Post
by Killbuck » Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:43 am
It's early in the morning- 4:45 am. A quiet time, after getting a couple hours of sleep.
If you all will bear with me for a bit, I have had some time to reflect.
There are two things I cherish about the BM experience- the community and the art.
In regards to that community, my best memories are from those terrific people who joined our camp and became nothing short of family, as well as the countless people who I have met- strangers but for a few moments.
The art of the event has not only been impressive, but has compelled me to strive to return to my life as an artist full time- a life I set aside some 25 years ago. In the experience of the event, these two things for me- community and art- are like time and space... linked together.
Camp APOKILIPTIKA has been for me, and I know for the others who have helped create it- the same blend. There is of course, virtually no seriousness about it-- in that our theme context and content is meant to be satire. To me, it's a way of poking fun at the more absurd aspects of our human condition in a thematic context. Sometimes, satire is an important survival tool for civilization- allowing us to use humor to deal with absurdity.
I feel compelled to come to the defense of the premise and satire of our camp, and admit that I cannot resolve the question of where the line of free expression should be drawn. It's sort of summed up in my motto-
"Is That Art?" I suppose we must always decide for ourselves. So, here's my take on it. We should, all of us, have and defend the right to express ourselves with the knowledge that although we might be able to do so, we live with whatever consequences that entails-- but others must live with it too. I might say- "Gee, I CAN throw this turd into the party's punchbowl" but SHOULD I? For me, it's much like the art I produce. I see it as far too easy for an artist to do something to shock people... to get a viseral reaction. But far harder to get people to think-- it's a far greater challenge in my view. Satire has the subtle qualities that mix something provocative enough without hitting the viewer's face with it. You have to let the intent be implied enough that people actually spend a moment thinking.
Risking the possibility that certain very enjoyable aspects of this thread may have it's persona diminished-- I'll say that the tongue in cheek and fun satire of the APOKILIPTIKA- Herring diatribe has been much fun- and has been a manifestation of that sort of community-art mix that I so much enjoy. For that reason, I am disturbed that the mix has seemingly been disturbed.
I'll not get angry about it, but mearely suggest.
Some guiding principles of BM are community, art, radical self expression and radical self reliance. The first two I have interpreted. As for radical self expression-- that is built on the principle that one's expression should not interfere with the experience of others. Radical self reliance is built upon the principle that we are all ultimately responsible for ourselves- not just in the survival side, but in ourselves personally. We may well have that turd-- thare may well be that punchbowl-- and we COULD throw it in... but should we?
I could care less about the hit count thing- but I do care about our collective community-- I care about all of you, and our ability to be fun, free and responsible for our actions. I care about freedom of expression, and the ability to apply it. In the greater scheme of things, threads like this are insignificant to the world at large-- but it becomes important to us. It's our puchbowl. There's no protective cover on it, and we know that it's vulnerable all of the time. In the end, we must rely upon our concern for what makes our community work, and trust it, even if we see it's failings.
Use that radical self expression, with the principle that it should not interfere with the experience of others. Use that radical self reliance, with the principle that we are responsible for ourselves.
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