I'm pleased to report that the projected Red Wave turned out to be greatly exaggerated. I'm also proud of my state of Michigan that enjoyed a Blue Sweep, turning the legislature Blue for the first time in decades. More and more voters are seeing the corruption of Trump and his cronies. Hope prevails!
Artists almost always depict what is going on socially and/or politically before the masses realize what's happening. I attribute that to our sensitivity and our practice of noticing, from how the light hits an object to the tides of social change.
Thank you for keeping an eye on the US and our recent grapple with our commitment to democracy.
Thank *something* the Red Wave didn't happen. The warnings were heeded? Well done to Michigan! I love Gretchen Whitmer. I'm a bit of a US politics geek. My dad was too, although he was more like a walking encyclopedia on the minutiae of local and state elections across the USA throughout history.
I completely agree with you on the sensitivity of artists to what's happening in our world. It's why I find art so interesting. Thanks for your thoughts Kim!
I’ve enjoyed taking a look at Kentridges work this week, thank you for the introduction ☺️. I’m unlikely to get to London before the end of the year but the exhibition looks epic.
I find his work really multidimensional, so much going on in each piece. Theres an interesting contrast between the gnarly films with distorted movements from the rubbing out and /redrawing and the image of the Comrade Tree collage for example. I think it’s the ugliness that sits with nature that makes me think of dystopia/handmaids tale. He’s presenting all of these pieces, his lens of the world, as individual scenes - but you know that they are all based on one lived context.
The colonial landscapes feel like they’ve been washed in a distorting ‘film noir’ filter.
The image of the woman waving the big red flag 🚩 on the gallery website made me think of ‘les mis’ and revolution, yet that image of Black Box/chambre Noir’ made me instantly think of the popular TV version of Atwoods handmaids tail when I entered the webpage!
This was a fantastic piece, and Kentridge's work is incredible! I want to see it in person. I don't know if you follow Ray Dalio, but most disturbingly he methodically lays out the statistical probability of an impending civil war due to all the reasons you mention re: polarization and the fact that the Supreme Court for the first time has rulings that are/will be disobeyed (abortion & gun control). But back to art, I keep thinking of that quote from The Third Man about all the art that came out of the Borgia's reign of terror and bloodshed.
Thanks Mary Jo! I've just had to google Ray Dalio because I've never heard of him. How likely is civil war then? I keep thinking about Atwood's The Hand Maid's Tale! I'm not sure any of us would make it through 30 years of civil war in America...
Dalio goes on record saying it's a one in three chance but he personally thinks it's higher. I'm planning to move (part time at least) before the 2024 election, which I think will be a sh*t show.
Those odds don't surprise me really, I would have said it was higher because there's no way to compromise with bat-shit craziness (fascism/QAnon-type-believers) and a system run with people like that in charge won't work out in the States. Although fear reigns, doesn't it, in fascism. Look at Russia and Putin. Where are you planning to move?
I really enjoy how you make these connections between artists and the things happening out there in the world. I don't really follow American politics except the headlines which occasionally appear in the UK media, so thanks for the summary. It all sounds a bit dire, but the view from history is a useful marker.
I think the story of the Nazi Americans in the lead up to and during WW2 is one of those episodes that gets lost in the mists of time because of the dominant historical narratives about heroism and Americans saving the day.
Although of course that changes over time. Black British histories for example are starting to be uncovered because now's the moment when funding is being allocated for these kinds of research projects.
I'm pleased to report that the projected Red Wave turned out to be greatly exaggerated. I'm also proud of my state of Michigan that enjoyed a Blue Sweep, turning the legislature Blue for the first time in decades. More and more voters are seeing the corruption of Trump and his cronies. Hope prevails!
Artists almost always depict what is going on socially and/or politically before the masses realize what's happening. I attribute that to our sensitivity and our practice of noticing, from how the light hits an object to the tides of social change.
Thank you for keeping an eye on the US and our recent grapple with our commitment to democracy.
Thank *something* the Red Wave didn't happen. The warnings were heeded? Well done to Michigan! I love Gretchen Whitmer. I'm a bit of a US politics geek. My dad was too, although he was more like a walking encyclopedia on the minutiae of local and state elections across the USA throughout history.
I completely agree with you on the sensitivity of artists to what's happening in our world. It's why I find art so interesting. Thanks for your thoughts Kim!
I saw this this week: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/nov/08/the-wall-of-liars-and-deniers-trump-fake-election-rhetoric?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I’ve enjoyed taking a look at Kentridges work this week, thank you for the introduction ☺️. I’m unlikely to get to London before the end of the year but the exhibition looks epic.
I find his work really multidimensional, so much going on in each piece. Theres an interesting contrast between the gnarly films with distorted movements from the rubbing out and /redrawing and the image of the Comrade Tree collage for example. I think it’s the ugliness that sits with nature that makes me think of dystopia/handmaids tale. He’s presenting all of these pieces, his lens of the world, as individual scenes - but you know that they are all based on one lived context.
The colonial landscapes feel like they’ve been washed in a distorting ‘film noir’ filter.
The image of the woman waving the big red flag 🚩 on the gallery website made me think of ‘les mis’ and revolution, yet that image of Black Box/chambre Noir’ made me instantly think of the popular TV version of Atwoods handmaids tail when I entered the webpage!
This was a fantastic piece, and Kentridge's work is incredible! I want to see it in person. I don't know if you follow Ray Dalio, but most disturbingly he methodically lays out the statistical probability of an impending civil war due to all the reasons you mention re: polarization and the fact that the Supreme Court for the first time has rulings that are/will be disobeyed (abortion & gun control). But back to art, I keep thinking of that quote from The Third Man about all the art that came out of the Borgia's reign of terror and bloodshed.
Thanks Mary Jo! I've just had to google Ray Dalio because I've never heard of him. How likely is civil war then? I keep thinking about Atwood's The Hand Maid's Tale! I'm not sure any of us would make it through 30 years of civil war in America...
Dalio goes on record saying it's a one in three chance but he personally thinks it's higher. I'm planning to move (part time at least) before the 2024 election, which I think will be a sh*t show.
Those odds don't surprise me really, I would have said it was higher because there's no way to compromise with bat-shit craziness (fascism/QAnon-type-believers) and a system run with people like that in charge won't work out in the States. Although fear reigns, doesn't it, in fascism. Look at Russia and Putin. Where are you planning to move?
I really enjoy how you make these connections between artists and the things happening out there in the world. I don't really follow American politics except the headlines which occasionally appear in the UK media, so thanks for the summary. It all sounds a bit dire, but the view from history is a useful marker.
Thanks Helen!
I think the story of the Nazi Americans in the lead up to and during WW2 is one of those episodes that gets lost in the mists of time because of the dominant historical narratives about heroism and Americans saving the day.
Although of course that changes over time. Black British histories for example are starting to be uncovered because now's the moment when funding is being allocated for these kinds of research projects.
It's time well spent Billie, not procrastination!