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
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
posted by Amy at 3:05 a.m.
1 Comments:
Dear Barf Tartare (and I must congratulate you on the wonderful signoff, seriously),
In re-reading my "...Sorry" post I must agree with your observation that it is negative. I would have prefered to achieve "critical", but I think negative is more accurate, and I am disappointed in myself for this failure.
In response to some of your points: I am discriminating (against?) artists. This is a blog supporting an event that will be attended by artists, and they are the topic of discussion. What else am I to do? To make a qualitative generalization is NOT prejudicial discrimination, especially if it happens to be true. I agree that I was generalizing, but in my experience the generalization holds: that artists seem to be especially engaged in radical politics, like it is some necessary life blood for their work. Do you really think that you'll find the same political conviction in people who work in science labs (the majority non-artist scientist population...disclosure: I work in a science lab, so interesting that you would bring that up)?
Secondly, how to decipher an artist? Well that's easy...by the nature of their politics!
Thirdly, "we are all artists" is just as overdone and naive as my platitude. But it may well be true, and I'd like it if it were.
Fourthly, I engaged because I am opposing an oppressive structure that creeps into every corner of my life...
Fifthly: "voices that are rarely heard" Ha! See Fourthly...
So, Pagno, my basic point is that the art that I love has no place in politics, and the language of your mandate, which I promise I read carefully and understand fully, makes the infringement festival appear to be more about a political movement than about art. And what will happen at the festival will hopefully be some excellent events displaying artistic talent...and inevitably boring demeaning political rants that will demonstrate my point. Perhaps I'll be wrong. We shall see. Peace and positivity...and REALITY! I wish you success in the administration of this festival.
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