[-empyre-] the art of forgetting

[Simon Biggs]

Certainly, in an art world where marketing is so much part of practice then
your suggestion that artists should seek to ensure we don't forget them is
the mantra. I'd rather not work that way...

I am not from an underprivileged background nor live in an especially
oppressive environment (although that is debateable) but nevertheless I do
think people (including artusts) are obliged to try and make a difference.
But that can come in many shapes and sizes. I agree a simplistic approach is
not desirable. One reason I'm not with Badiou. Deleuze is far more
interesting. Somebody mentioned Nietzsche, which is interesting territory in
this respect. So is Marcuse, who seems out of fashion at the moment but
offers a model of action that allows for a dystopian view.

Best

Simon


On 13/03/2011 14:01, "Julian Oliver" <julian at julianoliver.com> wrote:

> ..on Sun, Mar 13, 2011 at 02:10:27PM +1300, simon wrote:
>> Simon Biggs wrote:
>> 
>> "It's part of the role of artists to ensure we don't forget."
> 
> Hmm, I don't think this is true really. Donning a role of social
> responsibility,
> whether that be for a moral project or cultural heritage, hasn't been widely
> practiced by artists since the Englightenment. Unless you're from an
> underprivileged background or oppressive political circumstance, it seems
> assuming such a role in one's art is increasingly frowned upon, lacking
> rigour,
> within the broader machine of self-disillusionment that is contemporary art.
> 
> Rather:
> 
> "It's part of the role of artists to ensure we don't forget about them."
> 
> Cheers,


Simon Biggs
simon at littlepig.org.uk
http://www.littlepig.org.uk/

s.biggs at eca.ac.uk
http://www.elmcip.net/
http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/



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