Wolf Geyr-IN GOD WE TRU$T

At Occupy Wall Street there is a wonderful process in play that, for all its problems, can be best described as Democracy in action. The stance of most of the activists is apolitical in that they find the current rusting infrastructure of politics to be one they no longer wish to work within. Neither do they wish to come at it from the left or right. This is bubbling up from underneath. Understandably they do not see the roads and bridges we now have in place standing up for long. The current crop of politicians give the appearance of desperately trying to maintain the current system but show a complete unwillingness to inject real change (monetary or visionary) into the process. The Masses are now the 99%. Socialism is now, at its simplest, people wanting to see people treated with respect. To continue using these words as a form of insult will only show up the thrower of those insults as a dinosaur stuck in old patterns, unable to escape a dualistic approach to politics that is failing to function effectively. There is a kind of political exegesis going on. Break down the current system, look at all the parts, and cyber-nurd it back together, whilst making sure to throw new parts thrown in and stir, vigorously.

I see so many people energized by a sense that change might be possible if applied with great caution. Burned once people hold their hope close to their chest. Artists, economists, university lecturers, whoever is involved must show a willingness to make mistakes, and be open to criticism, the horizontal process, and consensual thinking. It is way too soon to say any of us have figured this thing out to the point where clear demands, open and shut, can be made.

One artist at the No Comment Art show, Wolf Geyr, has clearly been struggling with the issues of art and money for a while now. My take on biting the hand that feeds i.e. making art that one hopes is pretty insulting to the very people who might one day buy that same art, has been fairly consistent. Think Steve Bell, brilliant satirical cartoonist who has been a presence in the British paper, the Guardian, for a good thirty years. I believe, though I may have my facts wrong, that Margaret Thatcher, whom he satirized viciously in his strip Maggie’s Farm, bought some of his originals. I guess that is one way to stifle criticism, rather than getting all upset in public. This does not really succeed unless the cartoonist/artist gives up, and Steve Bell is, mercifully, as biting as ever.

I’d like to point out that many of those in the financial industry who are also patrons of the arts have been biting your hand all along. You put your money in their bank where they make it grow to their own benefit whilst charging you for the privilege of doing so. Curious don’t you think?

Socialite bucks rouble recession to host Moscow's biggest contemporary art show

Letter to the Bank 47

Dear Bullrider,
Art here. I've had a fantastic idea. What if you didn't ever have to lobby government, congress, your senators ever again? What if they simply said: Okay! We'll play it your way. From now on there will be no more regulation. Whatever tricks you come up with you can employ without fear of consequences. Bring on your financial instruments, bet against the economies of whole countries. You go right ahead. We will leave you alone on the one condition that you give us, your government, ten per cent of your profits, and, what the hey, give the American people ten per cent as well. You are on such a winning streak just now all you'd have to do is factor these commissions into your work as you go ahead with your next game plan. Let us all forget ethics, moral responsibility. You'll save a lot of time and energy, let alone money, if you don't need to lobby folks anymore, and you would finally have bought the American public hook, line and sinker. We could all suck the planet dry together! I'm now of the opinion if you can't beat them join them."You can't buck the market," said Margaret Thatcher. Madeleine Bunting, in her article in the Guardian Weekly, goes on to say:
"...and no British government has disagreed since. It was the adage that was used to justify soaring pay for the highest earners and stagnant earnings for the low-paid. The market ruled, and questions of injustice, honor or integrity were all secondary or irrelevant.
A poll for the World Economic Forum last month found in 10 G20 countries that two thirds of respondents attributed the credit crunch and its ensuing economic recession to a crisis of ethics and values."
Well yes! You guys figured this out long ago! The crisis is this: The ethics and values just get in the way! I've seen the light. Aspiring to be Superman is a mug's game! If we all get on the same page, if we get rid of our scruples, things might run a bit more smoothly! We all get a piece of the pie and we are all happy. It turns out you can buy happiness after all.
Of course if your piece of the pie is dramatically bigger...jealousy followed by populist anger might rear its ugly head once more...and I suppose to avoid such a thing happening we might need to develop a code of conduct, honor amongst thieves and so forth, because there is no getting around it thieves is what we are. To avoid eating our own shinbone we might need to even develop ...some ethics. So here I am back at square one.
Please let me know if you can see a way out of this maze.


Sincerely,


K. A. Witherkay

What do Big Banks and the leader of Senegal have in common?

They both have massive egos and get bail outs from the US government! In the case of Senegal this is to shore them up as allies but surely we (the American taxpayer does after all hold the debt-just like they own the banks) could insist on better taste? A huge Korean built statue is nearing completion that expresses, in no uncertain terms, the arrogance, power drunkness, and insensitivity of President Abdoulaye Wade who has spent, according to the Guardian, around 17 million quid (roughly 35 million dollars-remember I am a fuzzy mathematician). There is a huge ego at play here if nothing else. He insists the statue represents progress, a climbing in to the light out of the dark ages and so forth but it shows a massive disregard for a huge part of the population that is Muslim (94%) and who finds the statue in every way offensive. I might usually try to defend any artwork if the argument against it were merely fear of causing offense but in this case the US government is giving money to a government that is an ally in the so called War against Terrorism that is offending its mostly Muslim population and using American tax dollars to do so. None of this seems very helpful AND the art is retrograde. Hard to come up with any argument in its favor. Lets at least cut their next year's budget by the cost of the statue or insist on more oversight so that such monies go to help educate and feed the poor-then they can go out and make better art to counter the official art of the day.

Of course a similar power assumption afflicts the Big Banks who simply cannot understand why everyone is so upset by their enormous bonuses. They need the money. They have mouths to feed, and houses galore to fix. Apparently curtailing their financial needs is not a job the current government is up to. See "What's a Banker Really Worth?" in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine.

Steve Bell on art and the financial crisis | From the Guardian | The Guardian

Steve Bell on art and the financial crisis |
From the Guardian |
The Guardian