Reading Blog 1

Maybe I’m being too philosophical when I say this, but I truly believe that neurodiversity is like a glitch. Menkman points out the beloved impossibility of “ruptures and cracks.” I feel like there are moments in time that my Autism or ADHD glitch out my brain, so glitch art is most definitely something I identify with. When I say glitch, I don’t mean “stop working.” I mean gaps of logic: where there should be a 2, there’s a 7, and vice versa. This ultimately causes a disruption in “normal” brain functions. If I were to interpret this through Menkman’s ideas, it is a disruption from dictated norms and a step into the impossible. Does this mean that I, or any other neurodivergent person, is different and special compared to “normal” folks? No. Obviously. All of us have deviations from conventional thinking. I just think that neurodivergence is a more ingrained coding system. 

On another note, I don’t think I totally agree with Menkman’s point about the dogma of glitch. I think that most artists, or at least most notable artists, are constantly trying to force a glitch, a deviation. For example: Picasso. He takes a traditional form of artwork- painting- and ruptures it using form. The art of painting isn’t destroyed; it is just explored from a new, strange angle. Art is not art if it isn’t constantly moving and defying expectation. I think artists ingrained in established systems and some forms of “fine art” may be perceived as prestigious because of pre-defined expectations for what artwork is. However, those who gain notoriety and attention are those who break the system.