Roland - Monoskop · 2019. 8. 15. · Ad Reinhardt, ‘[ON NEGATION]’, Art-as-Art: The Selected...

Roland TheICA’sMagazine Issue6 June—August2010 — FeatuRing backgRound mateRial on

4 OscarTuazon MyMistake

12 TheTroublewithSociety

16 HarmonyKorine TrashHumpers

22 GangofFour

26 LIFT

— looking back

30 MashUp

— aRtist pRoject

34 MarkvonSchlegell TheArtistAbstract#3

— including texts & otheR contRibutions by

PhillipBlondJosephConradTimEtchellsPeterFendCharlesJencks&NathanSilverJean-LucNancyJonKing&AndyGillHarmonyKorineEdwardLawrensonGreilMarcusHaroldOffeh,LeilaMcAlister&JoeNunnPhilippePirotteRayoAdReinhardtMarkvonSchlegellMarkVernon

Roland / issue 6 / june—august 20102

PublishedtoaccompanytheICAprogrammeJune—August2010

Editor:RichardBirkettCopyeditor:MelissaLarnerDesigner:SarahBoris

Printer:NewsfaxInternationalPublisher:ICA,London

TheICAandOscarTuazonwouldliketothanktheFrenchEmbassyfortheirgeneroussupportoftheOscarTuazonexhibition.WewouldalsoliketothankShahinAfrassiabi,DanieleBalice,StephenBeasley,EivindFurnesvik,AlexanderHertling,PhilippePirotte,JaneRendell,MatthewStadler,JonathanViner,MatthewWilliams.

ICAPreviewssupportedby:ChangBeer,Thailand’saward-winningbeer.

ThedesignofROLANDhasbeenadaptedfromaneditorialsystemoriginallycreatedbyWillStuart,anditsnameistakenfromtheartistandICAfounderRolandPenrose.

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeansmechanical,photocopyingorotherwise,withoutpriorpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

AllimagesbyOscarTuazonarecourtesytheartistandBaliceHertling,Paris;FortescueAvenue/JonathanViner,London;Maccarone,NewYorkandSTANDARD(OSLO),Oslo

Allotherimagescourtesytheartistsandaslistedhereafter.TrashHumpersp.17&18:CourtesyofWarpFilms/AlcoveEntertainment.

Alltextscopyrighttheauthors,andpublishersaslistedincitations.Alleffortshavebeenmadetocontacttherightfulownerswithregardstocopyrightandpermissions.

InstituteofContemporaryArtsTheMallLondonSW1Y5AHUnitedKingdom+442079303647www.ica.org.uk

ExecutiveDirector:EkowEshunActingDirectorofProgramme:DavidThorpHeadofLiveProgramme:JamieEastmanHeadofLearning:Emma-JayneTaylorHeadofTechnical:LeeCurranDirectorofCommunications:NatashaPlowrightCinemaProgrammer:DavidCoxCinemaCoordinator:TejinderJouhalCurators:RichardBirkett,CharlotteBonham-CarterLearningCurator:GemmaTortellaLearningCoordinator:VickyCarmichaelTalksProgrammers:EkowEshun,GinoBrignoliGalleryManager:TrevorHallPressOfficer:JenniferByrneEditionsManager:VickySteerGalleryAssistants:CorinneCalder,PaulGillespie,LeahLovett,GeorgeVasey

ICAPatrons:MarlonAbela,Ayling&Conroy,NasserAzam,KevinBaker,KathyBurnham,DimitrisDaskalopoulos,FredDorfman,GeorgeDragonas,PeterDubens,GrahamEdwards,DeniseEsfandi,JulesandBarbaraFarber,CharlesFinch,GerryFox,TierneyGearon,DavidKotler,EvgenyLebedev,PatrickLong,MichelleMcKeown,MonicaO’Neill,YanaPeel,GuyPerricone,BlankaandVedranPerse,EddyPirard,NicolaPlant,StinaRichardson,SpasRoussev,JohnScott,AmirShariat,NadjaSwarovski,ManuelaWirth,AnitaZabludowicz

Cover:OscarTuazon,AnotherNamelessVentureGoneWrong,2009.Installationview,Støperet/HaugarVestfoldArtMuseum,TønsbergPhotographer:VegardKleven

p.5:OscarTuazon,Untitled,2010.Installationview,KunsthalleBern.Photographer:DominiqueUldry

….anti-anti art, non-non-art, non-expressionist, non-imagist, non-surrealist, non-primitivist, non-fauvist, non-futurist, non-figurative, non-objective, non-subjective, non-action, non-romantic, non-visionary, non-imaginative, non-mythical, non-organic, non-vitalist, non-violent, non-vulgar, non-naturalist, non-supernaturalist, anti-accident, anti-brute-junk-pop-folk-art, non-local, non-regionalist, non-nationalist, non-representational, non-poetic, non-dramatic, non-entertainment, non-naïve, non-barbaric, non-nomadic, non-rural, non-eccentric, non-racist, non-commercial, non-linear, non-diagrammatic, non-tachist, non-informal, non-irregular, non-sculptural, non-architectural, non-mural, non-decorative, non-colorist, non-ready-made, non-spontaneous, non-irrational, non-sensational, non-impulsive, non-physical, non-technical, non-asymmetrical, non-gesticulating, non-gesturing, anti-happening, non-mannerist, non-plastic non-relational, non-venal, non-calligraphic

…… pure, purist, puritan, puritanical, protestant, passivist, rationalist, perfectionist, platonic, negativist, abstract, fine, free, right, absolute, absolutist, academic, academicist, dogmatic, domatistic, aesthetic, aestheticist, moral, moralist, moralistic, priestly, islamicist, iconoclastic, iconoclasticistic, classicist, classicistic, priestly, hermetic, separatist, exclusivist, idealist, idealistic, mandarinist, byzantinist, traditionalist, conventionalist, historicist, determinist, programmatic, transcendent, formalist, extremist, formalistic, detached, disinterested, meaningless, formless, colorless, lineless, spaceless, lightless, timeless, deathless, lifeless, breathless, cold, empty, sterile, dull, monotonous, repetitious, rigid, intellectual, inhuman, dehumanized, unintelligible, sophisticated, uninteresting no paint-caricaturings, no-scumble-bumpkinism, no personality-picturesqueness, no texturing-gesturings, no Dadaism, popism, no duchampism, no romanticist-tricks-of-the-trade, no pop, no poop, no pope, no corn, no brushwork-bravura, no janisisms, no jobberies, no qualities, no professional racketeering, marketeering, no amateur-fun-thinging-recreational-area no delirium-trimmings, no kicking-the-effigy no action-arena-canvas and careerism no nature-mending, reality-reducing, life-inspiring, society-reflecting, universe insighting, zeit-geisting no good-timing and fun-thinging

jackpot boxering, juke-box hit-paradecamaraderie

AdReinhardt,‘[ONNEGATION]’,Art-as-Art:TheSelectedWritingsofAdReinhardt,ed.BarbaraRose,UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1991

[on negation] colophon

intRoduction 3

TheICAwelcomesyoutothepagesofthesixthissueofROLAND,whichmovestoanewformatinordertofeaturehighlightsfromacrosstheinstitute’sprogramme.Thepublicationisdividedintosections that address our activities occurring between June andAugustincluding:asoloexhibitionbyParisbasedartistOscarTua-zon,aneventfocusingonpost-punkbandGangofFour,asympo-siumonthepoliticsofcommunity, therelease inourcinemaofHarmonyKorine’sTrashHumpers, and theLondon InternationalFestivalofTheatre. Eachsectioncontainsanintroduction,alongsideadditionalmaterialfromawiderangeofauthors,artistsandcommentators,providingabroadcontextwithinwhichtoviewthefeaturedproj-ect.ThepublicationalsoincludesalookbackatourrecentlearningprojectMashUp, andafinal sectiondevoted toanartist’sprojectintendedtobeexperiencedthroughthepublishedformat;inthisissuewefeatureashortstoryfromwriterMarkvonSchlegell.


Located in the ICA’s ground floor gallery, but extending beyond the physical confines of this space, this exhibition is the first solo presentation in a British public gallery of work by Oscar Tuazon, a US-born, Paris-based artist, writer and curator. Tuazon’s artwork is largely sculptural in nature, tak-ing on a formal language situated between architecture, Minimalist art and an aesthetic peculiar to the utilitarian constructions of outsider communities. Comprised of a com-bination of natural and industrial materi-als, Tuazon’s structures create tension both between their physical parts and with the spaces they inhabit. Adopting the problems and materi-als of structural engineering and hands-on construction, Tuazon’s intervention in the ICA building is comprised of a number of repeating modular units, made from large wooden beams and steel fittings. The struc-ture pushes at the boundaries of the gallery space, forcing it to adapt and to reengineer itself in order to accommodate the work. Built on site and without plans, the result-ing mesh of struts and columns has an im-provised, precarious quality that suggests the artwork’s struggle for autonomy. This is an object potentially freed from the con-straining rules of architecture and art, an object that can survive on its own, without a roof overhead or a structure to house it, or even someone to see it. The ICA installation is an extension of Tuazon’s long-standing interest in how the built environment is redefined and rede-signed by the act of inhabitation. Drawing on the methodology of Henry David Tho-reau, put forward in his philosophical trea-tise, Walden (1854), Tuazon’s previous works

have confronted nature and architecture to suggest that a particular lifestyle can manu-facture the space around it. The develop-ment of a structure that surrounds the view-er, as opposed to existing on a human scale, constitutes a new trajectory for Tuazon that he first fully explored in an exhibition at the Kunsthalle Bern in Switzerland earlier in 2010. At the ICA, this strand of his work continues to grow, with the structure evolv-ing in and negotiating with the space in which it is situated.

Oscar Tuazon was born in 1975 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He moved to Paris in 2007 and co-founded the artist-run collective and gallery, castillo/corrales. His numerous solo shows include Kunsthalle Bern (2010), Parc Saint Léger – Centre d’art contemporain (2010), Centre international d’art et du pay-sage de l’île de Vassivière (2009), Künstler-haus Stuttgart (2009) and David Roberts Foundation, London (2009). The exhibition, curated by the ICA’s Charlotte Bonham-Carter, will coincide with the release of a comprehensive catalogue on Tuazon’s work, published by Kunsthalle Bern, Do.Pe. Press, Paraguay Press, Centre international d’art et du paysage de l’île de Vassivière and Parc Saint Léger – Centre d’art contemporain. The exhibition is also accompanied by a series of events and a limited edition print; for more information on these, please visit: www.ica.org.uk/oscartuazon

oscaR tuazonMy Mistake

—

4 June – 15 August


oscaR tuazon’s abstRact Violence

—philippe piRotte

Thereisneverastorybehindthesculptures,thestructures,some-thingyouneedtoknowinordertounderstandthemorseethem.ImighthavesomethinginmindwhileIambuilding,butIdon’tsharethat;thatisnotpartofthework.TomeitisdistractingtobetoldwhatIamlookingat.Idon’tthinkstorieshaveaplaceinsculpture.Ideasdon’thaveaplaceinsculpture.Idon’thaveanyideas–Ijustgotowork.Ideasgetintheway.–OscarTuazon1

OscarTuazon’sprojectattheICAisrootedinthreerecentexhibi-tions of hiswork in France and Switzerland.At the KunsthalleBern,hebuiltamodularstructureofwoodenbeams,whichencom-passedthewholegallery.Basedoncertainprinciplesofgeometry,he repeatedhis initial sculpture five times, cutting through thewallsofthebuildinginanincreasinglycomplexinteractionwiththespace,whichobstructedtheverylogicofthesculpture’spro-gression.InBern,visitorswereremindedofpreviousexhibitionsofSolLewitt’swork,whichtookplaceintheKunsthalleBernin1989and1992,aswellashisparticipationintheconsequentialgroup exhibition in 1969 (which later toured to the Institute ofContemporaryArts,London),WhenAttitudeBecomesForm.TheICAinstallationalsostartswithamodule,whichtheartistsubjectstovarious declensions and repetitions, pursuing a certain logic adabsurdum.Thisinsistenceonfollowingthelogicofthework,onsuppressingtheaestheticdimensionandworkingblind,iswhatdrawsTuazontoLeWitt’sapproach. Whenfirstdetermining thebasic formof thepiece,Tuazonstages a confrontation with the context of its production. An

the spiRit oFadhocism

—chaRles jencks

& nathan silVeR

Adhocmeans‘forthis’specificneedorpurpose.

Aneediscommontoalllivingthings;onlymenhavehigherpurposes.Buttheseneedsandpurposesarenormallyfrustratedbythegreattimeandenergyexpendedintheirrealisation. Apurposeimmediatelyfulfilledistheidealofadhocism;itcutsthroughtheusualdelayscausedbyspecialisation,bureaucracyandhierarchicalorganisation. Todayweareimmersedinforcesandideasthathinderthefulfilmentofhumanpurposes;largecorporationsstan-dardiseandlimitourchoice;philosophiesofbehaviourismconditionpeopletodenytheirpotentialfreedom;‘modernarchi-tecture’becomestheconventionfor‘goodtaste’andanexcusetodenythepluralityofactualneeds. Butanewmodeofdirectactionisemerging,therebirthofademocraticmodeandstyle,whereeveryonecancreatehispersonalenvironmentoutofimpersonalsubsystems,whethertheyareneworold,modernorantique.Byrealis-inghisimmediateneeds,bycombiningadhocparts,theindividualcreates,sus-tainsandtranscendshimself.Shapingthelocalenvironmenttowardsdesiredendsisakeytomentalhealth;thepresentenvironment,blankandunresponsive,isakeytoidiocyandbrainwashing.

Urgency and purposeThephraseadhoc,meaning‘forthis’specificpurpose,revealsthedesireforimmediateandpurposefulactionthatpermeateseverydaylife.Oneisconstantlyinvolvedinsmall-scaleactivitiesthathaveanimmediateendinview:togetoutofbedinthemorning,toreplenishthedigestivestock,toworkonsomethingsignificant,etc.Lifeisfilledwithsuchgoal-directedactions,varyingfromthetrivialtotheprofound,manyofwhicharediscontinuousorunrelatedtoeachother.Twotypicalusesofthephraseadhocbringoutthisvariablebutpurposefulnatureofhumanactivity:

—Left-over,fermentingsoupadded ad-hoctospaghettiimprovesits vapidtaste.

and

—TheAdHocCommitteetoEndtheWar inVietnamwasformedforthespecific goalofendingthatwarandwilldisap- pearwhenitsgoaldoes.

Thesetwostatementsdistinguishadhocismfromrandom,undirectedorhaphazardactionwithwhichitissometimesconfused.Butifadhocismisindeedpurposeful,howdoesitdifferfromotherkindsofdirectedbehaviour?Basically,adhocismconsistsofageneral

andlooseapproachtoaproblemratherthanatightandsystematicone.Thus,seventeenth-centuryboat-builderswentintotheforesttocutready-made‘subsystems’fromthetrees,combiningthemadhoctoconstructships.Inthesecombinations,becausethesubsystemswerenottailor-madefortheirnewrole,therewasalotofextraneousmaterialleftover,whichlaterhadtobecutaway.Thecharacteristicadhocamalgamationcontainsmuchthatisinessential,much

oscaR tuazon / jencks & silVeR, piRotte 7

importantpartofhisstrategyisthathemustworkonsite.Thisdoesnotmeanthesameasmakingsite-specificart,sinceTuazonseemstodenythesite,annihilatingtheexistingspaceandenter-ingintoakindofcombatwithit.Beforeashow,hewillmoveintotheexhibitionspacefordays,sometimesweeks,livingthereandoccupyingthesite.Howtheworkfunctionsandwhatitcomestolooklikeisdetermined,toalargeextent,bythisprocess.Toputitintheartist’sownwords:“mybasicworkingtemplateisalwaysmovingintoaspace,fill[ing]itup,push[ing]ittillsomethinggoeswrong. I think about itmore like sex.That’s theway I thoughtaboutthepieceinBern:itistwostructuresfuckingeachother.”2EquallyimportantforTuazonistodeveloparelationshipwiththepeoplewhoalready inhabit thespace– thecurator, the techni-ciansandthegallerystaff–althoughhedoesnotwishthemtoknowinadvancewhattheprojectwilllooklikeintheend. Evenif thereisnoaudiencewhileheis installingthework,Tuazonmakesa‘performative’jumpintoanunknownmentalspaceinordertoconceive,develop,executeandinstallthepiece.Thesedifferentactionsarecondensedintoaveryshortperiodoftimesothattheyalltakeplacesimultaneously,precludingthepossibilityofthe‘executionofaconcept’.Asaresult,thepiecedevelopsasen-sibilitythatisveryfarremovedfromaMinimalistorConceptualaesthetic.Thereisakindofperformativeenergycontainedinthework,andthewholeprocessofmakingit, includingmistakes, isleftvisibleinthefinishedpiece.Infact,TuazonseestheICApieceasabody;thefinalreferentoftheworkisn’tanidea,butaperson,avoice,aphysicalbody. Farfromdesigningsomethingtobefabricatedoroutsourced,Tuazonlikestothinkwithhishands.Theproductionprocesstakesprecedenceovertheconceptualprocess:“Myworkcomesentirelyfromanengagementwiththespecificconditionsofitsproduction,andnaturally,thereareallkindsofsocial,economic,andphysicalforcesthatintersectinaparticularprojectandleavetheirmarksonit.ButIreallydon’ttrustthedeclarativepotentialofanartwork,orinanycase,Idon’tthinkIpersonallyhaveanythingtosayabout

thatisfortuitousandredundant.Butifitisnotasrefinedandpreciseasotherkindsofpurposefulaction,thenatleastitismoreopen,suggestiveandrichinpossibilities.Theextraneousmaterialsug-gestsnewuses,whereastheperfectedandrefinedconstructionisusuallyconfinedtoitsspecifiedends. Perhapstheoldestandsimplestmethodofcreationconsistsofcombin-ingreadilyavailablesubsystemsadhoc,sinceitisalwayseasiertoworkwith

whatisfamiliarandathandthanwhatisremovedinspaceandtime.Atanyrate,thisisthecharacteristicmodeofcreationintribalcultures:thecreationofmasks,clothing,weaponsandshelterfromthematerialsavailable,suchasbone,shell,wood,hair,etc.TheanthropologistClaudeLévi-StrausshasdiscussedthisactivityunderitscommonFrenchlabel,bricolage:

…the‘bricoleur’isstillsomeonewhoworkswithhandsandusesdevious

meanscomparedtothoseofacraftsman...…The‘bricoleur’isadeptatperformingalargenumberofdiversetasks;but,unliketheengineer,hedoesnotsubordinateeachofthemtotheavailabilityofrawmaterialsandtoolsconceivedandpro-curedforthepurposeoftheproject.Hisuniverseofinstrumentsisclosedandtherulesofhisgamearealwaystomakedowith‘whateverisathand’…theengineerisalwaystryingtomakehiswayoutofandgobeyondtheconstraintsimposedbyaparticularstateofcivilizationwhilethe‘bricoleur’byinclinationornecessityalwaysremainswithinthem.1

Thedistinctionbetweenbricolageandengineeringorscienceisoneofdegreeandintentionratherthankindorquality.Boththebricoleurandthescientistaremotivatedbyasearchaftertruthanddealequallyrigorouslywithfacts.Theyareequallyobjective.Bothhavetomakeuseofpre-existingsubsystems,butwhilethescientisttriestoexpandhisinitialsetofresources,thebricoleurstickswithhisexistingresourcesaslongashepossiblycan.Thedistinctionisbetweenappro-priatenessandurgency.Thescientistisintentonusingthetoolsandhypothesisappropriatetohisjob,whereasthebri-coleuroradhocistisintentonundertak-inghisjobimmediately,withwhateverresourcesareavailable.Botharegoal-orientedinageneralway.

ExcerptfromCharlesJencks&NathanSilver,‘TheSpiritofAdhocism’,Adhocism,TheCaseforImprovisation,MartinSecker&WarburgLimited,1972,pp.15–17,19–20.

1. ClaudeLévi-Strauss,TheSavageMind,Weidenfeld andNicholson,1966,pp.16–19.


Vonu the seaRch FoR

peRsonal FReedom—

Rayo

Associations,Attitudes,Objectives:Atthemomentthereareveryfewvonu-ans–perhapsseveralhundredinNorthAmerica.Andtheseareinmanydiffer-entplacesandwithdifferentlife-styles.Mostarenotincontactwitheachother.AttimesDrGandIcraveassociationwithmorepeople,notonlyforeconomicbenefitssuchaspoolingoutsidepur-chasesandtrips,butforinteractionwithdifferentminds.Butwehavediscoveredthatassociationwithsheep-peopleorbullshittersonlymakesus‘lonelier’.Suchassociationislikeadrinkofsaltwatertoathirstyman.Wemuchpreferjusttobewithtrees,flowers,birds,brooks–andthefewpeoplewithwhomwesharevaluesandgoals. ButIdon’tthinkthiswillbeaproblemforlong.Moreandmorepeoplearerejectingtheattitudesandrolesoftheservilesociety.Whileonlyasmallminorityofthewholepopulation,theynumbertensofthousands.Someattemptto‘turnbacktheclock’bymovingtofarmsorsmalltowns.Butruraldwellersareconspicuouslyunfree,sothosewhoreallywantfreedomwillsearchinotherdirections. Avonuan,tome,isnotjustsomeonelivinginaparticularmanner.Life-stylesmaychange.Alife-stylethatwasvonu100yearsagomaynotbevonutoday;somelife-stylesvonutodaywerenotpossible100yearsagoandmaynotbevonufiftyyearsfromnow.Avonuanissomeonewhoplacesahighvalueonrelativeinvulner-abilitytocoercion–someoneforwhomfreedomisworthafairamount(thoughnotinfinite)ofeffort,inconvenience,discomfort.Toavonuan,vonuisnotjustameanstootherends,norisitanultimateend–likemostqualitiesoflife,andlifeitself,itisboth.Avonuanwillchoosewhateverwayoflivingofferspersonalsovereigntyandwillchangelife-styleagainandagainifnecessary. Althoughlife-stylemayvary,avonuancanbeidentifiedonlybywhathedoes–especiallybyperseveranceoveralongperiod–notbywhathesays.Wordsarecheap.Thisisnottorejectideology.SomeonewhodoesnotseethroughthemythsoftheStatewillnotforlongremainvonu,ifbygoodfortuneheshouldbecomevonu.Butanti-stateideologyisn’tenough. Iffreedomwerefree(moreprecisely,ifvonuweregratis),almosteveryone

ethicsorpolitics.”3Hedoesnotmakesketches,modelsorcomputerrenderingsofwhattheexhibitionwillbe,andhehasneverhadastudiopractice.Helikesthepressureofworkingonsite,againstatimeline,againstabudget:“That’swhatIlearnedfromworkinginarchitecture,andinconstruction–theworkisalwayscontingentontheconditionsofproduction.Itisaprocessofadaptation.Youtrytofindthelimitsofthebudget,thelimitsofthesite,whatthepeople you’reworkingwith are capable of, and the form of theworkisdeterminedbyhowyoumanagethosefactors.Idon’tstartwithaconcept,Istartwiththeconditionsandlettheconditionsdeterminetheformasmuchaspossible.”4 Through this method of working, Tuazon illustrates how abuildingisdefinedbywhathappensinsideit,notbyitsdesign.Heisinterestedinhowaparticularwayoflivingcanalterthespacearoundit.ThisdesiretomoveintothespaceandalteritsdynamicsrecallsAllanKaprow’shappeningPushandPull:aFurnitureComedyforHansHoffmann,whichaimedtocompletelychangethemoodandcharacterofanexistingspace.5However,Tuazondoesn’tcon-siderhisworkasarchitectureorevenasanarchitecturalmetaphor.Hebelievesthatitisimpossibletoworkarchitecturallyinanexhi-bitionspace,because“alltheproblemsthatarchitectureneedstosolvehavealreadybeensolved:there’salreadyaroofoverhead;aheatingsystem;plumbing;wallsandafloor.Thefunctionalimper-ativeofarchitectureiswhat’sinterestingaboutit,andwhenthoseproblemsaresolvedwhatareyouleftwith?Youcanmakemod-els,prototypes,youcantestthingsout,butyoucan’trecreatetheurgencyofhavingtosolvearealproblem.”6Tuazon’strueconcerniswhathappensifanartworkchallengesthebuilding. InhisexhibitionattheICA,Tuazontreatsthebuildingasawhole,making awork that occupies the gallery’s various spacessimultaneously.At the same time,heattacks the ideaofa spaceforart,and thenotion thatanybuildingcaneveraccommodatean artwork. While the Kunsthalle Bern, designed in 1911, stillbears the tracesofabourgeoishome, the ICA isaverydifferentspace, reflecting the radical change in presumptions ofwhat an

wouldbefree(vonu).Butfreedomisn’tfree;itisquiteexpensiveandwilllikelyremaincostlyintheforeseeablefuture.Mostpeoplepresentlyalivedonotvaluevonuverymuch.Onereason,perhaps,isthatduringthousandsofyearsofpre-technologicalagriculture,servilityhadasurvivalvalue.Duringthisperiodcon-ventionalfarmingwasthemostefficientwayofproducingfood.Anditisdifficulttoconceiveofalife-stylemoresubjecttocoercionthanthatofthetraditional

farmer;notonlyishevisibleandusu-allyseparatedfromhisfellows,but‘his’homeandlandareespeciallyvulnerabletoattack.Servilitywasnotgenerallypro-survivalpriortoagriculture.WhenNorthAmericawas‘settled’,fewofthenatives,whoweremostlyhunters/foragers,weresuccessfullyenslaved.Toobtainobedientsubjectsthebludghadtobringslavesandindenturedservantsfromthemoreagrar-iansocietiesofWestAfricaandEurope. Idon’tknowifservilityisdue

oscaR tuazon / Rayo, piRotte 9

convertingmostorganiccompoundsintomostotherorganiccompounds.Loadthehopperwithdeadleavesorsawdust,inserttheproperprogramme,waitafewdays,andoutcomefoodwafersthatareatleastasnutritiousandtastyasmostofthestuffsoldinsupermarketstoday.Insertdifferentprogrammesandoutcomevariousplasticsforconstructionandclothing.Ofcourse,thisisjustoneapproach.MaybeIwillmodifymydigestivetracttoconvertcellu-losetosugar.MaybeIwilldevelophardiervarietiesoftraditionalfoodplantsabletogrowwildwithlittleassistance,aswellasmorepalatablevarietiesofwildplants.Fortheimmediatefuture,maybemini-grow-holesaretheway.Inanycase,Idon’tthinkthatfarmingisthewaveofthefuture. Withthedeclineofagriculture,servilitylosessurvivalvalue.Improvingcommunicationhasthesameeffect–peoplewillnolongerneedtocrowdintocitiesorbevisibleanywheretoworkandplaytogether.Considerthepotentialitiesofpseudo-random-noiseradiotransmis-sion–codedtransmissiondetectableonlywithmatchingreceivers.Eventhatinstitutionrunamok,thecontemporaryState,hasthiseffect:itisitsmostgullibleandeasilyintimidatedsubjectswhoaremostlikelytobekilledinitswars.SoIthinkinthelongrun,peoplewhoplaceahighvalueonpersonal/smallgroupsover-eigntywillbecomealargerproportionofthehumanpopulation. Vonu,whiledifficult,iseasiernowthanithasbeensincetheNeolithicperiod.Perhapsashighasoneortwopercentofthepopulation,throughacci-dentsofheredityandenvironment,havevaluesandabilitiessufficienttoachieveit.Tobecomevonuwemustdisentangleourselvesfromthosewhowon’torcan’tachieveit–rejectall‘reform-society-as-a-whole’schemes,putasideutopiandreamsofworld-widefreesocieties,andgetwithourselvesandeachother–buildourvonuumsandvonuistmini-cultures. PossiblyIunderestimatethepoten-tialofexistinghumans.Possiblymostpeopledovaluevonuandcanachieveit.Ifso,wearemoreapttohelpthembecomefreebybecomingfreeourselvesandshowingtheway,thanbyjoiningpoliticalcrusades.Politicalreform/revo-lution/re-educationhasbeenattemptedthousandsoftimesinhundredsofsitu-ationsoverhundredsofcenturies,butatmostchangesonlyfacesandslogans.Anysortofpoliticalmovementbecomesacontestincoercionandmanipula-tion.Pastcrusadesfailednotbecauseof‘impuremotives’,‘betrayal’,or‘defectsinphilosophy’(whyisitinvariablydefects,notthegoodelements,thatcometopredominate?)butbecauseoftheirverynature.Functiondeterminesform,means

mostlytogeneticinheritance,toculturalbackgroundortoslave-schooltraining.Mostlikelyitisaninteractionofallthree.ButIdon’tbelievethatanyamountof‘education’(propagandising)willchangetheattitudes/values/intelligenceofmostadults.NordoIbelievethatthemajoritycanbemanipulatedintoa‘freesociety’bysomeeliteofwould-bephilosopherkings.Suchaneffortwill,atmost,onlychangetherulers.Solongasmostpeoplecanbeeasilymanipulated,theywillbe

exhibitionspaceisorshouldbesincetheearly1900s.However,inbothcases,theproblemsthatTuazonconfrontsarethesame.Exhi-bitionspacesarelargelydefinedbyemptyspace.Tuazonaddressesthisdefiningcharacteristicfromaphysicalstandpoint,workinginaway that creates significant structural problems for the build-ingitself.Ifthewallsgetintheway,forexample,hecutsthroughthem.Makinganartworkthatrequiressomere-engineeringofthebuilding is a method of shifting the dynamic between artworkandinstitution. The artwork’s confrontationwith the space is a struggle forautonomy.Tuazon’searlierworkwasoftenengagedwithatraditionof DIY or survivalist architecture, taking inspiration from hippycommunessuchasDropCity.Hefoundtheseschemesinterestingasarchitecture,andsawthemasakindofstrugglewiththeideaofautonomy,a(perhapsunknowing)attempttobeanalogousto(andmoreinterestingthan)whatwashappeningintheartworldinthe1970s.Hesays,“tomethosekindofprojectswerelikeanuncon-sciouscritiqueofSmithsonorDeMaria–insteadoftalkingaboutit, theywere living itout.Youcouldcall it‘institutionalcritiquefromtheoutside.’AndIguessI’veabsorbedsomeofthatwork,notsomuchinformaltermsbutasakindofstrategy.”7

In2009Tuazonmadeapiece,calledAThing,aworkthatheconsiderstobeaturningpointinhispractice.Theworkissmallin relation tohis structuralpieces,about the sizeofaperson. Itdealswithafunctionalproblemandusesthelanguageofdesigninacompletelyabstractway.Awoodenstructurewithtwolampsattached to it, in someways it is a‘useful’ object.However, as alamp,itdoesn’tfunctionwell:somewhatunwieldy,itcastsaveryharsh,brightlight.But,atthesametime,thepresenceofthelampsprevents it frombeingperceivedasanartwork.Thus it is just‘athing’.Tuazonalwaystriestopushhisworktowardsabstractioninthisway,becauseforhim,theideaofabstractionisonlyeverpos-sibleinrelationtofunction. WhileTuazon’sprojectfortheICAlookscompletelydifferentfrom,andisonafarlargerscalethan,TheThing,thelogicbehind

manipulatedfortheaggrandisementofthemanipulators. Traditionalagricultureisonthewayout.(Atthemoment,quiteanumberofpeopleareplayingreturn-to-ye-olde-homesteadgames,butfewareproducingenoughfoodeventofeedthemselves.)Barringacatastropheofsufficientmag-nitudetodestroytechnologyworld-wide,Ipredictthatwithinafewdecadestherewillbeinexpensive,light-weight,mostlyautomatedbio-chemicaldevicescapableof


bothworksisthesame.WheretheprojectinLondonsucceedsfortheartist,isinthefactthatthestructurehasadynamicrelation-shiptothebuildingitself.Aswiththelamp,thereisanaggressiveinsistenceonautonomy–thesculptureissimplytoobigforthebuilding.Atthesametime,theformofthestructureisalmostcom-pletelydeterminedbythebuildingitself:theload-bearingcapacityofthefloors,theheightofthedoors,thedepthofthewalls,etc. Tuazonwasborninageodesicdome,whicheventuallycametobeusedasahorsebarn;coincidentally,thiswasalsothefateofthefamousDropCitydomes,mostofwhichwerelatertorndown.Whenhewentbacktovisitthedomeabouttenyearsago,hefoundthattimehadnotbeenkindtoit.Physicalrealityandtheprocessof aging had denied any kind of utopian ideal thatmight oncehave been invested in that form.Tuazon tries toworkwith theentropiccharacteristicsofnaturalmaterialsasmuchashecaninordertoshowthedisruptiveimpactthatinstallationsorsculpturescanhaveonthespacearoundthem.Butheisnotonlyinterestedinthepossibilityofstructuralfailure.Ultimately,hewantstomakesomethingthat’salive,present,palpableandreal–alivingthingandsimultaneouslyadyingthing.Evenifherefusesallnarrativesuggestionsorcontexts,hisworkreferencesakindofsci-fidysto-piainwhichhepositsanacceptanceofafailingsystem,likeanail-ingspaceship,leaking,crackingandthreateningtodestroyitself.

1. Thistextislargelybasedon‘OscarTuazonin ConversationwithChiaraParisi,SandraPatron andPhilippePirotte’,inOscarTuazon,Paraguay PressandDo.Pe.Pressinconjunctionwith KunsthalleBern,LeCentreinternational d’artetdupaysagedel’îledeVassivièreand ParcSaintLéger–Centred’ArtContemporain, 2010(forthcoming)2. Ibid.3. Ibid.4. Ibid.5. AllanKaprow’s‘score’forPushAndPull containsthefollowingpassage,whichis revealinginthisregard:“Thinkofsubletting someone’sapartment.Howcanyougetridof thefellowwhenheisineverypieceof

furniture,everyarrangement?Doyoulike livingwithhim?Imagineitunfurnished.What wouldyoudo–buysomethings(ifso,what style?),scroungesomeoffthestreets,askyour relativesorfriends(whichwillremindyouof them?)...Perhapslivewithoutfurniture instead.”6. TuazoninConversationwithParisi,Patronand Pirotte,op.cit.7. Ibid.

PhilippePirotteisanarthistorianandDirectoroftheKunsthalleBern.NexttohiscuratorialactivityheissenioradvisorattheRijksakademieforVisualArtsinAmsterdam,andhepublisheswidelyoncontemporaryartandartists.

determineends.TheveryprogrammesoftheStatemostdetestedbypresent‘reformers’arethereforms-gone-to-seedofpastcrusaders. DrGandIdidnotchooseourwayoflifeprimarilybecauseweexpectanuclearwarorotherapocalypsewithinafewyears.Whilewehaveconsideredpossibilitiesofvariouscatastrophesinourplanning,ifnuclearweaponshadneverbeeninventedwewouldprobablybelivinginmuchthesameway–perhapssomewhatclosertolargecities.Institu-tionalisedcoercion–States–isalong-existingsocialphenomenon;warisonlyitsmostdramaticformofdestruction.Wearestrivingtoreducevulnerabilitytoallformsofcoercionandmaximiseallsatisfactions. DrGandIwouldliketocontactmorepeoplewithsimilarideas,attitudesandactions.Ifyouarenotintheregion,weinviteletters.Ifyouareintheregion,let’sarrangejointdropsatleast,maybemeetoccasionally.IthinktheLooseOpenAssociation(asLanhasnamedit)isthebestcommunitymodel,atleastatfirst.Anycloserinvolvementsshouldcomeonlyaspeoplegettoknoweachotheroveranextendedtime. Wearenowabletoprovidesomeonewithafoodstash,shelterandequipmentadequate(mostofthetime)fromMaythroughOctober.Thiswouldbealreadysetupinanattractive,secludedspot–severalmiles(atleast)fromanyhabitation(includingotherVonuans)knowntous.Wecanbringsuppliesandmailoccasionally(onceamonth?)tosomeonewhowantstoremaincompletelyoutofthatsocietyforawhile.Bynextautumnwemaybeabletoprovideyear-roundshelter.Ourpricesarelow,orwewillbarterfortheservices/productswewant.Ofcourse,don’tcometoSiskiyoubecauseafewvonuansarealreadyhere;hoped-forrelationsmightnotworkout.Comeonlyif,likeus,youevaluatetheregionasoptimumforyou.

ExcerptfromRayo,‘ChapterII:ReportonProgressandProblems’,VONUTheSearchforPersonalFreedom,VONULIFE#9,ed.JonFisher,LompanicsUnlimited,pp.103–106.

DrawnfromanarchiveofphotostakenbyOscarTuazonfortheirresonancewithcertainelementsofhispracticeandresearch,theseimagesdepictthehouseofLeslieFeuerbach,outsideofAlbuquerque,NewMexico.>

oscaR tuazon / Rayo, piRotte, Fend 11

new aRchitectuRe FRom matta-claRk

—peteR Fend

Instead of starting with the premise thatonemustmake a Building,we startwiththepremisethatthebodyandmindmustsustainablybe situatedon this gas-envel-opedplanet. LesLevinemakesacomparisonwithFrankGehry: ifGehry designs a chair, hethinks of using a certainMaterial to cre-atea chair; ifMatta-Clarkapproaches thequestionof“chair,”hestartswiththeques-tion,Howdo I feel chair-nesswithinme?Moreboldly,doI,inmybody,trulydesiretositinachair?Ifso,how?Thebody,notthe accommodation for it, comes first.LevinesaysthatGordon“leftenoughsign-posts”for“whatistheactivitytobedone.”Whatarethese“signposts?” Ifyouareabody,andifyouaretryingtobuildinrelationtothebody,youwanttocreatelevelswherethebodycanmoveandreposethatareofftheground.Youwanttoget up above. Youwant to do thiswithinan ionised, oxygenated and visually richenvironment.Inawaythatisasexhilarat-ing as outdoors, without the inhibitionsofaBuilding for theBuilding’sSake,oraChairfortheChair’sSake,oraWallfortheWall’sSake.Ifthereisanyantecedent,itistrees.Shootingupfromtheground,a-gyre,they splay out energy in canopies above.Wearenotbuilding‘Architecture’,asPhilipJohnson required. We are following theenergypatterns exudedby grovesof treesandbushes,asoriginalhumansdid.Matta-Clark‘saw’thesewithhis1972drawingsofplants.Hewouldtry,athisdeathsixyearslater, to be ‘making’ these with buoyant,up-risingstructures.

Thebody,as thefirsthouse,firsthousingofthesoul,respires.Itstandsupbyseveralprocessesatonce:1. gasinflation2. liquidfillingandinflation3. counter-balancingofseparately suspendedweights4. bridgingbetweenseparatecontacts withtheground5. elasticstretchingandcontractingof theskins

These facts can be extended to the struc-turesbuiltaround.Toacademics,thisisthebreakingofwalls.Tothoseinthebanishedcampofartistsattackingarchitecturalques-tions,it’scalledinjectingtheselfintospace.Chris Burden, and afterwards performerslikeSkipArnold,haveenactedthis.

VocabulaRy FRom matta-claRk

1. Light-GasSuspension(byhelium, byhot‘air’,bysun)2. Inflation(ofanelasticskin)3. CounterbalancedWeights(inlinewith SerraanddiSuvero)4. Narrow(Pilotis)Foundation (forstraddling,highabove)5. MembranesinsteadofWalls(aload neednotbeborneup)

‘Signposts’ from Matta-Clark’s work canindicatethestructuralpractices,thebody-in-spacemovementandextensionpractices,which can yield Built Things. Not build-ings exactly, but things to accommodate

the body’s needs. The cityscape becomespliable. Whatevermightbedonewiththelastthree items above results from conditionspermitting lightweight, site-straddling,jungle-gym assembling structures, all bypneumatic mediation between In-Doorsand Out-Doors. The kick-off task wouldbeconstructionofitemsoneandtwo.Theballoon building, as Matta-Clark labelledit,wouldexploitthefactthatacommunitybreathes, a community exhales, and thisoutputis…hotair.

Excerpt from Peter Fend, ‘New Architecture fromMatta-Clark’, Reorganizing Structure by DrawingThroughIt/ZeichnungBeiGordonMatta-Clark,Gen-eraliFoundation,1997,pp.49–52.


As part of the ICA’s ongoing series of debates that re-address big themes through the prism of contemporary discourse, we host The Trouble with Society, a discussion between philosopher, theologian and politi-cal thinker Phillip Blond, Stewart Wallis, the executive director of the New Econom-ics Foundation, and author and journalist Mark Vernon. In its short existence so far, the twenty-first century has wrought some novel social pressures: the impact of globalisation on patterns of migration and employment; the dilemmas of faith and politics thrown up by 9/11; the threat to civil liberties prompted by the intensity of CCTV surveillance across our public spaces; the potential disappear-ance of our private identities into the infor-mation banks of social-media sites and the corporations that run them. For all of these questions, we look to our politicians to frame an answer and suggest the ways that we, as a society, should respond. Yet in the wake of the expenses scandal, disenchant-ment with the established system has never been higher, or trust in our elected repre-sentatives lower. It’s perhaps not surprising then that the recent focus in political ideas has shifted from the relative impotence of organised politics to the potential of ordi-nary people to change society. Certainly this is a subject that’s been exercising think tanks and policy groups from across the political spectrum. Many of these groups are currently running research projects investigating the value of

civic engagement as the means to create a shared sense of identity and endeavour in our neighbourhoods and communities. This work is taking place on the political left with groups like Demos and the Insti-tute for Public Policy Research; on the right with Iain Duncan Smith’s Centre for Social Justice; and in the centre with the politi-cally independent Royal Society of the Arts and its Citizen Power initiative, aimed at “cultivating civic behaviour and collective action”. This research has begun to cross over into mainstream party politics lending fuel to David Cameron’s otherwise nebulous concept of the “big society”, and spurring Gordon Brown to the most impassioned speech of his election campaign, when he addressed a 2,500-strong gathering of com-munity organisers in the last days before the polls opened. This revisiting of the philosophy of people-power is a nascent one. It could yet prove no more than the latest political fad. And yet, what’s compelling here is the sud-den flowering of utopic optimism within many of these projects; the hope that by bringing ordinary people together around common goals amazing things can happen. This perceived wave of community spirit raises innumerable questions around how we position ourselves in relation to society and the effects of market forces upon our lives. Is the notion of a loss of community a fallacy? And in an era of austerity, is a politi-cal investment in community ideals merely a smokescreen for cuts to public services?

24 June

the tRouble with society

—

the tRouble with society / blond, nancy 13

an inopeRatiVe community

—jean-luc nancy

Thefirsttaskinunderstandingwhatisatstakehereconsistsinfocusingonthehorizonbehindus.Thismeansquestion-ingthebreakdownincommunitythatsupposedlyengenderedthemodernera.TheconsciousnessofthisordealbelongstoRousseau,whofiguredasocietythatexperiencedoracknowledgedthelossordegradationofacommunitarian(andcommunicative)intimacy–asocietyproducing,ofnecessity,thesolitaryfigure,butonewhosedesireandinten-tionwastoproducethecitizenofafreesovereigncommunity.WhereaspoliticaltheoreticiansprecedinghimhadthoughtmainlyintermsoftheinstitutionofaState,ortheregulationofasociety,Rousseau,althoughheborrowedagreatdealfromthem,wasperhapsthefirstthinkerofcommunity,ormoreexactly,thefirsttoexperiencethequestionofsocietyasanuneasinessdirectedtowardthecommunity,andastheconscious-nessofa(perhapsirreparable)ruptureinthiscommunity.ThisconsciousnesswouldsubsequentlybeinheritedbytheRomantics,andbyHegelinThePhenom-enologyofSpirit :thelastfigureofspirit,beforetheassumptionofallthefiguresandofhistoryintoabsoluteknowledge,isthatwhichcleavescommunity(whichforHegelfiguresthesplitinreligion).Untilthisdayhistoryhasbeenthoughtonthebasisofalostcommunity–onetoberegainedorreconstituted. Thelast,orbroken,communitycanbeexemplifiedinallkindsofways,byallkindsofparadigms:thenaturalfamily,theAtheniancity,theRomanRepublic,thefirstChristiancommunity,corporations,communes,orbrotherhoods–alwaysitisamatterofalostageinwhichcommu-nitywaswovenoftight,harmonious,andinfrangiblebondsandinwhichaboveallitplayedbacktoitself,throughitsinsti-tutions,itsrituals,anditssymbols,therepresentation,indeedthelivingoffering,ofitsownimmanentunity,intimacy,andautonomy.Distinctfromsociety(whichisasimpleassociationanddivisionofforcesandneeds)andopposedtoempire(whichdissolvescommunitybysubmittingitspeoplestoitsarmsandtoitsglory),com-munityisnotonlyintimatecommunica-tionbetweenitsmembers,butalsoitsorganiccommunionwithitsownessence.Itisconstitutednotonlybyafairdistri-butionoftasksandgoods,orbyahappy

Red toRy—

phillip blond

Thelossofourcultureisevincedinotherways.PerhapsitisbestunderstoodasthedisappearanceofBritishcivilsociety.Bycivilsoci-etyIconnoteeverythingthatordinarycitizensdothatisnotreduc-ibletotheimposedactivitiesofthecentralstateorthecompulsionanddeterminationofthemarketplace.Sodefined,itappearsthatwearenowaflatsociety.BythisImeanthatthereareonlytwopowers in our country: the state and themarketplace.All othersourcesofindependentautonomouspowerhavebeencrushed.Wenolongerhave,inanyeffectiveindependentway,localgovernment,churches,tradeunions,cooperativesocieties,publiclyfundededu-cationalinstitutions,civicorganisationsorlocallyorganisedgroupsthatoperateonthebasisofmorethansingleissues.Whateverthesevariousinstitutionsrepresentnow,whattheyembodiedinthepastweremeans for ordinarypeople to exercisepower.These associ-ationshelped togive formanddirection tohumanbeings; theyallowedparentstocrafttheirfamiliesandcitizenstoshapetheircommunities.Nowadays,however,allsuchsourcesofindependentpower have been eroded; instead, these civil spaces have eithervanishedtobecomesubject-domainsofthecentralisedstateorthemonopolisedmarket. Thestateandthemarkethaveadvancedfrombothleftandrightonvirtuallyalltheself-governingandindependentdomainsthatpreviouslyconstitutedcivilsocietyinBritain.Byfindingcivilsoci-etyunbearablylocal,uneconomicoruneven,themarketstatewasabletocontrolanddetermineitscharacterandsoabolishgenuineparticipationinsociety.1Thisuncriticalalliancebetweenthestateandthemarket ishighlypeculiar. InauniquelyAnglo-Americanfashion,itwasdecidedshortlyafterMrsThatcher’selectionin1979

Asaconcept‘liberalcapitalism’doesn’treallycapturetheextraordinarynatureofthisalliancebetweenpoliticalandfinancialpower.Nordoestheexpressionlaissez-fairecapturethecurrentphenomenon,sinceinthecaseofbothtermsthereisnothingliberalorfreeaboutwhatisgoingon.BetterIthinktotrytocapturetheelementofdriveandcompulsionthatisatworkinthisprocess.

TothatendIshallcallBritainandAmericamarketstates,asthisseemstoencapsulatebetterthecurrentcoercivenatureoftherelationshipbetweensociety,thestateandthemarket.SeePhilipBobbitt,TheShieldofAchilles:WarPeaceandtheCourseofHistory,AlfredA.Knopf,2002.Idonot,however,endorseallofBobbitt’sanalyses

1.


equilibriumofforcesandauthorities:itismadeupprincipallyofthesharing,diffu-sionorimpregnationofanidentitybyapluralitywhereineachmemberidentifieshimselfonlythroughthesupplementarymediationofhisidentificationwiththelivingbodyofthecommunity.InthemottooftheRepublic,fraternitydesig-natescommunity:themodelofthefamilyandoflove. Butitisherethatweshouldbecomesuspiciousoftheretrospectiveconsciousnessofthelostcommunityanditsidentity(whetherthisconsciousnessconceivesofitselfaseffectivelyretrospec-tiveorwhether,disregardingtherealitiesofthepast,itconstructsimagesofthispastforthesakeofanidealoraprospec-tivevision).WeshouldbesuspiciousofthisconsciousnessfirstofallbecauseitseemstohaveaccompaniedtheWesternworldfromitsverybeginnings:ateverymomentinitshistory,theOccidenthasgivenitselfovertothenostalgiaforamorearchaiccommunitythathasdisap-peared,andtodeploringalossoffamiliar-ity,fraternityandconviviality.OurhistorybeginswiththedepartureofUlyssesandwiththeonsetofrivalry,dissension,andconspiracyinhispalace.AroundPenelope,whoreweavesthefabricofintimacywith-outevermanagingtocompleteit,pretend-erssetupthewarringandpoliticalsceneofsociety–pureexteriority. ButthetrueconsciousnessofthelossofcommunityisChristian:thecom-munitydesiredorpinedforbyRousseau,Schlegel,Hegel,thenBak-ouine,Marx,WagnerorMallarmé,isunderstoodascommunion,andcommuniontakesplace,initsprincipleasinitsends,attheheartofthemysticalbodyofChrist.AtthesametimeasitisthemostancientmythoftheWesternworld,communitymightwellbethealtogethermodernthoughtofhumanity’spartakingofdivinelife:thethoughtofahumanbeingpenetratingintopureimmanence.

ExcerptfromJeanLucNancy,AnInoperativeCommunity,UniversityofMinnesotaPress,1991,pp.9–10.

thattheinterestsofthestateandthemarketweresynonymous.Allhersupportersagreedthattofurthertheinterestsofthelatterwehadtorestricttheactivitiesoftheformer,butinordertoextendtheinterestsofthemarket,Thatcherhadtoincreasethepowerofthestate–alogicthatwasonlycompoundedandincreasedbyNewLabour. Bothmarket and state thus accruedpower in thenameofdemocracy,andeffectivelyandprogressivelyexcludedordinarycitizensfromeconomicanddemocraticparticipation.Themarkethasbecomecapturedbyproducer interestsalongwith the state,and,even thoughbothpoliticalpartieshaveofferedan ideologythatpretendsthatthereverseistrue,therecanbelittledoubtthatthelegacyofboth,andofthelastthirtyyears,hasbeeneconomicandpolitical exclusion for themany, andmassiveandmonopo-lisedenrichmentforthefew. Why the governing elites in both Britain and America cre-atedthisstateofaffairsandviewedtheresultingmarketstateasdesirablerequiresexplanation.Thatistobefoundbothinhistoryandideology,whichIwillcometoalittlelater.Now,though,andperhapsforthefirsttimeinalmosttwogenerations,thefinancialmeltdownof2007/8hasgivenusanopportunitytoseethegameasitreallyis.WeseethatthecrisisisdueinnosmallparttotheideologicalandpoliticalcomplicitybetweenThatcherandReganovercapitalcontrols(ortheneedforabandoningthem)andanaivemarketfundamentalismthatallowedthebankstogamethestateandrigthemarket.Norhavemanydemurred(untilnow)fromthecontinuing fervent advocacy of themarket statebyClinton andBlairandBushandBrown.Onlynowcanweglimpseanalternative–onethatcanperhapsgiveusatrulyfreemarketandaproperlyparticipatorystate,inwhichcitizensfeelvalued.

ExcerptfromPhillipBlond,RedTory,FaberandFaber,2010,pp.3–5.

PhillipBlondisapoliticalthinker,writerandjournalist.Hefoundedandnowdirectsthethink-tankResPublica,andwritesfortheGuardian,TheTimes,FinancialTimes,theDailyMail,theIndependentandtheSundayTimes.

the tRouble with society / nancy, blond, VeRnon 15

“Thenation’smoralsarelikeitsteeth:themoredecayedtheyare,themoreithurtstotouchthem.”SonotedGeorgeBernard Shaw in an observation thatstillringstrue:iftheword‘moral’feelspainful, theword‘virtue’makesmostpeoplewince.That’s striking becausevirtues are merely the skills thatenableustoflourish,ifwehavethem.Courage and kindness, good judge-ment and justice: they promise lifelivedwell.Sowhencetherot? The rootproblem, I suspect, isthatourcurrentmoraldiscourselacksacompellingvisionofwhatitistobehuman.Ethicshasceasedtobeasourceof inspiration,andinsteadfeels likeaburden–alimitation.Thisisbecauseit’sbecomewhathasbeensaidofeco-nomics:adismalscience. On the one hand is the eth-ics of calculation, the weighing upof one person’s interests againstanother. It’s ethics as a cost-benefitanalysis, aprocess thathands it overto accountants.This utilitarianism isan honourable tradition: the originalutilitarians argued that something isrightbecauseitincreaseshumanhap-piness.Theproblemisthattheyhadathin senseofwhathumanhappinessentails–certainmaterialneedsandadecentdoseofqualitypleasures.Thatstrugglestoarticulateanyrichervisionofwhathumansmightbe; it fails tomakeanyprofoundcallonournature.Today, pleasures abound, at least intheWest,andit’sanapproachrunningoutofsteam.Wesensetheremustbemore.Utilitarianismcan’tsaywhat. Then, on the other hand, istheethicsofregulation.Thisisethicsasaseriesofresponsibilitiestowhichwe’re tied as a result of a contractwe’relockedintobecausewelivewithothers.Itriskshandingethicsovertothelawyers,andhasaviewoflifethatisbureaucratic.Itmakespersonaleth-ics feel like corporate compliance, aburden– perhaps a necessary one–butneverasourceofvitalitybecause,again,itdoesnothavethecapacitytoinspire.Itdoesn’taskwhatwecanbe,onlyaddressingwhatweoughttodo,andoftenoughtnottodo. So where might a new ethicsbe found?Well, a start can be madebyattendingmorecloselytowhatwehave.Forthey’renotjustdrysystems.

They’remarkedbydeepambivalences,whichare,infact,clues. Takehumanrights.Rightshavewonmanypeoplemanyfreedoms,andtherhetoricofrightsisverypowerful.Butimplicit inrightsarelessappeal-ingvaluestoo,particularlywhentheybecome all-pervasive.When everyoneis claiming this or that by right, oneperson is pitted against another in aconflict of rights. Similarly, that cre-ates a culture of grievance in whichpeopleseethemoraltaskasbeing,inessence, the securing of more rightsagainst others who would otherwisetakethemaway.Buthere’saparadox:anindividual’srightsonlymakeadif-ferencetohimorherifgivenbyoth-ers.RobinsonCrusoehadnorightsonhis desert island because, as SimoneWeilputit,“Arightwhichgoesunrec-ognisedbyanybodyisnotworthverymuch.”Afirstthought. A second, related clue comesfrom the values inherent in democ-racy. An obvious, invaluable strengthofademocraticcultureisthatitallowseveryone to pursue their interestsrelatively freely. And yet, asAlexis deTocquevillenoted,thedemocraticindi-vidualcaneasilyfallintothedelusionthattheyaresufficientlyrichandedu-catedtosupplytheirownneeds.“Suchfolkowenomananythingandhardlyexpectanythingfromanyone”,hewritesin Democracy in America. “They formthehabitofthinkingofthemselvesinisolationandimaginethattheirwholedestinyisintheirownhands.” He’d spotted an old prob-lem. Pericles, the great champion ofdemocracyinancientAthens,praisedindividual initiative,but alsowarnedagainst thecitizenwho livesonly forhimself.Hesaidthatsuchindividualshave no right to be part of the city-state upon which their flourishingdepends.Andhehadanounforsuchfolktoo,idiotes–fromwhichwegetawell-knownEnglishword. In other words, the tensionsinherent in the languageof rights anddemocracyhighlightsomethingofgreatimportance. To be human is to be, atonce, independent and dependent.Wecanonlybecome independentbecauseofourdependency,andviceversa. Thinkaboutfriendship.Aristo-tlehadagreatdefinitionoffriendship:afriendis“anotherself”,hesaid.Thedefinitionissogoodbecause it func-tionsatmultiplelevels.First,afriendisliterally“anotherself”,anotherper-son.Unlikeeroticlove,inwhichthereis a powerful desire tomeldwith theother, to become wholly dependentuponanother,thelovecalledfriendshipwants the friendtobehimorherself.

That’s one reasonwhy friends like totalk,anddon’tonthewholekiss;andwhytheydon’tmindbeingapartforawhile,somethinglovershate. Second, a friend is anotherself in the sense that you see your-self in your friend, and they in you.That mirroring reveals similarities.It also reveals differences, which canbepainful.Butanyprofoundconnec-tionbetweenyouandagoodfriendisforged out of both – you both com-pliment and complement each other.That’ssomethingofthereciprocityofdependenceandindependenceagain. Then there’s the third mean-ing of another self, when a friendbecomesintegraltoyourownsenseofself.Friendsarethenliketwoeyesthattogether do one thing: both see theworld in the sameway.Or theybaskineachtheother’sreflectedglory,andfeeleachother’sagony.Wehaveawordforsuchfriends:soulmates–onesoulintwobodies. Inshort,friendshiptellsusthatwe are not billiard balls that collideandrebound.Neitherarewelikedropsintheocean,whichlosetheiridentityas theydissolve.Rather,we are afinesuspension of one another, in eachother.Wearedependentandindepen-dent. The good life, witnessed to byfriendship,arisesfrombothprinciples. If that’s right, then our ethicsis broken for two reasons. First, oneprinciple has come to dominate overanother. Thus, the ethics of the freemarketinstructsustolivewhollyself-interested lives – though it’s worthnoting that to respond to thatexcesswith an opposite, self-abnegatinginjunction is equally misguided.Rather, we naturally befriend our-selves,arguedAristotle,becauseweareclosesttoourselves;butweshoulddosoinordertogetoverourselves,tofor-getourselves.Thereinliesmyfreedom:liberation from self-obsession to bewithandforothers. Second,atthesociallevel,thereis a similarmove outwards.A brokenethics instructs us to live with eachotherasifwewereforeigners;democ-racy as a company of strangers. Thatis no mean achievement in a pluralworld. However, it’s a view of politicsthatstrugglestobelieveinsocialjusticebecausethatwouldinvolverecognisingthatmyowngoodisimplicitlycaughtup with the lives of others. If I onlydesiretolivewithothersinsofarasit’sgood forme, the ethics of calculationandruleistheresult. Toputitanotherway,notehowourunderstandingofjustice,today,isdominatedbylegalisticthemes,mostlyof rights or just deserts.Whereas for

Aristotle, while similar elements areimportant,justiceismorefundamen-tally derivative of something else:civicfriendship,orreciprocalgoodwillbetweencitizens. Of course, Aristotle himselffailed to live up to this ideal in hisexclusion of slaves and women fromthecitizenry.Buttheprincipleisclear:friendshipisnotanaddedvalue,itisthebasicsocialvalue.It’swhatmakespolitics possible. Conducting politicsasifitwereaboutthemanagementofa collective of strangers is, accordingtothisreading,unsustainable.Abetterpoliticsisonlypossiblewhenthe community manifests sympathy.Citizenscanthenbeboundbybondsof concern, not just obligation. Theywon’tbecomefriendsinthepersonalsense, and the courts will still haveworktodo.Butgoodwillwill tendtoprevail.Suchasocietywillalsoknowsocial habits like respect, and it’llenjoy collective celebrations, such aswhen‘we’winthecup. This integrative view findssupport in other areas of research.A striking one is neuroscience. IainMcGilchrist, in The Master and hisEmissary,exploreshowthetwohemi-spheresofthebrainseetheworlddif-ferently,oneasifweareindependent,self-attending creatures; the other asif we are dependent, other-seekingcreatures.Hispointisnotthatoneisbetterthantheother,butthatbotharerequired,one for theother–though,he warns, the independent, self-attendinghemispherehas triumphedovertheotherinthemodernworld. Ethics is a form of practicalintelligence.Likefriendship,wenurturevirtues best by our engagement withothersandtheworld.Suchskillsmustbe learntafresh ineverygeneration–another reason why a fixed, codifiedsystemneverinspires:itcontainslittleconceptionthat life istobelived.Butthat alsomeans there’s hope, becauseethics can be remade.Thatwill comeaboutbyrecognisingthenatureofourdependency and independence. We’llsenseit’srightbecauseit’llspeaktoourhumanity, thereby enlarging it. Whowould want to live without friends?Who could? It’ll be good because itoffersustheresourcestoflourish.

MarkVernon,'Ethicswithalittlehelpfromfriends,'CitizenEthicsinaTimeofCrisis,Guardian,2010,pp.11–12.

MarkVernonisanauthorandjournalist.Hisarticlesandreviewsonreligious,philosophicalandethicalthemeshaveappearedinmanynewspapersandmagazines.

ethics with a little help FRom FRiends

—maRk VeRnon


haRmonykoRine

Trash Humpers—

June sees the theatrical release in the ICA cinema of Trash Humpers, the new film by writer and director Harmony Korine. Over the past fifteen years, Korine has achieved notoriety and critical acclaim for his stirring screenplay for Larry Clark’s Kids (1995) and subsequent ventures as writer and director of Gummo (1997), Julien Donkey-Boy (1999) and Mister Lonely (2007). Despite his reputation for youthful provocation, Korine’s work has never simply been about going to extremes. His inter-est in people at the margins of society, and a desire to compli-cate the relationship between narrative and realism, have led him to produce work both for the cinema and the gallery, as well as numerous fanzines and books, displaying a boundless curiosity explored through a variety of aesthetics, genres and characters. Comedy, violence, song, dance, poetry, contemporary and folk art, bizarre physical acts and a clear love of film are all bound up in a stylistic experimentalism rarely seen in contem-porary cinema. Each of these facets – seemingly contradictory yet in Korine’s world somehow complementary – can be found in Trash Humpers, which takes the form of degraded found video footage, capturing the bizarre behaviour of a gang of suburban degener-ates (in reality, the filmmaker and friends in disguise). In the back alleys, vacant lots and rundown houses of suburban America, people are doing unspeakable things to whatever they find lying around. The crudeness and banality of a contemporary cultural life in which the most pointless and ridiculous acts imaginable become a source of entertainment reaches a new nadir.

18 – 30 June


There’s an MP3 audio file stored somewhereon the computer that I’mwriting this on, thatrecordsHarmonyKorine,sittingaloneinaroomforaboutfiveminutes.I’dagreedtointerviewhimforthereleaseofhisfilmMrLonelyin2007,butI’dfallenbehindscheduleandhadtoruntogetthereontime.IstartedtheinterviewoutofbreathandafteronlyafewminutesIwasdrippingwithsweat.Iexcusedmyselftotakeabathroombreaktofreshenup,butinadvertentlyleftthetaperun-ning:hence,theTrappistrecordingofKorine.Theplaybackwasn’texactlyrevelatory:firstthedirec-tor laughsa little tohimself (presumablyatmyappearance, melting like a candle in the heat),then,fortheremainingfewminutes,there’sjustthenoiseofoutsidetraffic,themuffledconversa-tionsofthepublicistsintheadjoiningroom,low-levelbackgroundnoise. Andyet I sometimeswonder if itwouldn’thave beenmore honest ofme to have sentmyeditor this prolonged silence rather than theresponsesIgotfromKorinewhenIreturned.He

canbeanentertaininginterviewee,butforhim,encounterswiththepressoftenseemasmuchanopportunityfortallstoriesandimprobableanec-dotesasforconsideredreflectiononthefilmhe’stheretopromote.Here’sarecentexample(takenat random) ofKorine from this January, havingjustarrivedattheRotterdamFilmFestival,talk-ingtothejournalistBenWaltersabouthisearliermemoriesoftheDutchcity: Imet this girlwhen Iwaswalkingback tothehotel.Shewaslikesixmonthspregnantanddrinkingbeerandstandingunderatree,andshehadpulledherskirtaboveherkneesandshewasstickingaforkinheranus.Iaskedwhatshewasdoingandshesaidherasswasveryitchy. This thumbnail sketch is of a piece withthe scatological surrealism of Trash Humpers.Youmightseeacertainsidewayshumourintheremark, or youmight just think it plain puer-ile,andtheseresponsesarelikelytobereliableindicators of your experience of Trash Hump-ers. Inanyevent,Korine is lessconcernedwith

make it, make it, don’t Fake it

—edwaRd lawRenson

tRash humpeRs / lawRenson 19

credibility than with finding opportunities ininterviewsformini-performancepiecesandbio-graphical flights of fancy.The approachmakesforgoodcopy,butitalsodeflectsanyattempttogethimtotalkseriouslyabouthisownpractice.Ironically,thegrandstandingallowstheworktospeakforitself.Butwhenthepieceinquestionis as slipperyand resistant to categorisationasTrashHumpers,thebigquestionis:whatexactlyisbeingsaidinthisfilm? Like Korine’s remarks in press interviews,Trash Humpers is on one level a provocation.Aseeminglyramblingcollectionofskitsinvolv-ingthreefigures,eachsportingrubberyold-cronemasks, getting involved in varying degrees oftrouble indesolatepatchesofdowntownMem-phis,thefilmispatience-stretchingandgleefullyobscurantist.Themovie takes its title from thehabitthesethreeoldfolkhaveofscrewingitemsof refuse, an image of involuntary, almost ani-malisticpleasure-satingthatisatfirstdisturbing,then–onrepetition–funny,and,finally,unac-countablypoignant. It isaspectacleofpunkishbravura, and this attitude reverberates throughthefilm’sgrotesque,sometimesviolentvignettes:a young boy in a school uniform smashes ababydoll (to the soundof giggling like that ofthemidget at the end ofWerner Herzog’sEvenDwarves Started Small); thebodyof abusker isrevealedonthekitchenfloorofanemptyhouse,hishead leakingstrawberry-redblood;anakedcorpseisbrieflyglimpsedinarefusedump. Mixingoutlandish,unsettlingimagerywithasenseoftrailer-parkAmericana,thefilmeschewsthe satisfactions and consolations of conven-tionalnarrativecinema.Chasingpopularsuccessisnot,onesuspects,somethingthatgreatlypre-occupiesKorine,buttherewasatleastatentativestep towards amore‘mainstream’ style offilm-makingwithhislastfilmMrLonely.Itsdreamystrangenesswastetheredtoacoherentplot,nameactorsandpop-culturereferences;afterthemutedcritical response to that film, Iwonder ifTrashHumpers isn’t an attempt by Korine to reclaimthe abrasive experimental impulses and formal

challengesofearlierworklikeJulienDonkey-Boy(1999)andhisshortfilms. Is that what we can take from the film’sconcernwiththediscardedrubbishofeverydaylife?Thetrashhumpers’obsessionwithrubbishappearstohaveinfectedtherestoftheproduc-tion.All thepropsseemhalf-inchedfromjunk-yards.A charity-shop chic governs the costumedesign.And,most strikingofall, themoviehasbeen shot ondegradedVHS tape, itsmanyon-screenmomentsoffuzzyabstractionandsnowydropouttestifyingtothisobsolescenttechnology.It’snottoomuchofastretchtoseethis‘junkaes-thetic’asaresponseto,orevenrenunciationof,thepolishedproductionvaluesofMrLonely,and,morewidely,akindofpolemicagainsttheslickallureofsomuchofourvisualculture. Inhisnewfilm,Korineinveststhecrapwe’dordinarilythrowawayordismissasuglyorunin-terestingwith a seductive appeal – literally so,inthecaseofhisthreeleadcharacters,forwhomthe sight of something as ordinary as a plasticrecycling bin can be the greatest of turn-ons.But there’s an aesthetic design here too: every-dayobjects,thedetritusoftherun-downurbanmilieu,aretransformedbythewoozy,ghostlyVHSphotographyintostrangeandbeautifulthings.Inoneof themanystrikingnight-timesequences,forinstance,anabstractsplodgeofcolourdancesintheflickeringtorchlightbeforerevealingitselfasafirehydrant. This kind of perceptual game identifiesTrashHumperslessasanexampleofindependentAmericancinema(evenatitswildestmargins)aswithinthetraditionofvideoart–aterm,inter-estinglyenough,thatislosingrelevancywiththeincreasingly common convergence of celluloidandHDdigitaltechnologies(atrendthattheana-logueTrashHumpersdefiantlybucks).Andbeyonditsallegiancetoacertainstrandofvideoart,onecouldbetemptedtoviewKorine’sinsistenceonfixingaestheticvaluetobanalbitsandpiecesofrefuseaspartofmuchgranderlineageofgalleryart. In thefilm’s credit sequence,Korinedirectsthecameratoa toiletcistern, freestanding, ina


patchofwasteland.AtributetoDuchamps,per-haps?Or,inthespiritoftheimprovisedsummershootthatKorinehasdescribedwhendiscussingthemakingofTrashHumpers,didhejuststumbleacross this bathroom appliance, incongruouslysituatedinwhatlookslikearun-downcitypark,andthink:‘Cool,let’sfilmit.’? I’minclinedtothinkthelatter,andit’sthisspiritoffreewheeling,on-the-hoofinventivenessthat makes Trash Humpers such bracing view-ing. Yes, the durational, abstract, non-narrativeaspectsofthefilmconnectittoastrandofavant-garde practice, which Korine has always know-inglyincorporatedintohiswork.But,alittlelikeKorineininterviews,TrashHumpersdefiesustotakeittooseriously. Aboveall,there’ssomethingalmostchildlikein its attention-seeking and mischief-making.Earlyoninthefilmweseetheeponymouselderlytriosmashinguptheinteriorofaderelicthouse.ThescenerecallsasequenceinKorine’s1997filmGummo,whenayoungmandemolishesa tablein a cramped kitchen. But if that scene evokesasenseofinchoatefurythatresonateswiththefilm’sdepictionofthefrustrationsofsmall-townlife,thespectacleofdestructioninTrashHumpersis sheer,headyanarchy: it presents theuncom-plicatedpleasuresofakidsmashingupamodelthathe–or,betterstill,someoneelse–hascare-fullyconstructed.Thelinethatseparatesascenelike this from the skater-dudemayhem of, say,Jackass,ispresumablythere,butIcan’tseeit. Thefilmdelightsinotherexamplesofunrulybehaviour,likethescenewhenthetrashhumperstossfluorescentlighttubeshighupintothenightairandletthemlandontheconcretewithasatis-fyingtinkle.Vandalismhasrarelybeensocreative.For all the simulated sex of its lead characters,a certain innocence lurks underTrashHumpers’bad-boy pose, an innocence shared by the trioofleadcharacters.Inasequencethatmakesthemostofthegrubby‘Readers’Wives’camcorderaes-thetic,twoofthetrashhumpershirethreepros-titutesforthenight,butthebehaviouroftheseelderly men is strangely pre- (or post-) sexual:

onegigglesuncontrollablywhiletheotherseemsmoreintriguedbytouchingthecall-girls’leatherfetishgearthanbythewomenthemselves.Else-where,Korineseemstobepayingtributetothegross-outdeliriumofJohnWaters’PinkFlamingosbygoadingtwoofhiscasttodigestsomeinediblematerial.ButratherthanthedogshitthatWaters’convincedDivinetoswallow,it’swashing-upliq-uidthatheservesuptohisactors,aconsiderablylessfilthyandlesstabooappetizer. EarlierIcalledTrashHumpersaprovocation,butit’saprovocationinthesenseofatrick-or-treat, like the razor in the applementioned atthe beginning of the film.The results are ram-bling, flawed, sometimes boring; but there’s agiddy,try-anythingcreativitytotheprojectthatfeels fresh and intoxicating. “Make it, make it,don’tfakeit”,isoneofthefewrepeatedrefrainsof the trash humpers, and it might serve as acredo for the film itself: Trash Humpers exudesa childlike, unsophisticated pleasure inmakingthings,principallyinmakingtrouble.It’sbeenawhile sinceKorinehasdone sowith suchbrio,andwemightviewTrashHumpersashisattempttoreclaimtheenfantterriblelabelbestowedonhimatthestartofhiscareer.Forsome,thismightbe a little unseemly and regressive: now in hislate thirties,Korineshouldgrowup,surely?Butit’sanironythatKorineisperhapsawareof,andpossiblywhyhemadehisinfantiletrashhump-erssoaged.Besides,whosaysthatartshouldbegrown-upanddignified?Whateveryou thinkofit,TrashHumperscomesacrossasthekindoffilmthatKorineneededtomaketorenewandrein-vigoratehispractice.“Ifeellikeayoungboy”,oneofthetrashhumperssays,hisfacehiddenbehindanagedmask;“Ifeellikeanewman.”

EdwardLawrensonisdeputy-editorofSight&Soundmagazine,andhasalsowrittenaboutfilmfortheBigIssue,andTimeOut.

tRash humpeRs / lawRenson, koRine 21

ExcerptfromMarkGonzales&HarmonyKorine,Adulthood,AllegedPress,1995.


gang oFFouR

—On Wednesday 9 June, ICA members have the opportunity to experience an evening dedicated to the English post-punk band Gang of Four. The event celebrates the launch of the band’s new album Content, its first full-length release of new material for over fifteen years. For more than three decades, the band has championed a more complex role for popular music – one that is both con-ceptually articulate and capable of euphoric hedonism. Having worked intermittently yet for concentrated periods since its for-mation in 1977, Gang of Four has influenced numerous musical genres and individual artists, and has left a very special legacy. Along with other bands formed around this time and grouped under the description ‘post-punk’, the Gang continues to inspire interest in a type of music-making in the UK that fused popu-lism with experimentalism and a polemical attitude. Since the band’s inception, Gang mainstays Jon King and Andy Gill have remained committed to a provocative brand of neo-Marxist informed lyricism, fusing this with an array of musical influences to create what journalist Paul Morley has described as “a kind of demented funk, incredibly white but also, because of political commitment and defiant sloganeering, very dark, and ultimately … close to the depraved edge of the blues and Hendrix”. This politically engaged creativity shows no sign of letting up: one newly written song titled ‘Sleeper’ addresses “modern paranoia, and the new politics of those that ‘belong’ and those that are ‘outsiders’”. Gang of Four’s angular sounds cut through the illusion of emotion within pop music, instead giving a glimpse of the impersonal structures that organise our lives. Centering around a live performance from the band, the ICA event also features a display of artifacts from the group’s archives: photographic album artwork, film projections and a recording of Gang of Four’s first ever gig, recently re-discovered by singer Jon King.

9 June

gang oF FouR / maRcus 23

EarlythisfallIwenttoheartheGangofFour,analmostunknownEnglishpunkgroupthathadbeenbookedintoSanFrancisco’sTempleBeautiful(sincere-named–IthinkIcanbringmyselftowritethis–NewWaveAGoGo)asanopeningact.Ittookmesomethingunderfiveminutestodecidethattheseleft-wingformeruniversitystudentsfromLeedswerethemostinterestingbandI’dseensincethesexpistols–andthemostexciting. Thatconvictionhadlittletodowithanyexplicitmessage.TheGangofFourmayannounce“Weareallsocialists”ininterviews,orworkwithEngland’sRockAgainstSexism,butIcaughtonlyasnatchoflyricshereandthereinthehubbub.Itwasthepuredramaoftheirmusicandthewaytheyheldthestagethatmadethedifference. Theyaresomethingtosee–grim,determined,abitintimidating,asiftheytrulymeantocarryontheworkofthepeopleafterwhomthey’venamedthem-selves.SingerJonKingisalldesperation:armswaving,herushesacrossthestageinzigzags,andifheseemslikeajokeatfirst,hisintensitycansoonhaveyouworried.BassistDaveAllenmightappearcolour-less,aniceguyalongfortheride;whenheheadsforthelipofthestagetoham-merdownachange,heturnsthreatening.DrummerHugoBurnham–shortandstocky,hishaircutdowntoaskinheadburr–couldbejustafewweeksoutof

reformschool,andit’sashockwhenhestepsoutfrombehindhiskittosing‘It’sHerFactory’,asongabouthousewives–becausehedoesn’tlookasifhecouldhandleacompletesentence. ButitwasguitaristAndyGillwhomademeafraidtotakemyeyesoffthestage.Dressedblandlyinjeansandashirtbuttonedtotheneck,withpiercingeyesandastoicface,heisaperformerofunlikelybutabsolutecharisma:hissmall-estmovementsarechargedwithabsurdforce.Heholdshimselfasifhe’sseenitallandexpectsworse.Hecommunicatesaboveallaprofoundsenseofreadiness.He’safigureoutofcountlessBritishsci-fiflicks:caughtbetweenpowersthatareatonceimpossibletounderstandandunmistakablyevil,he’stheeverymanwhoclawshiswaytothefinalcredits. OnthebackoftheGangofFour’sfirstsinglewasanewspapershotofamatadorandabull;printedalongsidewasaletterfromthegroupdetailingthecaptiontheywantedused.Itread:“Thematadorissaying,‘Youknow,we’rebothintheentertainmentbusiness,wehavetogivetheaudiencewhattheywant.Idon’tliketodothis,butIearndoubletheamountI’dgetifIwereina9-to-5job.’Thebullissaying,‘Ithinkthatatsomepointwehavetotakeresponsibilityforouractions.’”Entertainment!,GangofFour’sdebutalbum,extendsthedialogueandplayswiththeform;thelyricschangesidesfrommatadortobullwitheverytune,andthetonethroughoutisoneofominous,carefullyworkedoutdisorder. Thesongsaregnomic,situationalrenderingsoftheparadoxesofleisureasoppression,identityasproduct,sexaspolitics;thethemehereisnotArmaged-don(as,withthesamematerial,itseemedtobeonstage),butfalseconsciousnesswithinconsumerculture.Theperformersdon’trailagainsttherepressionimplicitinadvertisingandmasssexualfantasies;rather,withoutahintofcondescension,theyactoutreceivedideasatjustthatpointwheretheybegintocomeapart.

Narrativeisabandoned,inthemusicnolessthaninthelyrics–thetunesareconstructedoutofjarringoff-beats,crookedframesfromGill’sguitar–andtheprocessisfullofgaps.“Fornicationmakesyouhappy”,Kingsingsin‘Natural’sNotinIt’.Heseemstoacceptthatasthewaythingsare.Tofollowthestorythebandistelling,though,youhavetowon-derwhysexhasturnedinto“fornication”,perhapsmakeaconnectiontolinesfrom‘Contract’–“Thesesocialdrams/Putintopracticeinthebedroom/Isthissopri-vate/Ourstruggleinthebedroom?”–andthenwonderwhyacouplesophisticatedenoughtodescribesexas“struggle”haveturnedsexinto“acontractinourmutualinterest”. Onalmosteverycutthere’sthesensethattheabilitytospeakclearly,todefinechoices,isslippingaway.Thisisnowheresoevidentason‘ReturntheGift’and‘Anthrax’.Theformeristheonlytrackonthealbumwithconventionalrock’n’rollmomentum:asKingrecitesacutupofcommercialgive-awayslogans,BurnhamandAllenfindastartling,jerkingbeat,andGilltracesitwithtinysqueaks–squeaksthat,asthemusicbuilds,seemlikethepatheticcriesofaconsumerwhowillspendtherestofhislifewaitingbyhismailboxforhispackagetoarrive.‘Anthrax’,ontheotherhand,isanythingbutimpressionistic.It’stheband’sstarkestpiece,androotedinanaestheticworthyofthegroup’sname:contradiction.

gang oF FouR—

gReil maRcus


EmergingfromawashoffeedbackandechofromGill,BurnhamandAllenpunchoutafantastic,syncopatedrhythm.Kingcomeson,chanting,emotionallyfrozen–damninghimselfforhavingbeensoweakastofallinlove.

AndIfeellikeabeetleonitsbackAndthere’snowayformetogetupLove’ llgetyoulikeacaseofanthraxAndthat’sonethingIdon’twanttocatch

Asidefromsomemumblingandburiedinthemix,that’sallyouhearthefirsttimearound–andimageryaside,it’sfairlystandardstuffforpunk.Thatmumbling,however,turnsouttobeGill,deliveringasimultaneouscritiqueofKing’slyrics.Theeffectisdisorientingandhilarious:Gillspeaksinthedeadpanvoiceofastudentcalleduptoreadhisessayinfrontoftheclass. Lovecropsupquitealotassome-thingtosingabout;mostgroupsmakemostoftheirsongsaboutfallinginloveorhowhappytheyaretobeinlove.Youoccasionallywonderwhythesegroupsdosingaboutitallthetime.It’sbecausethesegroupsthinkthere’ssomethingveryspecialaboutit–eitherthatorelseit’sbecauseeverybodyelsesingsaboutitandalwayshas.Youknow:toburstintosongyouhavetobeinspiredandnothinginspiresquitelikelove.[AtthispointGillactuallypausestoclearhisthroat.]Thesegroupsandsingersthinktheycanappealtoeveryonebecauseapparentlyeveryonehasorcanlove,orsotheywouldhaveyoubelieve,anyway–butthesegroupsgoalongwiththebeliefthatloveisdeepineveryone’spersonality.Idon’tthinkwe’resayingthere’sanythingwrongwithlove;wejustdon’tthinkthatwhatgoesonbetweentwopeopleshouldbeshroudedinmystery. Gill,Burnham,KingandAllenareinheritorsofJohnnyRotten–theirmusichasthefeelingofbeginningjustwhereheleftoff–butperhapsmainlyasart-istswhoinhabitthespaceoffreedomheclearedwhenheprovedthatanythingwaspossible.Hesmashedthelimits;mostareinplace,butIdon’tthinkthere’sanylimittohowgoodGangofFourcanbecome.

–NewWest,3December1979

GreilMarcus,‘GangofFour’,IntheFascistBathroom:Punkinpopmusic,1977–1992,FirstHarvardUniversityPress,1999,pp.50–53.

do as i say—

gang oF FouR

Whetthebladeonthestone,Lightthefirefromtheflint

IconfesstoallofmycrimesTellmemoreandI’ llrepeatyourlines

You’renotnatural,you’renotasGodmadeyou,DoasIsay,DoasIdo

BeforeI’mburnedupintheflames,IwillgiveyoualltheDevil’snames

DoasIsay,DoasIdoDoasIsay,DoasIdoDoasIsay,DoasIdoDoasIsay,DoasIdo

Rodonyourbacki’lluse‘tilit’sbroken, Yousayyou’reinnocentsoyoumustbeguilty

YouservemeillSir,there’snothingtofind,Needsomefacetime,needsomequalitytime

Iwillcleavethesoulfromtheflesh,Iamunmovedasyouconfess

Lookinthisglass,wearethesame,Ifwereversedthenyou’dbeintheflames

DoasIsay,DoasIdoDoasIsay,DoasIdoDoasIsay,DoasIdoSayasIsayandyouarenotyou

Please

SayasIsay

PleasePlease

SayasIsayPlease

DoasIsay

Who’satthestake?Dieforabreak,LoseallIstake,Killalltheday,Sheworesomelipstick,Sheshould’vecoveredit,Dressindayglorobes,InGuantanamo

NowIknowyou,I’ llfollowyou,NowIknowyou,I’ llfollowyou,NowIknowyou,I’ llfollowyou,NowIknowyou,I’ llfollowyou.

LyricsfromGangofFour,‘DoAsISay’,Content,PledgeMusic,2010.

gang oF FouR / maRcus, gang oF FouR, conRad 25

heaRt oF daRkness—

joseph conRad

“I let him runon, this papier-mâchéMephistopheles, and it seemed tomethatifItriedIcouldpokemyforefingerthroughhim,andwouldfindnothinginsidebutalittleloosedirt,maybe.He,don’tyousee,hadbeenplanningtobeassistant-managerby-and-byunderthepresentman,andIcouldseethatthecomingofthatKurtzhadupsetthembothnotalittle.Hetalkedprecipi-tately,andIdidnottrytostophim.Ihadmyshouldersagainstthewreckofmysteamer,hauledupontheslopelikeacarcassofsomebigriveranimal.Thesmellofmud,ofprimevalmud,byJove!wasinmynostrils,thehighstillnessofprimevalforestwasbeforemyeyes;therewereshinypatchesontheblackcreek.Themoonhadspreadovereverythingathinlayerofsilver–overtherankgrass,overthemud,uponthewallofmattedvegetationstandinghigherthanthewallofatemple,overthegreatriverIcouldseethroughasombregapglittering,glittering,as itflowedbroadlybywithoutamurmur.All thiswasgreat,expectant,mute,whilethemanjabberedabouthimself.Iwonderedwhether the stillness on the face of the immensity looking at us twoweremeantasanappealorasamenace.Whatwerewewhohadstrayedinhere?Couldwehandlethatdumbthing,orwouldithandleus?Ifelthowbig,howconfoundedlybig,wasthatthingthatcouldn’ttalk,andperhapswasdeafaswell.Whatwasinthere?Icouldseealittleivorycomingoutfromthere,andIhadheardMrKurtzwas in there. Ihadheardenoughabout it too–Godknows!Yetsomehowitdidn’tbringanyimagewithit–nomorethanifIhadbeentoldanangelorafiendwasinthere.IbelieveditinthesamewayoneofyoumightbelievethereareinhabitantsintheplanetMars.IknewonceaScotchsailmakerwhowascertain,deadsure,therewerepeopleinMars.Ifyouaskedhimforsomeideahowtheylookedandbehaved,hewouldgetshyandmuttersomethingabout‘walkingonall-fours’. Ifyouasmuchassmiled,hewould–thoughamanofsixty–offertofightyou.IwouldnothavegonesofarastofightforKurtz,butIwentforhimnearenoughtoalie.YouknowIhate,detest,andcan’tbearalie,notbecauseIamstraighterthantherestofus,butsimplybecauseitappalsme.Thereisataintofdeath,aflavorofmortalityinlies–whichisexactlywhatIhateanddetestintheworld–whatIwanttoforget.Itmakesmemiserableandsick,likebitingsomethingrottenwoulddo.Temperament,Isuppose.Well,IwentnearenoughtoitbylettingtheyoungfooltherebelieveanythinghelikedtoimagineastomyinfluenceinEurope.Ibecameinaninstantasmuchofapretenceastherestofthebewitchedpil-grims.ThissimplybecauseIhadanotionitsomehowwouldbeofhelptothatKurtzwhomatthetimeIdidnotsee–youunderstand.Hewasjustawordforme.Ididnotseethemaninthenameanymorethanyoudo.Doyouseehim?Doyouseethestory?Doyouseeanything?ItseemstomeIamtryingtotellyouadream–makingavainattempt,becausenorelationofadreamcanconveythedream-sensation,thatcomminglingofabsurdity,surprise,andbewildermentinatremorofstrugglingrevolt,thatnotionofbeingcapturedbytheincrediblewhichisoftheveryessenceofdreams…”

Hewassilentforawhile.

“…No,itisimpossible;itisimpossibletoconveythelife-sensationofanygivenepochofone’sexistence–thatwhichmakesitstruth,itsmeaning–itssubtleandpenetratingessence.Itisimpossible.Welive,aswedream–alone…”

YouknowIknowthatIexploityoubutIdon'tdoitonpurpose

ExcerptfromJosephConrad,HeartofDarkness,ProjectGutenberg,2006,firstpublishedin1899inBlackwoodsMagazine.


liFt—

Throughout the ICA’s rich history, it has been a cradle for new performance, and a platform for artists exploring interdisciplin-ary work as a means to address the compelling issues of our time. In June 2010 the ICA welcomes back LIFT – the London International Festival of Theatre – as a crucial partner in its endeavour to highlight new groups and individuals working with performative presentation and intervention. Founded in 1981, LIFT has played a significant role over the years in bring-ing important international artists to London and initiating the production and performance of new work. 2010 marks the full-scale return of the festival as a London-wide event after a hiatus of nine years. For four weeks from 23 June, LIFT events are taking place in some of the capital’s most prestigious cultural venues, as well as on the estates and neighbourhoods of East and North Lon-don. LIFT also addresses the role of theatre and performance in the digital world, embracing the potential of new technology for both artists and audiences. Bringing together artists from around the world, the festival provides a cultural gathering point and platform from which to consider concerns both local and global, and from across the artistic spectrum. As part of LIFT, the ICA hosts a four-week programme fea-turing four international productions. These new works bring together diverse groups of performers, artists and writers, includ-ing the acclaimed Anglo-German artist collective Gob Squad; Rimini Protokoll, leaders of the theatrical movement known as ‘Reality Trend’; Russian playwright Ivan Vyrypaev; world cham-pion B-Boy crew Top 9; and a group of eighteen teenagers from Cork who have produced the visceral new work Fuck My Life in collaboration with leading Belgian director Pol Heyvaert. Alongside these productions, the ICA also becomes the home of the LIFT Club. The beating heart of LIFT, this programme of informal talks, workshops, archive material and late-night cab-aret enables artists and audiences to come together, share ideas, play, drink and participate in the festival. Hosting dialogues and discussions about the paradigm-shifting issues of today such as climate change, the impact of digital culture, and the rapidly changing nature of public engagement and participation, the Club is a lively vehicle for both entertainment and discourse.

24 June – 18 July

liFt / etchells 27

OuttheresomewheretheshowstartsAndthoughsometimesithappensdifferentlymostlikelyit’samatterofdimmingthelightsinoneplaceandraisingthemupinanother.ashiftofemphasis–onepartoftheroomyouareinlosingfocussotheotherthenburnsbrightandpersonsenterthestage,speak,moveandtimepassesbut

itburnsbrightalsointheafterwardsforexampleaftermathofafireworkscratchedonaskyseenfromLondonandpersonscrossthestageofre-memoryorelsetheaudioechoeslongafterasoundforexampletheclangandclatterofmetalonmetal,hearddownbytheriver,ThamesinaBowGamelanboat(TheNavigators,LIFT’90)fromwhichsteamghostsarerisingalwaysupwardsorvoicessinginginabrokendownwaitingroomofformerEastGermany(MurxdenEuropäer!,producedbytheVolksbühne,directedbyChristophMarthaller,LIFT’95)theretheysingoldsongswrittenalreadydeepwithcontradictionsofthepresentpast–oldballads,

hymnsandYiddishsongsnexttoHitlertunes,andthenationalanthemofGDRtheysingFromtheruinsrisennewly,tothefutureturned,westand.Andyoucan’ttellquitewheretheydostand

TheircityandtheirtimebeingjustascomplexasyoursEverythingechoes,archivallyorotherwiseOr(anotherexample)sometightropewalkerspins,elegantanddeathly,highupaboveinthenowofthenstillburnedontheretina(CircusOz,LIFT’87)

TenminutesforLIFTLivingArchiveTenminutestoLIFTOffAndthenonwiththeshowMeagainhowitworksthearchiveAndLIFToffthenupanddownStoodhereLookingbackwards/forwardsLookingupanddownthere

FeetcrisscrossandthecityisCrosscrissingitsstreetswithfeetsAndcrisscrossingraisedstageswithlowspeechesandmurmuringsThemeaningonlylater,sometimesonlyyearslaterfallingintoplaceAnddowntherethecityfoldsaroundtheseeventscontinuesitsflowintimeitschaseofmoney,footsteps,andtherest,traffickingintraffic,andpedestrianspedestrianisingitspavementstowerblockingitstowerblocksundergroundingitundergroundsthevariousundergroundsandmainstreamsofitsheart,itsriverThames.strongwhatpeopleremember

delicateandstrongwhatpeoplerememberdelicateandstrongandstrangewhatpeoplerememberstrongwhattheyforget

thelookofeyesandtouchofhandssweatofbodiesonastageorinanauditoriumwithmanypersonswatchingwaitingacityneedsafestival,andtheechoesthatfollowandtheripplesthatspread

whoyousatwithandspokewithbeforeorwhisperedduringandafterwardswhatthewholethingbroughttomindwhatitchangedinyouandotherswhatitleftbehind

afaxconversationwithRamallaharrangingperformances–doyourememberfaxes?AcontactsheetbearingphotographsofRedPilot,NeueSlowenischeKunst–doyouremembercontactsheets?alistofpropsthatareneededbyguyscomingfromSouthAfrica.LettersbackandforthalsotypewrittenlettersanunbelievablenostalgiayouknowtheonesIthinkwherethelettersofcertain

wordshavebeentypedovertocorrectmistakesandwhereaccentsforthoseHungariannameshavebeenaddedin,usingpencilbackwhenwritingwasnotpixelswhenithadmateriality

AnarchivemakesthetracesvisibleTangibleEvenasitknowstheyaregoneNotjustbyanymeanstheartworksbutsomehowofallthosehoursofofficeworksandfinancesandeveninternsordiversedriversstoodattheairportwithsignsdeclaringthenamesofpeopletheyarewaitingforinconversationssomanytalkingbreakfastssomanyaftershowssomanytalksRememberRoyFaudreeinaLIFTtalk/conversationsayingTheactorisapersonthatsayslookLookLookatme(Likeme,now)youcanlookatmefromthetopofmyheadtothebottomofmyshoes.

andanarchiveatthesametimemakesclearthatThreeSisters(KatonaJózsefTheatre,Hungary,LIFT’89)needed2handbells

launch oFthe liFt liVing aRchiVe

—tim etchells


1statue9rugs2mirrors1globe2whirlygigs1medicalbag1clock1artificialcake3suitcases1basketofartificialflowersandadinnersetfor13persons

orthatTheDragonsTrilogy(RobertLePage/ThéâtreRepèreLIFT’87)

beneaththetitleProductionExpensesneededthingsbothgeneralandsuperspecificFromFitUp,GetOutandLightingtonameditemsSand,CurbStonesandTelegraphPole.Thereisapoetryinthesepracticalities.

Whilstelsewherethere,inanothertypewriteddocumentatthebottomsomewhereatthebottomofthelonglonglistoftechandlightingneeds( forthewayofhowGeorgeCoates,LIFT’85)

it’sashametomissthedetailoftherequest–itemisedas‘AMiscellaneousNEED’–for100CubicFeetofHeliumperweek.Imeanthisisprobablyandbynomeansthestrangestrequestinthearchive,thoughhardtocompareobjectivelysinceasyetthereisnotrailorindextothecontentbythequalityorappearanceofstrangeness.GiventimeI’msuretherewillbe,thoughtheremaybetoomuchofit(strangeness)theretokeeptrackof,strangenessburiedbutemergingfromthedocuments,atraceyoucannotstopfromrising.

UpAbovethestreetsTolookdownonthewaywewalkedandtalkedthenTherouteswewalkedtogetheretothisplace“YourLondonisnotmyLondon.”That’swhatthewomansaid,asyouwalkedacrowdedpavementinEastLondoninYou–TheCity,byFionaTempleton(LIFT’90)

Audiencepassedfromperformertoperformer,onaninety-minutejourneybarragedwithtext,caughtupinastructurethatonlyslowlyletsyouintoitsgame,encounteringperformerswhoseemtobetaxidrivers,shoppersanddownandouts,performerswhoseemlikespies,likeloversandlikepsychopaths.

Andallofthemtalkingdirectlytoyou.

Whatyoufindinthisworkmostofall,asinmanyotherperformances,areflashesofconnection,whereaweirdsynchronicityjumpsbetweentext,contextandyourownstateofmind.

“Youswearyouhaven’thadanaffair…”saystheblackguyonthestepsofthechurchwhileyoulookoutatthetrafficandthedustswirlingonCommercialStreet.“Sheshouldleavehimandlivewithyou.Yousmile[hesays]yousmilesoyouknowwhatyourfaceisdoing.”

Pureelectric.

Elsewhereinthesameperformanceawhitewomansitsonthebenchnexttoyou.Somemovie-moment,onlyyou’reinit.You’relovers.Orwere.Shehastogo.Oryouhaveto.Ormaybeyoubothdo.Oroneofyouleftalreadyandonlynowcomesback.It’shardtotell,itallhappenedsodownthereandbackthen.Anyhow.Somehowinthemomentsyouspendtogether–sattogetheronthebench–thedistancethatisoftencalledtheatrecollapsesandyoucan’tseetheedgesoftheframe.Youwanttotellhernottoworry,it’sOK,it’sOK,butyoudon’tevenknowwhat‘it’isandwhen

hereyesseemtoneedcontactyougiveittothem,notquiteas‘aperformernolongerinthetheatre’butratherasaperson,simplypresent.

Shesays:“MyLondonisn’tyourLondon.Mywordscanbetranslatedintoyours,butthey’renotyours.Youfearandyetlongtocrossthatline.”

Readinglettersagain.backandforthforthehumanscaleof“hopeyouarewell”sand“nicetoseeyou”sand“pleaseletusknowifyouplantobeinLondon’sagain”andatthesametime,runningsidebysidetoallthattheinhumanscaleofvisas,carnets,logisticshealthandsafetyfireofficerchecksoneverythingarethereanynakedflames?noarethereanyflamesinsomewaynaked?noarethereanyflamesatall?wellyesbutmaybenotthekindyou’rethinkingofthenakedflamesofanideacanstartafireinacitylikethisonethat’sthetruetruthreality-nessofitallthatthingsspreadoutfromaneventthatstartsat8andbynine,nineteenortwentyyearslatertheripplesstillspread.StorywhispersSetlooseinthecity

andthatcity–London–yesgoesondownthereglowsondowntherewalkingitswalkwaysflyingoveritsflyoverscommunitycentringitscommunitiesthathavenocentrereallybutyouknowwhatImeangoesongardeningitsgardensandkitcheningitskitchens

akitchenshowhereagardenshowthereanairshowhereanearthfireandwatershowtheredowntheriveryesdownbytheriverandaskyshowhere

liFt / etchells 29

ahightechorblueskythinkingshowthereadarkskywiththundercloudsshowthereinGraemeMiller’sTheDesirePaths(LIFT’93)andthecitydowntherecontinuestogrumbleandcrumbleweavingitscitizensinitsstre

Roland - Monoskop · 2019. 8. 15. · Ad Reinhardt, ‘[ON NEGATION]’, Art-as-Art: The Selected...

Documents

Transcript of Roland - Monoskop · 2019. 8. 15. · Ad Reinhardt, ‘[ON NEGATION]’, Art-as-Art: The Selected...