Page 62 - Studio International - March April 1975

2. John Stezaker, 1974. 'The Tale' from the protagonist is inadvertently designating a question (Who ? What ? and Why ?
`Look on the Bright Side !' . plea or some kind of liberation from what concerning existential political and
3. 'The Telling of the Tale', and 'The Moral', seem to him to be the fetters of self- ideological dilemmas) being expressed
from 'Look on the Bright Side !' 1 974. fulfilment. The 'Tale' is circular in the firstly by problems from an agony column
4. Installation photographs of 'Look on the sense that it is structured as a progression (titled "I don't feel myself", "I must
Bright Side !' , colour and black and white from a reflection of personal "history" and improve myself", etc) and given a thematic
photographs and text. an ensuing dissatisfaction and frustration interdependence with the metaphorical aid
`In 'Look on the Bright Side !' , the 'Tale' to an acceptance of the situation. From of a story of relativism sectioned
consists of a narrative from 'True "contentment" at this stage we are told of an correspondingly and running through the
Confessions' magazine substantially inescapable detachment from the drudgery entire "narrative" part of the work. The
modified in an attempt to encapsulate as a of work which holds no promise of future piece seems motivated by an attempt to
syndrome the existential, political and deliverance (freedom) and the final episode reveal the unformulated paradox implicit to
ideological values of freedom used and shows a final escape in fantasy or thought the idea of vaunted happiness in an advanced
promoted in Western society. The three and to the start in reflection. The syndrome is stage of capitalism whose ideological basis is
"episodes" defining existence (Who ?), explicated by the schema 'The Telling of the that of self-help or self-interest. The "way
politics (What ?) and ideology (Why ?) are Tale' evincing the interdependent character out" is implicit in Stezaker's manner of
sandwiched synchronically by rhetorical of the ideas of existential, political and presenting the paradox — in attempting to
images of success and failure etc and ideological freedoms promoted and reconcile modes of existence, modes of
diachronically (within the linear tale) separated historically in the cliched action (politics) and wants (ideology) each as
between quotations from ideological and narrative (as well as by the ideologists) interfaces between collective or cultural
philosophical protagonists of the same whilst `The Moral' demands the codes. The "unity" is sought literally at right
syndromatically rendered value of freedom. abandonment of history and of its value of angles to the syndrom of self-interest in the
`The Telling of the Tale' and 'The Moral' freedom.' P.S. double-faced "cultural directive" of the
are presented as surfaces at right angles to "Who ?, What ?, Why ?' consists of work itself and on the interface of which
(he narrative (`The Tale', or history) as syndromatically related oppositions of there is a restatement of the "problems" of
imminent and transcendent surfaces of the imagery and conforms to the structural "Who ?", "What ?" and "Why ?".' P.S.
work itself.' thematic divisions of existence, politics and 5, 6, 7, 8. John Stezaker, 1974. 'Who ?,
`The tale is one of modern times in which ideology in 'Look on the Bright Side !', each What ?, Why ?'.
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