, and it is in this spirit that Said sets out to address the role of the intellectual and the ways in which the stifling pressures of professionalism could be countered by amateurism. Roland Barthes, in one of his vignettes in Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes, also discusses the amateur; he writes,the desire to be moved not by profit or reward but by love for an unquenchable interest in the larger picture, in making connections across lines and barriers.
The amateur, or the remixer, therefore, as someone who takes care in their craft.the Amateur renews his pleasure (amator: one who loves and loves again); he is anything but a hero (of creation or performance)...
Readings/Selections
Virginia Kuhn, "The Rhetoric of Remix," in Transformative Works and Cultures special issue on "Fan/Remix Video" (2012).Kelly Logan, "Through the Looking Lens" (final project for a Media Arts + Practice class, "Remixing the Archive")
Other remix video selections to be viewed in class.
Recommended: #TransformDH Video Showcase (2015)