Page 73 - Studio International - July August 1975

Knowledge is in the realm of be the intellectual nigger of a gross The audience wants the artist to create
understanding, something known, materialistic system. The artist is trying a situation which does not exist in their
something understood based on previous to stop saying things like: `Yessir, boss, lives, which takes away the true image of
experience. Information merely implies gettin' some colour in it for ya, boss. their lives for them and, for a short
transmission. To inform is an act of Yessir, boss, gettin' a nice composition in period of time, puts them within a realm
transmission. Information makes no it for ya, boss. Yes, boss, makin' it of fantasy life. Puts them in a realm of
reference to the qualitative value of that beautiful for ya, boss. Makin' 'em experience which makes life appear to be
which has been transmitted. The best apartment size, makin' 'em museum size, more beautiful, more acceptable, more
camera artists collate these transmissions makin' em abstract, makin' em realistic. pleasant, more palatable than they know
with previous experience and attempt to Yessir, boss, you do what you want with it is really. In that situation the artist
turn them into knowledge. the world and we'll come in and pretty up creating or attempting to create is like the
The question that often comes up in your mess, boss.' If society demands that destruction of creation. By attempting to
art experiences is, 'This could not have the artist be no more than a minstrel who create something or in creating something,
been done at any time; this could only be has got a few little happy tunes to make he totally destroys the creative process.
done at this period in history.' It seems to them feel comfortable after their hard day Because the creative process is not to
be important that these works indeed in the horror-environment of their daily create anything, but to allow what is
could not have been done before the work, then the artist may as well become happening to be absorbed by you, the
camera had arrived at the state that it is at a sofa manufacturer, because sofas can artist, in such a way that you can express
this moment in time. Most cameras are take care of that job better than the artist. it and clarify it and make it clear, so that
completely automatic. They require no What the audience expects from the when you're making it clear, people might
skill in operation. It's also interesting that artist is that he be some heroic figure say that what you have done is creative.
this enormous glut of Camera Art is which they can look up to. They want him The only thing that is creative is to allow
occurring at a period when to say: 'I'm the greatest fucking artist whatever is happening to be re-absorbed
photojournalism is seeing its demise you've ever seen.' But as soon as you've into itself, which is what the artist does on
because of infringement by electronic said it, they reply: 'Look at that artist his highest level. He mirrors it back, or it
media. We have seen magazines such as saying such awful, ugly, pretentious is just the making available of that
Life, Look, Saturday Review and various things about himself.' And yet they still particular experience or piece of
other photo magazines go under. Famous have to have the satisfaction of watching information which the artist is sensitized
photojournalists no longer have a you present yourself as some kind of hero. to, however it manifests itself. That is
magazine market for their material, They want you to do something they essentially art. Anything other than that
which seems to bear out the old idea that can't do. They want you to appear to be is blockage, commerce, exoticism,
artists always come to a material after it more in tune with life than they are, and romanticism, humanism, psychology. But
has been totally established within if you don't allow yourself to be any it is not art!
society. better than they are or be any better for The camera artist has to respond to the
Most works that are concerned with them, they're embarrassed and irritated. underlying cultural anxiety of our
Camera Art or information art are using The audience has this middle-class society. And somehow he also has to shed
the media as a form of evidence-creating. conception about specialists, and they light on that anxiety. He has to expose
The photographs or documents act want the artist to be a specialist who will that anxiety in such a way that people can
pretty much in the same way they are not fall down on his job. So when they're see it as an anxiety and not take it to be
used in the courtroom. They are not to be embarrassed by him not being any better part of an equilibrium. But see that it's
considered for their own particular than they are, they don't just assume that, not part of their equilibrium, that it's a
aesthetic quality, as good or bad indeed, maybe he is no better than they negative force that is trying to upset them
photographs. If the question comes up : are. They won't accept the artist saying, and pull the rug out from underneath
`Here's an artist who has produced `I'm no better than you are. I'm just as them. Besides that, the only thing the
photographs, but they are not as good as fucked-up as you are.' audience has to do is to feel it. What
Avedon, or some other renowned What they will say is, 'He's no good as generally happens with anxiety is that
photographic artist,' then I think the an artist. That is awful art. What has that you try to anesthetize it so that you don't
distinction needs to be made that the got to do with the great traditions of art ?' feel the pain. You know the anxiety is
aesthetic quality of the photographs is not Because being no better than they are is there because you feel it and you try to
an issue. They're merely a form of a state of madness as far as they can see. get rid of it as quickly as possible, with
circumstantial evidence to prove that in `That camera artist is an absolute alcohol, smoking dope, etc. But the whole
fact a specific thing has occurred and this psychological case. He needs treatment point is to feel the anxiety because then
is the way it looked when it did occur. because they all need treatment.' Now you begin to understand the nature of the
In the best of Camera Art is a you've given them something which is a anxiety that is destroying your mind and
particular aesthetic, perceptual or serious problem : a model of yourself as grabbing you in such a way that it is
conceptual experience that the artist has themselves. They have some turning your mind to cancer, making you
encountered in some way and finds the understanding of that model and they think that the old ideas are your rightful
camera a useful tool in documenting for start to see the nature of the model. So at property, making you feel that because
the consideration of others. He is not, in that point, they just automatically assume you've seen something before, you like
most cases, concerned with the idea that something has gone wrong. That they are it and because you're seeing something
it be a beautiful print or an ugly print or not witnessing what they are supposed to for the first time, you don't like it.
any other kind of print. It doesn't hurt witness. Their minds will not allow them Art cannot be a way of escaping reality,
the work if it is a beautiful photograph, to authenticate the experience they're of covering over what is lousy, of putting
but the primary concern is not to having at that time. It's being dissatisfied a screen between you and real
produce beautiful photographs. with their situation, and the reason they experience. 'If I only had art now, I
The viewer, for the most part, becomes got themselves into the situation in the wouldn't have to see what really is there,
at least 5o% of the diameter of the artistic first place was being dissatisfied with or how horrible and disgusting my ugly
circle. The viewer is left in the position of whatever they were doing before. life is.' Art is a way of cutting through to
creating an intellectual structure that will So the artist is going to straighten it your own reality, getting through to that
complete the conception or perception of out for us. The artist will show us how space in which you understand what is
the artist. to see. The artist will see for us. But the making the things around you occur in all
The camera artist experiences a artist tells you he can't see any better their ugliness, in all their beauty. What
particular perception, conception, idea in than you can. It is a condition of being one should demand of life is that you are
normal, real life outside the realm of art alive, the relationship between the artist authentically having your own
history or art writing, in his everyday and whoever. It is a more universal experiences. They're not somebody else's
experiences, and he documents this relationship between everybody and version of how you should experience
experience. Camera artworks are open — their condition. So the state of something or what you should think about
they tend to have no taste or choice dissatisfaction is a universal state for both what you're experiencing, but your way
position, and this is valuable. At best, the the artist and the audience, only it's the of cutting through to your reality, to
camera artist is refusing on some level to artist who is pointing it out. feeling what you feel at this given
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