As long as the present currency of 'art' (as adjudicated by art officials) remains trapped in 'critical theory', rest assured it _should_ go down, down, down because it was derivative mindless trash from the get go. Marxism is the opiate of the social sciences. Is it instructive that Marx, later in life, invested in the stock market and did well? Where we perhaps agree is a perturbation point has been breached. You make it sound like a negative thing. Over to you, sir.
Claude, how is the three-pronged mantra -- namely, (a) "prepare for systems failure and societal collapse," (b), "bend like bamboo without breaking during the turmoil and devastation," and (c) "sustain ecological balance during recovery and regeneration," differ from conspiracy theorists proposing over and over and over and over _the end is nigh_? How about reframing (for a generation perhaps traumatized by endless speculative noise that the future is dark, cruel, mean-spirited, ugly and will never, ever be as good as it was since the last time utopia reigned on the earth) that this is an unbelievably exciting time to be alive! And it is, Claude. Never has there been so many people, with so much technology at hand to make the future. Inexpensive tech in the pockets of the great unwashed & slightly showered (you and me, for one) interconnecting artists _around the world_. The bang, bang, bang of the doom and gloom is counterproductive. Be more creative. Let the imaginal seep into the imagination and then _engineer_ it into fruition. The end -- thanks for reading!
Don, thanks for this. Agreed on an more optimistic outlook (I'm working on that) but when people (not just you) talk about 'so much technology' without mentioning their massive ecological footprint or our disconnection with nature I get worried that we're going down the 'tech will fix this' path which won't help. Yes, we interconnected, for now, but the prognosis is that we need a 'great simplification' in order to live within our means and have a chance. Young people know this and want to know what they do, concretely, to get there. This is not doom and gloom. This is reality with all of its potential. My point with 'prepare, bend, sustain' is quite hopeful. Prepare for what is already here (but will get much worse - a verifiable fact), bend so the we don't lose it all (eg maintain some kind of a quality of life during the hardest time) and then arrive at a level of sustainable life. I agree with creativity part (the Surviving the Future course is full of it) and 'imaginal seeping into the imagination'. This is what artists and creatives do but it needs to be anchored in the reality that tech is more part of the problem then solution (see https://burnoutfromhumans.net) and that the great simplification, as Nate Hagens puts it, includes a spiritual reckoning. I'm seeing this unfold all around me. It's now a question of scale and connection, which is technology can help, within planetary boundaries. Thanks again. I don't mean to be critical. I know what you are saying. best
Naw -- I don't buy what you're selling (repackaged marxist 'critical theory' -- sorry, but that's what it is). Specifically, it's not about optimism or tech-will-fix-everything, it has to do with _tools_. And the endless rant that Hagens et al go on and on and on about is a _tool of oppression_ (if you employ 'critical theory' to its end). Quit playing footsie with the usual-gang-of-suspects (the critical theory gang), and jump in with an art solution. Clause, our end may be nigh (given our senior citizen status). Meantime: the future looks pretty amazing for young engineers with new tools that was magical thinking less than a generation ago. One last note: I gave a talk in Moscow in 2017. My host showed me cultural points-of-pride in the city. When I chanced upon a huge public art sculpture of Karl Marx (near the Bolshoi Ballet), I quipped, "so this is the guy that caused all the trouble." My host was silent for a moment, then said, to paraphrase "we thought the West would know better," adding the sculpture stood as a reminder of marx's ideas. "Don't you know it's poison."
Thx Don, I don't buy most of what you say either but I do appreciate your point about rhetoric (I will keep this in mind) however in my mind, truth remain truth.
This being said, your comments reminded me that art making today only makes sense in the context of collapse awareness and acceptance. All the rest is fluff.
I worry that the arts system will go down with the ship, as opposed to helping us to break through barriers and create another worlds.
I know this a lot to ask of artists who are already struggling to survive but maybe it’s time to change the (art) system and the role of art and artists?
Oh, btw I don’t think technology will save us.
I’m writing a piece now called ‘l’art est mort : vive l’art’ soon where I explain things a bit more.
(1) While it's long past closing time, yes, "it's time to change the (art) system and the role of art and artists..."
(2) However, as long as the present currency of 'art' (as adjudicated by art officials) remains trapped in 'critical theory', rest assured it _should_ go down, down, down -- oblivion would be welcome -- because it was derivative mindless trash from the get go.
(3) Marxism is the opiate of the social sciences. Is it instructive that Marx, later in life, invested in the stock market and did well?
(4) I agree a perturbation point has been breached. You make it sound like a negative thing.
As long as the present currency of 'art' (as adjudicated by art officials) remains trapped in 'critical theory', rest assured it _should_ go down, down, down because it was derivative mindless trash from the get go. Marxism is the opiate of the social sciences. Is it instructive that Marx, later in life, invested in the stock market and did well? Where we perhaps agree is a perturbation point has been breached. You make it sound like a negative thing. Over to you, sir.
Oh, dear me...
Claude, how is the three-pronged mantra -- namely, (a) "prepare for systems failure and societal collapse," (b), "bend like bamboo without breaking during the turmoil and devastation," and (c) "sustain ecological balance during recovery and regeneration," differ from conspiracy theorists proposing over and over and over and over _the end is nigh_? How about reframing (for a generation perhaps traumatized by endless speculative noise that the future is dark, cruel, mean-spirited, ugly and will never, ever be as good as it was since the last time utopia reigned on the earth) that this is an unbelievably exciting time to be alive! And it is, Claude. Never has there been so many people, with so much technology at hand to make the future. Inexpensive tech in the pockets of the great unwashed & slightly showered (you and me, for one) interconnecting artists _around the world_. The bang, bang, bang of the doom and gloom is counterproductive. Be more creative. Let the imaginal seep into the imagination and then _engineer_ it into fruition. The end -- thanks for reading!
Don, thanks for this. Agreed on an more optimistic outlook (I'm working on that) but when people (not just you) talk about 'so much technology' without mentioning their massive ecological footprint or our disconnection with nature I get worried that we're going down the 'tech will fix this' path which won't help. Yes, we interconnected, for now, but the prognosis is that we need a 'great simplification' in order to live within our means and have a chance. Young people know this and want to know what they do, concretely, to get there. This is not doom and gloom. This is reality with all of its potential. My point with 'prepare, bend, sustain' is quite hopeful. Prepare for what is already here (but will get much worse - a verifiable fact), bend so the we don't lose it all (eg maintain some kind of a quality of life during the hardest time) and then arrive at a level of sustainable life. I agree with creativity part (the Surviving the Future course is full of it) and 'imaginal seeping into the imagination'. This is what artists and creatives do but it needs to be anchored in the reality that tech is more part of the problem then solution (see https://burnoutfromhumans.net) and that the great simplification, as Nate Hagens puts it, includes a spiritual reckoning. I'm seeing this unfold all around me. It's now a question of scale and connection, which is technology can help, within planetary boundaries. Thanks again. I don't mean to be critical. I know what you are saying. best
Naw -- I don't buy what you're selling (repackaged marxist 'critical theory' -- sorry, but that's what it is). Specifically, it's not about optimism or tech-will-fix-everything, it has to do with _tools_. And the endless rant that Hagens et al go on and on and on about is a _tool of oppression_ (if you employ 'critical theory' to its end). Quit playing footsie with the usual-gang-of-suspects (the critical theory gang), and jump in with an art solution. Clause, our end may be nigh (given our senior citizen status). Meantime: the future looks pretty amazing for young engineers with new tools that was magical thinking less than a generation ago. One last note: I gave a talk in Moscow in 2017. My host showed me cultural points-of-pride in the city. When I chanced upon a huge public art sculpture of Karl Marx (near the Bolshoi Ballet), I quipped, "so this is the guy that caused all the trouble." My host was silent for a moment, then said, to paraphrase "we thought the West would know better," adding the sculpture stood as a reminder of marx's ideas. "Don't you know it's poison."
Thx Don, I don't buy most of what you say either but I do appreciate your point about rhetoric (I will keep this in mind) however in my mind, truth remain truth.
This being said, your comments reminded me that art making today only makes sense in the context of collapse awareness and acceptance. All the rest is fluff.
I worry that the arts system will go down with the ship, as opposed to helping us to break through barriers and create another worlds.
I know this a lot to ask of artists who are already struggling to survive but maybe it’s time to change the (art) system and the role of art and artists?
Oh, btw I don’t think technology will save us.
I’m writing a piece now called ‘l’art est mort : vive l’art’ soon where I explain things a bit more.
This will likely get me in trouble :-)
Four rejoinders (without irony):
(1) While it's long past closing time, yes, "it's time to change the (art) system and the role of art and artists..."
(2) However, as long as the present currency of 'art' (as adjudicated by art officials) remains trapped in 'critical theory', rest assured it _should_ go down, down, down -- oblivion would be welcome -- because it was derivative mindless trash from the get go.
(3) Marxism is the opiate of the social sciences. Is it instructive that Marx, later in life, invested in the stock market and did well?
(4) I agree a perturbation point has been breached. You make it sound like a negative thing.
Over to you, sir.