guess who's back

how much do i love debating with this unknown person about art, politics, and who's the better diplomat? on a scale of one to ten, i'm at about 9. so here's some more...

i appreciate your more positive wishes this time around. i have a feeling that if i were to meet you in person (if you're not already a close friend...?), sparks would be flying around us like firecrackers. i like you.

seeing as i used to share a mortgage and bed with someone who also worked in a science lab, and seeing as i was exposed to some fairly scientific minds during this time period, i can say with all honesty that yes. i have found the same political conviction in people who work in science labs. in fact, i would go so far as to say that the scientists i knew (know) had similar, if not stronger, political convictions than i. if you know me, dear anonymous one, you probably know that i am totally apolitical. as in i don't care. as in i hate politics.

my mind finds no passion in issues of political import, but i truly do want to help out a community of people who have something to say (whatever that is), who don't have the means or place to do so. and the inFringement has provided a name under which to do just that. and they have a mandate. and it's not a harmful mandate. that's my opinion.

so this time, i thank you for the dose of positivity. rock on. see you in the cyber world of virtual confidence. bisous.

fun and fun

the festival is looking great! we will be screening short films, there will be bands, some theatre, some circus, some photography exhibits and we're not finished taking applications yet! we are also looking for storey-tellers, spoken word... again, anyone with anything to say. so feel free to fill out the application (at right) and send it to amylynpagnotta@gmail.com.

DEAR SORRY…

To all people who care to criticize the festival mandate: PLEASE READ THE MANDATE FULLY BEFOREHAND. Do not become negative without reason!

I would like to respond to a confused bit commentary on our last blog entry.

The person who calls him or herself SORRY, I'M NOT AN POLITICAL ARTIST wrote:
What the hell is with number 5? "Oppose oppressive structures"? I know artists are mostly MLACs (marxists, leninists, anarchists, and communists), but I was under the impression that their sponsors and organizers were normal humans with pulses. You do realize that the whole myth of the "oppressed artist" is a propoganda tool to popularize radical politics, and that artists, as a whole, are remarkably susceptible to misinformed political views. Art should be about the wonderful creativity that exists within the human spirit, and NOT about politics. Politically driven art is as repulsive as the politics of artists. It is disappointing that your festival has mandated it.

In reference to our 5th mandate, we write that we “encourage, although not be limited to” creating a place to discuss progress and oppression. As mentioned above, please read more carefully next time. Enough said.

We don’t check our artists’ political views at the door. So I can’t tell you if we add up to a majority of MLACs (mind-less-airhead-creeps) or not. We only ask that we are humane. And, if you can believe it, our sponsors and organizers actually ARE “normal humans with pulses”!

I wasn’t aware that “artists, as a whole, are remarkably susceptible to misinformed political views”. I don’t really know where to begin or want to believe that I have to respond to this:

1- you are discriminating against artists.
2- we are ALL ('non-artists' included) susceptible to misinformed political views. This happens for many reasons, perhaps most notably because politicians’ views are rarely consistent and, or consistently upheld.
3- how can you or anyone decipher who the artists are? Some of us lurk in the darkest corners of science labs, lacrosse fields, strip clubs, hospitals, law firms, political arenas…. Some believe we are all artists….

It is the opinion of the Toronto inFringement Festival that art should be about whatever its creator(s) and observer(s) want it to be about. Personally, I find your theme of “wonderful creativity that exists within the human spirit” a little overdone and naive. But maybe I’m jaded.

If you find the politics of art so repulsive, why did you engage yourself?

To be clear, this festival isn’t about creating a myth of oppression. It aims to go beyond oppression thus enabling all voices including (although not being limited to) those that are rarely heard.

Thanks for the dose of negativity.

Best,
Barf Tartare