Page 39 - Studio International - June 1971

the media, rather than the effect they have on which has been presented as art. Instead of that when the media had decided that that's
the environment. It's assumed that the effect taking a work of art, which if it were translated what it was.
in the media will automatically affect the would present an aspect of life or decode as a In information processing, there is always a
socio-economic environment. Hence, the court particular concern, we merely take the direct key phrase that simplifies : Impressionism,
trials of Abbie Hoffman create an environmental working situation and present it (documented) out-of-focus images; Abstract Expressionism,
theatrical work, which in effect is turned into a as the work. This is Woodstock, this is Manson, slopping around in paint; Pop Art, big popular
novel. So that the overall effect is that the this is Hoffman, this is information art. Now images that we consider banal; Earth Art, holes
government, the courtroom, the lawyers, the we must achieve motivation retrospectively: we in the ground. Light Art is anything that has
defendants, etc., are engaged in a piece of media look backward to see the effect of what we have light bulbs; Electronic Art is anything that
theatre. This is what Jerry Rubin calls the 'Do done and that becomes our reason for doing it. flashes electrically. While artists are appalled
It' generation. You do something because the Whatever anybody says in the media, always all the time by the way the media read art out,
doing of it will have information fall-out and happens. If someone on television says the none of these movements would exist as
burn-off, which then will be assessed logically economy is in bad condition, the economy will realities to the general population without the
by the society. The logic of the activity will be be bad the moment after he has said it. Anything media. I think it is clear that Ad Reinhardt
the fact that it has been done. that stands out on the media as negative at a would not have been 'Ad Reinhardt' without
Then Charles Manson, who so desperately given moment will become positive in a very the media. The idea of the 'black painting with
wants to become part of the media environment, short time. The media accelerates its own nothing on it' (which is what most people in the
(allegedly) slaughters eight people. This dire information. media thought it was) as opposed to abstract
destructive crime, which has various witchcraft Through information processing, a negative painting, is the way the media established a man
overtones, is horrible in its scope. However, logic occurs. What you attempt to give power who abhorred the media.
when we analyse it more closely, Manson very will reject power; an attempt to detract power 'Great American Art from 1940-1970' was
quickly becomes a superstar of the media. He will immediately attract power, like a negative probably the last important show about
becomes a charismatic character of unbelievably energy system. It is not possible to say something hierarchical Western taste. It was the final
celebrated proportions; he is sought after by is bad (or good) because the viewers see that stance in an approach to moralistic, aesthetic
every newspaper and network in the country you are telling them that it's good (or bad). and ethical art. The sad part about that
for interviews ; he's on the front page of every Therefore, they do not believe you. Trying to situation was a curator expressing a lack of
newspaper and magazine; he's become a undermine something on television works in support for the artistic environment, at a time
historical figure overnight. For Manson to absolute reverse. For example, commercials when the artistic environment needs support
`make it' as a rock-and-roll star was one way of to stop smoking tell us how dangerous it can more than ever. It is a position that says, 'We
leading him into the media, of receiving great be to our health, etc. They also remind us that will set up these idols at the cost of the rest of
adulation from the press, etc. this is a very enjoyable habit, and it would be the art community, and who cares about the
But then, deciding to kill all these people, in nice to be smoking right now. When CBS rest of the community if it's all crap anyway.
order to achieve fame, is one of the nightmares covers up Abbie Hoffman's face on television Museums only want to show the good stuff.'
of the media generation. This negative action is because he is wearing an American flag shirt, We have come to the point that showing the
another one of those `Do It' things. And it is the viewers see that they are putting Hoffman good stuff may in fact be good for only a small
even further extended when Richard Nixon, down, and therefore automatically put him up group of people and for a very large group of
who understands very clearly the enormous higher than before. people it may act as a negative, non-supporting
energy the activity has, no matter how dire it Talking about a problem in the media is system. The 'ideal' in a post-moral,
may be, decides it is necessary for him to plug almost the same thing as solving the problem. post-conscious society is of little value.
into that energy (by saying that Manson is People used to say 'Everything will be okay, so Behaviours in our society occur because we
guilty), the same way a politician decides it's long as we keep the dialogue going.' This bred have laws about them. The nature of the
necessary to plug into the pollution problem, the mediocre intellectual who thought there environment combined with the law clearly
the war in Vietnam, urban renewal, or any other was nothing more to do except be semantic expresses what is possible and permissible
charismatic piece of energy in the media. about the problem, never actually considering within that environment. Whether we morally
Manson has taken media paranoia to the what should be done. So that the consideration agree or disagree doesn't make too much
ultimate point of destruction. The outcome of in itself became the problem, and the semantics difference.
the situation is : What are eight lives in order to with it became the problem, more than the real The Museum of Modern Art's 'Information' :
make a 'software superstar' of national `problem'. the style of the show was photographic, while
proportions ? Would a television network be Information, that is in the environment, at the same time there was no style. While there
prepared to sacrifice eight lives for a programme always relates to other kinds of information. were some eighty artists in the show, there were
that would constantly get them, over a period The Pollution Control Board virtually means no artists in the show: no one stood out any
of a year, sixty million viewers ? that 'x' number of people will get a job in the more than another. Every movement previous,
Relative to this, we have the movie Woodstock United States Government. Before that it was such as Pop, Op, Colour Painting, always had its
in which the people went to Woodstock to hear urban renewal. These things are supported by figures. In pop, it would be Andy Warhol, Roy
music and to be together. Actually they paid to politicians because they provide a large amount Lichtenstein, Oldenburg and a few others. In
participate in the production of a movie. The of political patronage. Government sees art as a colour painting, it would be Louis, Noland,
Woodstock Festival occurred solely to make a way to pretty up the environment. and on down the line. In 'Information', it was
movie. The movie relates in the way the The media refused to recognize any subtleties clear that the only outstanding figure was the
photographs, as evidence, relate in information in art whatsoever because they transform art curator. The curator in this situation becomes
art. The movie is merely evidence that this into information. In other words, earth art, the artist. We have a 'Woodstock' situation at the
festival occurred. electronic art, abstract art, pop art and so on. Museum of Modern Art. All of these people are
Instead of using closed format approaches to The practitioners of these styles in art attack brought together to make this show under the
writing scripts, which in some way will represent the media for being nothing more than authorship of the curator. The curator presents
the cultural operative trust of society, we merely commercial. It would be impossible for any the media with a package.
take the operative trust directly and use that as style to exist as a real entity without the media. The value of shows like this is that, because
a working model of itself and present that as the 'Great American Art from 1940-1970' : it was they are so open, they tend to have no taste or
work. We're looking at a direct piece of life, not that when the Museum said it was; it was choice position. Now having no taste or choice
265