I attended an event that inspired me to blog about it. (s4e readers please bear with this change in blog genre for the duration of the post.)
Over the weekend I attended a Meat Market Gallery performance artist exhibit in the parking lot adjacent to the 1515 14th street galleries. The “YAY Team,” invited the public to join them in “saying goodbye to a personal era of waste, materialism, and ignorance,” in a piece called, “Black Out: Retiring a Cloud of Guilt.” It sounded like it could be cool, and right up my alley, as I like to think I am no fan of waste, materialism, and ignorance. Also, I like going to events. Sometimes there’s free liquor and I like to see what the other kids are wearing.
My party arrived in time to watch an El Camino drive into the parking lot. I am too short to see anything good like always, but I see there’s a neat looking car there and it is by now generally understood that these assholes intend to smash the thing to pieces. Still there’s a gasp when glass first shatters. No one really thought they’d smash a cool car up - maybe something egregiously wasteful, materialistic, and acquired because of ignorance; like a Hummer, or a mini van. But even a car deserving of smashing would not have rendered their message any more interesting in the context of art.
If it was a sincere response to the evils of our wasteful society, I think they were entirely off the mark. Anyone without access to public transportation needs a car. Cars are not going away just yet. Spare the cool ones at least. That previously functional, awesome car is good for nothing but a landfill now.
The only thing that would redeem their act to me is if it was meant to be humorous on some level. If that is the case, I don’t understand the joke. Perhaps it’s an inside joke. I would be curious to have it explained to me by the artists. then I will smash them. Tee-hee
6 comments:
Well, I think we can all agree that H. has demonstrated her total lack of sensitivity to the arts -- that is, her regrettable Philistinism. If you didn't understand the earth-shattering profundity of the El Camino smashup, I'm sorry, but you'll never truly _get it_.
if only coolness could redeem us all, then the world would truly be at peace and balance. Hope you saw some cool new outfits on the kids;)
I have a feeling Jeremy that you are a part of the YAY team. I am not sure how sacrificing a vehicle that an impoverished family could have used to artistic vanity is a redemptive act. I think we both agree that our planet would be better off without transport methods that are environmentally devastating. It is possible these days to convert your engine to run on biodiesel. Was this considered before you ran with your idea? I agreed with the sentiment but this act of destruction was ironically wasteful.
Also, I looked on your blog - you make lovely art. So lovely I fail to believe you place no value on aesthetics or coolness yourself. I am not ashamed of my interest in free alcohol or people watching. While neither helps me bring peace and balance to the world, I did not just send 2 tons of metal and glass to the trash heap.
Since we agree on basics, let's shake hands
It is my understanding that recycled steel is more environmentally friendly and valuable than harvesting new ore and refining it. You can rest easy knowing that our capitalist society will surely find a use for economically viable steel that is environmentally friendly. Perhaps you are not aware of the fuel economy on a Chevy v8 350cc engine. ( 9.5mpg highway 8mpg city) Unfortunately i find it a stretch to believe that an impoverished family could afford to pay the gas bill for a vehicle like this, or that they would need a two-seater with bucket seats. Bio- diesel is yet another conservative hatched scheme that does not address any of the the real problems with energy today. Sad fact is that my beloved El Camino is an American muscle car that is a symbol of American waste I do value coolness and aesthetics, which made it that much harder to accept the recycling of the vehicle. Also as a side note the El Camino Super Sport is extremely fast and powerful, the chances of someone driving it responsibly are slim. I'll never shake hands with someone who publicly announces they would like to smash me and my partner.
Jeremy, the Amish have some pretty sustainable practices, perhaps you should spurn modernity absolutely and join them.
I think you both make good points. Can't we all just be friends?
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