COVER spring 1998 / planet of the arts 9 Galen Rowell, Rainbow over the Potala Palace, Lhasa, 1981 ..continued from page 7 forth a visual artist’s best efforts or sincerest moti- vations. In other words, a large part of the motiva- tion is very likely to be disingenuous. An important consequence of this disingenu- ousness is the opening it provides for a visual artist’s attempts at political participation to become infused with social-psychological atti- tudes that “creatively” re-articulate: (1) pessimism about ever being able to effectively perform the basic tasks needed for adept political participa- tion; (2) the conceptual enlargement of this pes- simism or sense of negativity into a condemna- tion of the inherent nature of these tasks, and; (3) the additional social enlargement of this negativi- ty into (envious) disapproval of anyone who seems to demonstrate effectiveness in performing such tasks. The specific social-psychological attitudes that correspond to these “creative” rearticulations are: (1) defeatism — “T have always been, and always will be, lousy at speaking and writing”; (2) self-serving inversion — “I am less adept at words than with images, but now that I think about it images are more politically and culturally significant than words”, and; (3) externalized and generalized blame — “People who seem to be more adept at using words than I am are the reason I am not as successful in this world as I deserve to be.” Post-Avant-Garde Social Responsibility Nothing of what has been described above applies across the board. A number of visual artists develop their aptitudes in visual expression at about the same rate as their verbal and writing aptitudes develop. The relevance of considering the participation of visual artists in the political system arises from the peculiar place they occupy within the culture of an advanced liberal-capital- ist society. The visual arts have been affected as much as any other sector of the economy by tech- nology. The software-based promise of faster turnaround and more diverse outputs in the con- text of the emerging “information economy” res- onates sweetly with the modernist conception of the artist. The role previously attributed to artists in regard to the development of modern society made much of their supposed daringness to inno- vate and the sharing of these innovations with mainstream society. The “modern” artistic per- spective was about proposing questions that oth- ers lacked the courage or the flair to bring to pub- lic attention, and formulating solutions that rou- tinized minds and vested interests could not or would not envisage. Whether or not post-modernism has killed off the arrogant pretensions of the avant-garde once and for all, the visual arts continue to be a realm in which substantial and highly fluid resources are made available to support working processes whose dominating characteristic is continuous, dispersed decision-making using a wide range of available strategies and options. Furthermore, the current computer-driven flux in the visual arts has reasserted the impulse of differentia- tion that has a central place in contem- porary art and design. The fulfillment of needs in accordance with a set of specifications more highly delineated than ever before provides fairly com- pelling legitimation to the flux in the visual arts, despite the social costs to visual artists. As much as ever since the advent of modernism (and the death of the avant-garde notwithstanding), visual artists are positioned by the resources and flux that condition their work environment to reflect perceptively and sensitively upon correlative mater- ial developments and historical change affecting society at large. As much as ever they are positioned to formulate self-conscious responses using the practical flexibility that is inherent in the creative domain, and which society very much continues to expect artists to exploit. The contemporary visual arts sec- tor retains a strong, latent social role — in an instant it can diverge from its economy-specific role of making pret- ty or useful pictures, and can revert back to this role just as quickly. There is perhaps no other modern, technolo- gized economic sector which (partly in response to the problematic aspects of the technologies they use) calls upon its practitioners as strongly: to raise for public discussion the choices made by us as a society; to bring alternative choices to the attention of the public, and; to work to have these alternatives meaningfully debated within our col- lective political processes. Given the substantial reflexivity (i.e., the capacity to step back and think critically about oneself, others, and social reality) invested in the visual arts by Western economic and social histo- ry, and given the expansive and idiosyncratic ver- satility that characterize this domain of endeavour, it is deeply and sadly paradoxical that so many visual artists are debilitated in their attempts to participate in political life by difficulties of the sort described earlier. Too many quickly throw in the towel and, afterwards, grumble about the stupidi- ty of politics and declare what a waste of time political involvement is for an intelligent person. Fortunately several others endure the hardship that comes with leaving the comfort of the studio- gallery-art school turf of the visual arts communi- ty and jump as best they can through the hoops entailed by involvement in social causes and polit- ical processes, words and all. Performing Social Descriptions This returns us back to considering more directly the strategy of bringing issues to the atten- tion of politicians and the public by way of an art- ful compilation of images and test, such as the four book projects by photographers concerned about a Free Tibet. It also returns us to the issue of effectiveness, n the Chang Tang Plateau it is common for the Himalayan height to push Western travelers into dangerous states of pul- monary and cerebral edema. The human heart gets lazy when the air gets thin; the heart does not have to pump as hard. So it doesn’t. As a result, blood and other bodily fluids collect and pool-up in your hidden carnal eddies: in your brain, in your lungs. Monster headaches and difficult breathing are the norm. Death is also a common side affect. My Chang Tang headache was one of those hel- mets of pain that reduced me to a primordial posi- tion, an embryonic curl, with my hands over my eyes and my stomach climbing, burning, into my throat. The sound of a herdsperson’s boots on the fresh snow outside the tent, or the light from a butter lamp glinting off the battered kettle atop Young Monk with Drum, = bh h M as Sway Y: Kathmandu, Nepal, 1995. Swayambhunath Monastery is placed high on a hill overlooking Kathmandu, the sprawling capital city of Nepal. Crossing the Vishnumati River, pilgrims climb the long four-hundred-step stairway, past the clambering monkeys and seated beggars, to the stupa with its white dome visible over the valley. On the top of the dome, on the square harmika, are painted the large, heavy-lidded the fire, was enough to cause my brain to spasm into an uncontrollable, agonizing tremor. The nomads had no idea that, even at sea level, I get serious migraine headaches. I tried the best medicine I had with me; a pill called Imitrex, which goes into the brain’s chemistry and narrows swollen blood vessels. Back home, Imitrex is called a wonder drug. But here, high on the snow- covered plains of this mountainous desert, there was no wonder to be had. The best-in-the-West just wasn’t good enough. My brain was about to burst and I was certain I would become a future figure of nomadic folklore - the Westerner whose head exploded. Children from Amdo to Ngari would hear tales of how a wrathful deity crept into my tent hidden under the fur of a goat (there were many roaming around my tent) and then climbed into my brain where it set off a Chinese bomb. PoR Exclusive: tmage and text selections from Art Perry’s forthcoming book The Tibetans: Photographs eyes of Buddha. Since the thirteenth century Swayambhunath has kept a close connection to Tibet and has been an important centre of Buddhist learning. and recalls the observation that words are the currency of negotiation and compro- mise within the political institutions of liberal capitalism (at least the final stage of such negotiations). The primacy of words in bargaining about political outcomes only indirectly answers why images by themselves are inadequate as devices in these negotiations. A more direct explanation would be worthwhile to us. We also need to keep in mind the limitations of words in promoting political agendas, limitations that are not just a result of the increased orientation of con- sumers to visual culture in so-called late capitalism but because words are likely to have some inherent limitations from which images suffer less or are exempt. Rather than taking on a large discussion that evaluates the respective attributes of words and images in general terms, we can guide our thinking more purpo- sively by considering how words and images (especially photographs) per- form in providing descriptions of social reality. Few people today subscribe to the notion of value-free social science or the notion of a completely objective description of social reality. This is not the same as giving up altogether on the principle of honesty or granting self- ishness total sway over the intellect. And so if we accept that reality cannot Politics suck, but giving up on the political process sucks more. be described with complete objectivity because it is socially constructed and because the values of the person providing the description inevitably enter into the picture, this does not mean that socially constructed reality consists of nothing but delusions, neuroses and pathologies; nor even that it consists primarily of these things. The very reason we can sort the delusional from the sane is because not all values are equal and because a worthwhile degree of choice is available to us in prioritizing these values in our actions. As much as any artist or author, particularly one acting from political concern, has an “agenda” this does not eliminate from his or her work everything of signifi- cance other than dishonesty and selfishness. Moreover, it does not prove that the most central or interesting thing about the work is its expression of delusion, neuro- sis or pathology. Furthermore, it does not prove that these sicknesses constitute the definitive basis of our political economy and the visual culture thrown up within it. Those who make it their business to traffic in such speculative and categorical con- demnations of individual artists and art works are without defence against the obser- vation that they are themselves motivated by the very sicknesses for which they spring 1998 / plonet of the orts 9 COVER forthehenlyonbeght te psh Werte into on vaontobe, trveler to dangers stots The nom toon ot ae Inonay eed creel edema. The Homan lee, get eins i hes 1 ted the or get ny when the gets tha, Sestmedcin ha with me ileal mites, Trellen lod vessels eck Rome, Imes the eat does nt hove to pomp os bard Se Geet Reet, Vand en ter Te be The beste-the est weld became oftre Sel ‘or tls af how a wrthfel deity rept nt my tent den under the far of egot Chere were ‘ony rvming rnd ny tnt) and then climbed tyes end my stomach cl Galen Rowel, Rainbow over the Potala Pale thas, 1981 fortha visual arn best efforts o sincerest mot ‘ations. In other words large part ofthe motiva tion i ery likely tobe disingenuous. An important consequence ofthis dsingen ‘ousness is the opening it provides for a visual arts’s attempts at political participation to become infused with social-psychologial att tudes that "creatively e-ariclate:() pessimism about ever bing able to eetvey perform the basic tasks needed for adept poitial participa tion; (2) the conceptual enlargement ofthis pes simism or sense of negativity into a condemn tion ofthe inherent nature ofthese tasks, and (3) the additional social enlargement ofthis negativi- ty ito (envious) disapproval of anyone who scems to demonstrate effectiveness in performing such tasks, The specific socal: paycholgicalatitudes that correspond to these “creative” reartculations ae (0) defeatism —*Thave aways been and lays wil ‘bes louy at speaking nd wring” 2) seserving inversion ~ "lam Jes adept at word than wi images, but now that 1 Dk about it images are ‘more politically and culturally significant then words, and: (3) externalized and generalized blame ~ "People who seem to be more adept at ‘sing word than Tam ar the reason Iam not as succesful inthis world as I deserve to be: Post-Avant-Garde Social Responsibility Nothing of what has been described above applies across the board. A number of visual tists develop their aptitudes in visual expresion at about the same rte a thee verbal and writing aptitudes develop. The relevance of considering the participation of visual artists inthe politcal system arises from the peculiar place they occupy within th culture of an advanced liberal-aptal- {nt society, The visual arts have boen affected as ‘much as anyother sector of th economy by tech: nology. The software-based promise of faster turnaround and more diverse outpats inthe con text ofthe emerging “information economy” re conates sweetly wit 6 modernist conception of the artist, The role previowsly attributed to artists in regatd to the development of modern society ‘made much of thee supposed daringnest inno vate and the sharing. of these innovations with mainstream society. The "moders” artistic pet spective was about proposing questions that oth ‘ers lacked the courage or the Mae to bring to pub solutions that ro tinized minds and vested interests could not oF would not envi ‘Whether oF not post-modernism has killed off the arrogant pretensions of the av and for the visual arts contin to hea rani which substantial and highly Auid resources are made available 10 support working processes whose dominating characteristic is continvous, dispersed decision-making using a wide range of available strategies and opti current computer-diven fax ns Furthermore, the reaserted the impulse of diferent tion that has a centeal place in conten porary art and desig. The flfllment ‘of nceds in accordance with a set of specifications more highly delineated than ever before provides fly com: polling legitimation to the fax in the visual arts, despite the socal costs to nual artist ‘As much as ever since the advent of modernism (and the death of the avantgarde notwithstanding), visual artists are positioned by the resources tnd flux that condition their work environment to reflect perceptvely and sensitively upon correlative mater il developments and historia change affecting society at large. As much as ‘ver they are positioned to formulate selfconscious responses using. the practical flexibly that i inherent in the creative domain, and which society very much continues to expect artists to-explot The contemporary visual ars sec tor retains a strong, latent social role — in an instant it can diverge from its ‘economy speci ole of makin pret ty oF usefil pictures, and can revert bucktothisrole just as quickly. There is pethaps no other modern, technol sized economic sector which (partly in response tothe problematicaspects ofthe technologies they use) calls upon its practitioners as strongly: 10 ‘hse for public dscusion the choices made by us 8 society; to bring alternative choices tthe attention of the public, and; to work to have these alternatives meaningfily debated within out col lective politcal processes, Given the substantial reflexivity (ies the capacity to step back and think critically about ‘oneself others, and socal reality invested in the viaual ats by Western economic and social histo ‘ysand given the expansive and idiosyncratic ver satiliy that characterize his domain of endesvour, itis deeply and sadly paradoxical that so many nual artns ate debilitated in their attempts to purticipatein political life by difcuties ofthe sort. described cater. Too many quickly throw in the towel an, afterwards, grumble about the stupid ty of polis and declare what a waste of time politi involement is for a intligent person. Fortunately several others endure the hardship that comtes with leaving the consort ofthe studio sallery-art school ur ofthe visual rs communi ty and jump as best they can through the hoops coal by involvement in socal causes and polit. ‘eal proceses, words and ll Performing Social Descriptions This returns us back to considering. more rectly the strategy of bringing issues tothe atten tion of poitcians and the public by way of an at fal compilation of images and test, such asthe four book projects by photographers concerned about a Fee Tibet ie to the nae of effectiveness ‘iter lompghting ff the bttered Kettle stop__ inte my boner et off «nese bom, PoR Exclusive: tmege a The Tibetans: Seer Photographs atm ep 1995. and recalls the observation that words are the currency of negotiation and compro- I sage of such negotiations. The primacy of words in bargaining about politcal outcomes ‘only inizetly answers why images by themselves are inadequate as devices in these ‘negotiations. A more direct explanation would be worthwhile tous. ‘We also need to keepin mind the imitations of word in promoting poitial agendas, limitations that are not just a result ofthe increased orientation of con ‘mise within the politcal institutions of liberal capitalism (atleast the fi sumers to visual culture in so-called lat capitalism but because word are likly to ‘have some inherent imitations fom which images suffer les or are exempt. Rather than taking oma large discussion that evaluates the respective atebutes of ‘words and images in general terms, we ‘an guide our thinking more purpo se breasiemenor md’ POLitiCS SUCK, but images (especially photographs) per- form in. providing. descriptions of social reality Few people today subse giving up on the Saws‘eiarsee political process Aestiption of sci ity. Thi ot these aig op algae the principle of honesty or granting self k tine wul sey ore mide SUCKS MOF. Ae oie sep tat ety cana te dexited wit cmple bjt brome scl construed and bectse the ales ofthe pron providing the decription neviabl ener io the pte cons of oti bt dso eros and patlogiex nor even hat cost prima of hs things The ery ‘rao we cart the delionl onthe sane because nt alveate cqal and cre a worthiledpe of chk irae turin prs the vasa As uch a any arto autor, pray one ting fom poli coner, hasan aend thse tliat rom iso he work eveything of signi tance oferta dahoneny and elfhaen: Moreover ons at prove hatte ros ct orineesg ting about the ork exon of dl, neue ‘sor patology Eerie doc no prove th the ste cote the ‘ftv brs of ur poli conomy ade vl cate tsa up wih tothe this docs not mean that socially constructed reat "Those who make it ther business to traffic in such speculative and categorical con demations of individual artist and at works are without defence against the obser vation that they are themsehes motivated by the very sickness for which they