• Spring 2025
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Field School
  • Students
  • Feedly
  • About
Menu

Avant-Guardian Musings

  • Spring 2025
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Field School
  • Students
  • Feedly
  • About
large monogram_2018-02-01_22-31-07.v1 (1).png
“Art is an outlet toward regions which are not ruled by time and space”
— Marcel Duchamp

Avant-Guardian Musings is a curated space of ideas and information, resources, reviews and readings for undergraduate and graduate students studying modern and contemporary art history and visual art theory, film and photography studies, and the expanding field of visual culture and screen studies. For students currently enrolled in my courses or the field school, the blog and associated social media links also serve as a place of reflection and an extension of the ideas and visual material raised in lecture and seminar discussion.

Blog RSS

Screenshot 2018-02-05 20.56.45.png
Blog
From the Archives | How (And Why) To Take Excellent Lecture Notes
From the Archives | How (And Why) To Take Excellent Lecture Notes
about 10 months ago
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
about 2 years ago
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
about 2 years ago
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
about 2 years ago
Top 10 Modern and Contemporary Art Exhibitions Worth Visiting In 2023
Top 10 Modern and Contemporary Art Exhibitions Worth Visiting In 2023
about 2 years ago

Screenshot 2018-02-05 20.56.51.png
Delighted to find these iconic Tom Ford Whitney’s deep in my closet over the weekend ✨☀️🕶️Anyone else remember these sunglasses from back in the day? I want to say these are well over 15 years old and they were a very big splurge, but I loved
Delighted to find these iconic Tom Ford Whitney’s deep in my closet over the weekend ✨☀️🕶️Anyone else remember these sunglasses from back in the day? I want to say these are well over 15 years old and they were a very big splurge, but I loved rediscovering and wearing them today. Great design is timeless. Invest in things you love— your future self will thank you✨ . . . #tomford #sunglasses #tomfordwhitney #whatiwore #shamelessselfie
If Seoul was a colour, it would be neon and bright, and if it was a shape, it would be curved and post-structural.
.
.
.
#artanddesign #odetoacity #urban #seoul #korea #design #contemporaryart #architecture
If Seoul was a colour, it would be neon and bright, and if it was a shape, it would be curved and post-structural. . . . #artanddesign #odetoacity #urban #seoul #korea #design #contemporaryart #architecture
Visited the stunning Leeum Museum of Art today and took in the spatial delights of Korean architecture married to modern art. What I love most is how the familiar European and American “masters” (i.e. Rodin, Giacometti, Rauschenberg, Hess
Visited the stunning Leeum Museum of Art today and took in the spatial delights of Korean architecture married to modern art. What I love most is how the familiar European and American “masters” (i.e. Rodin, Giacometti, Rauschenberg, Hesse, Flavin, Rothko, Andre, Lewitt, Stella, etc…) are curated both in dialogue with Korean modern artists such as Lee Ufan and Kim Chong-yung, but also in juxtaposition to the beautiful natural setting that is showcased through large windows throughout the complex. A must see gallery if you visit Seoul. . . . #seoul #korea #modernart #contemporaryart #koreanart #arthistory
Flaneur for the day in Seoul ✨🇰🇷 A global city of high contrast, beauty, and living history around every corner.
.
.
.
#seoul #korea #flaneur #daytripping #streetart #contemporaryart #modernart #urbanart #arthistory #urban #globalcity
Flaneur for the day in Seoul ✨🇰🇷 A global city of high contrast, beauty, and living history around every corner. . . . #seoul #korea #flaneur #daytripping #streetart #contemporaryart #modernart #urbanart #arthistory #urban #globalcity
Hello Seoul! 🇰🇷🛬✨안녕하세요 서울 Lucky me, I am incredibly excited to have arrived in South Korea today and staying smack dab in the middle of the stylish Gangnam District at the COEX Conference Centre. It is my first time in this beautiful city and I ca
Hello Seoul! 🇰🇷🛬✨안녕하세요 서울 Lucky me, I am incredibly excited to have arrived in South Korea today and staying smack dab in the middle of the stylish Gangnam District at the COEX Conference Centre. It is my first time in this beautiful city and I cannot wait to begin exploring, especially the contemporary art and design scene. I am here to attend and give a paper at the #IPSA2025 International Political Science Association World Congress, the largest global gathering of researchers and academics working on all things political and international relations oriented. IPSA as an academic association was founded under the auspices of UNESCO in 1949 and is devoted to the advancement of political science in all parts of the world and promotes collaboration between scholars in both established and emerging democracies. The 2025 Conference theme is “Resisting Autocratization in Polarized Societies” and I was invited to present a paper on my ongoing work on Trumpism, the neo avante-garde, and visual culture on a panel examining the role of cultural actors during periods of democratic backsliding. I only had a few hours after I arrived to my hotel to check out COEX, but I had to see the world famous library housed inside the shopping complex. It was a very cool sight for a book nerd like me 🤓 . . . #seoul #korea #southkorea #politicalscience #arthistory #academiclife #conference @kpuarts @kwantlenu

Screenshot 2018-02-05 20.57.02.png
  • September 2024 (1)
  • February 2023 (1)
  • January 2023 (3)
  • August 2022 (1)
  • March 2022 (1)
  • February 2022 (3)
  • January 2022 (4)
  • November 2021 (2)
  • October 2021 (3)
  • September 2021 (3)
  • July 2021 (2)
  • June 2021 (1)
  • May 2021 (3)
  • April 2021 (3)
  • March 2021 (3)
  • February 2021 (4)
  • January 2021 (5)
  • December 2020 (3)
  • November 2020 (6)
  • October 2020 (4)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • July 2020 (1)
  • June 2020 (4)
  • May 2020 (9)
  • April 2020 (5)
  • December 2019 (2)
  • November 2019 (5)
  • October 2019 (3)
  • September 2019 (1)
  • July 2019 (6)
  • June 2019 (19)
  • April 2019 (2)
  • March 2019 (5)
  • September 2018 (2)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (4)
  • May 2018 (2)
  • April 2018 (5)
  • March 2018 (5)
  • February 2018 (8)
  • January 2018 (3)
  • December 2017 (4)
  • November 2017 (5)
  • October 2017 (7)
  • September 2017 (3)
  • July 2017 (6)
  • June 2017 (15)
  • April 2017 (2)
  • March 2017 (3)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • November 2016 (2)
  • October 2016 (1)
  • September 2016 (3)
  • August 2016 (1)
  • June 2016 (2)
  • May 2016 (3)
  • April 2016 (2)
  • March 2016 (5)
  • February 2016 (7)
  • January 2016 (9)
  • November 2015 (1)
  • October 2015 (2)
  • September 2015 (3)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (1)
  • June 2015 (20)
  • May 2015 (4)
  • March 2015 (2)
  • January 2015 (1)
  • November 2014 (1)
  • October 2014 (2)
  • June 2014 (1)
  • May 2014 (4)
  • April 2014 (6)
  • February 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (2)
  • November 2013 (1)
  • September 2013 (1)
  • July 2013 (3)
  • June 2013 (10)
  • December 2012 (1)
  • November 2012 (3)
  • October 2012 (6)
  • September 2012 (3)
  • August 2012 (1)
  • July 2012 (1)
  • June 2012 (25)
  • May 2012 (5)
  • April 2012 (4)
  • March 2012 (7)
  • February 2012 (11)
  • January 2012 (6)
  • December 2011 (5)
  • November 2011 (11)
  • October 2011 (11)
  • September 2011 (8)
  • June 2011 (9)
  • May 2011 (15)
  • April 2011 (9)
  • March 2011 (14)
  • February 2011 (17)
  • January 2011 (16)
  • December 2010 (11)
  • November 2010 (18)
  • October 2010 (24)
  • September 2010 (30)

Screenshot 2018-02-05 20.57.07.png

© Dorothy Barenscott, Avant-Guardian Musings, and dorothybarenscott.com, 2010-2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dorothy Barenscott, Avant-Guardian Musings, and dorothybarenscott.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Detail from Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory (1931). 

Detail from Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory (1931). 

Focus on Life Hacks: Interval Training For Productivity (and Sanity)

February 01, 2018

One of life’s common denominators is limited time. While you can work to achieve more wealth, a better education, or improved health, we all have to figure out how to budget the same twenty-four hours each day. There is actually something quite comforting in this, and I enjoy learning and reading about how successful and creative people use their allotted hours each day. Last year I read Chris Bailey’s lauded The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More By Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy—a book that tracks Bailey’s attempt over one year to research and test out an entire range of productivity tools and approaches—and the biggest take away for me was his emphasis on scheduling less time for important events, but bringing a renewed focus and intensity to that scheduled time.

Bailey's book was an eye-opening read. Work with focused intensity over shorter periods of time. Interval training for the brain.

Bailey's book was an eye-opening read. Work with focused intensity over shorter periods of time. Interval training for the brain.

One month into a new year and with more time than usual to spend thinking about productivity, I decided that I too needed to re-evaluate how I was spending my time on tasks that tend to lead towards procrastination (writing new material and grading tops my list here, but I could easily add house cleaning and responding to email into the mix… you get the idea). Interestingly, I was able to overcome my dread of steady state cardio at the gym last year by embracing interval training. Simple in concept but powerful in results, interval training involves alternating high-intensity and speed in exercise followed by a short period of recovery at a slower and reduced pace. For example, two minutes of sprinting followed by two minutes of walking. If done properly, the benefits of HIIT (high intensity interval training) include more efficient fat burning and improved cardiovascular conditioning over steady state cardio (done at one speed, ie. jogging or slow running). But best of all, you can cut your workouts in half if you are willing to work harder for a shorter period of time. No more churning out an hour of cardio. I can get the same results in a focused 20-25 minute session (and my running times have improved tenfold). 

The equivalent to interval training at the gym in the world of the mind is something called the Pomodoro technique—using intervals of time to cycle between activity and recovery when performing desk-related tasks. I first blogged about this method in passing when writing about digital distraction and how the Pomodoro technique got me through writing my doctoral dissertation, and I have once again reintroduced Pomodoro into my everyday routine with some great results.

The steps of the technique are dead simple:

  1. Decide on the task you want to tackle
  2. Set a timer for the work interval you choose (25-45 minutes is the norm)
  3. Work on the task without any distractions during that time (i.e. turn off all external stimuli)
  4. End work when the timer goes off
  5. Take a break away from your desk for the time you choose (5-15 minutes). Congratulations, you have completed one Pomodoro
  6. Repeat, and after 3-4 Pomodoros, finish for the day, or take a break equivalent to one Pomodoro (25-45 minutes) before returning to work

The technique is designed to create some very powerful habits. First and foremost you are forcing yourself to start a task (usually the toughest part) and if you are especially bad at procrastinating, I recommend beginning with 25 minute Pomodoros. Dedicating yourself to 25 minutes is not that tough, and before you know it you will find yourself engrossed in your work when the timer goes off. Over time you can increase the time interval (I like 45 minutes). Another important element to the interval is eliminating all distractions. No email or social media notifications, turn off your phone, and close your office door.

Working for a concentrated, distraction-free, interval of time, followed by a break, is the Pomodoro technique in a nutshell. 

Working for a concentrated, distraction-free, interval of time, followed by a break, is the Pomodoro technique in a nutshell. 

Second, you are required to rest. This can be tough at first if you simply cannot pull yourself away from the task, but trust me that the break is essential for both recovery and clearing the brain for another burst of activity—just like at the gym when you walk after sprinting to catch your breath. Many people try to pull off a multiple hour work marathon without breaks, and while this can work from time to time when needed, it is not a sustainable habit over the long term and does not form the habit of daily productivity. Remember the longer the work interval, the longer the break (25 minutes followed by 5 minute break, or 45 minutes followed by 15 minute break). During your break, you can get a drink, check your social media feeds, or watch a few minutes of a show. But whatever happens, you must return to your task when the timer goes off. Easier said than done, but this is where you build your discipline, and to be honest, I am usually eager to get back and pick up my last train of thought. 

Finally, the concept of Pomodoro holds to the idea, also put forth by Bailey in his book, that we must strive to work in shorter spans of time without distraction. Better to set aside 3-4 hours a day of concentrated time to accomplish a set task then to block out 8 hours without many parameters or guards against distraction, exhaustion, or simple procrastination. Efficiency, self-control, and grit build over time using the Pomodoro technique—a skill set that allows you to build confidence in overcoming procrastination—along with earning back wasted hours that you can spend on leisure activities.

All you need to get started is a simple timer. But if you want to get fancy or technical, there are several useful Pomodoro apps available for desktops and phones (search term Pomodoro). My favourite one is a very minimal and modern app for the Mac, or you can get started right away with a desk tool by visiting tomato-timer.com.

← Weekly Flipboard Links and Media Round UpWeekly Flipboard Links and Media Round Up →
Back to Top
Screenshot 2018-02-05 20.48.17.png

© Dorothy Barenscott, 2010-2025