Column As | See em

One of the very attractive attitudes that we
have in common as students in this college is a
kind of rough and ready anarchism. Hardly any of
us likes rules or formal structures - hell, lots of us
can’t even keep appointments. Yet in spite of this,
we manage to produce a lot of work, often in close
co-operation with each other. | think that this is
only natural for us as artists - we are often
working with completely new things, and rules
(dealing as they do with organizing the unknown)
are of little help to us. In fact rules are often
perceived as one of the prime barriers in the
execution of our work.

We tend to see rules and structures as in-
fringements on our freedom. And since maximum
freedom is what we want (among other things),
rules are seen as negative things.

Really though, rules are neutral. Sometimes a
rule may decrease freedom, sometimes increase
it. But we have a perceptual problem with rules -
usually when we are aware of them it is because
they are preventing us from doing something. We
rarely see rules as being aids.

But consider Pub Nites as an example. As an
experience, Pub Nites are pretty chaotic. People
dancing, beer and cigarette smoke all over the
place, loud music and flashing lights. We all enjoy
them. Yet the Pub Nites would be impossible
without a set of rules drawn up by the Student
Society Executive in the fall of 1986. These rules
lay out what the organizers have to do in order to
carry off a Pub Nite without leaving a huge mess,
damaging the school and losing lots of money.

The positive aspect of rules is that they give
us a reliable structure from which to work,
enabling us to be more effective in what we want
to do.

The negative aspect of rules is that we can
become involved in the rules themselves, engage
in endless unpleasant legalistic wrangling about
structure, and never get to the task that the
structure is meant to accomplish.

A weird aspect of rules is that they tend to
make themselves if people don’t sit down and
decide what they should be. Self-made rules can
be just the unconscious way a group of people
relate to each other. Or self-made rules can be the
way that a dominant person controls a group.
Either way, | think that rules that evolve without
the conscious participation of the people who live
under them tend to be capricious, arbitrary, and
inefficient. Not only that, since the rules them-
selves are invisible, the harm that they cause is
not attributed to the rules but to the people
involved.

Going back to the Pub Nite example - years

Planet of the Arts

Vol.3 No.7 May 1988

Step Bone True

In broken-down shoes he ruled
the world crossing mountains and
borders and endless miles of
white picket fences.

He said there is a river and I can
sleep in the grass on its sunny
banks and swim in the cool green
water when I get hot. There are
fish to eat, I just grab them with
my hands.

When night falls I will build a
fire to ward off the cold and I will
lay on my back and look forever
into the sky and watch the barbed
wire stars twinkle and pop.

He said I know a jungle lush
and over-ripe there is fruit on the
trees for me to eat and throw to the
monkeys for pleasure. I can rest
my head on the floor of the earth
with dust under my fingertips and
in my shoes.

And when I become lonely I will
travel to a village and the people
there will share their wine. I will
dance to their songs and sing with
their voices — the bats will not
dare come near!

I will know the right moment
when it comes I will throw my
shoes into the glowing embers of
the dying fire and watch them
burn.

Laine D. Hartwell

what else. The College looked at the situation and
saw that art students were irresponsible louts, not
to be trusted. Neither the College or the students
realized that the problem was in a faulty structure.
Within the Planet of the Arts, we have no
formal structure at all. We have never sat down \
with each other and worked out what we are trying \

ago, there were Pub Nite attempts at the College, 1{2
without the sheet of rules that we have now. The eS : 3|4(5)6|7)6)9
results were major messes for the College staff, ® ~ gt as Ae i x ¥ ie 23 7 es
drunken students wandering around the whole 7 : ae 3 $5 gees ~~ [gl 25] 26| z7lzal 24120
place, holes knocked in walls and who knows i) : Sf foe : ae

;

to do, why we should do it, or who our constitu- ©)
ency is. The paper, and our organization, evolved \
during production, in an ad hoc kind of way. @)

We’ve always been too busy with immediate
production tasks to sit down and wrangle out
theory. :

By not sitting down and wrangling out out the
theory though, | think we’ve ended up with an
undemocratic organization with the Editor as
boss. Not that there is a lot of oppression. We’re
all volunteers after all, and can leave at any time
without even losing a paycheck. But! don’t like
‘being told that if | don’t want to do what the editor
wants that I can just step aside and someone else
will do the work. That basically means that the
Editor considers the Planet to be her paper, and
that the rest of us are just helping her out. I feel
very strongly that the paper is our paper (the Balance
pk on ome te yp whale student body’s on That which is space, that | do not know how to exist in the space, | do not
another) and that the Editor is helping us out b i Pra ‘ :
ltl ) gets age pate veer y know what | look like. That | am the space, that itis anywhere. That it exists
Editor is on a power trip. She does a tremendous only as it is there, that the sum of my experience is the space. That | am
amount of work, and is the centre of our operation concerned with addressing the balance within the space, that the balance
and it’s no wonder that she identifies with the i ithi : ‘
aper. [do thiriCHaeewe Wess tha ait anette’ bees wae | Nae Ws balance within the space. That | am time, that time holds
picked up a bunch of self-made rules that are g bu it occupies the space. These are the conditions for my

experience, irreconcilable conditions. That my existence exists only within
the space. Th i i
TGule be to elt downiAd eofaclonentierect p at existence is space. That the boundless expanse where all

starting to be harmful to us and that our first
priority next year before we resume publication

the rules by whieh we pradiies the Mecaar mic objects exist, does not exist. That a That I may not exist.
Arts. rika M.

10 Martin Hunt

Column As | See ‘em

One of the very attractive attitudes that we
have in common a8 students inthis college Is a
kind of rough and ready anarchism. Hardly any of
Us likes rules or formal structures hell, ots of us
ean't even keep appointments. Yet in spite of this,
‘we manage to produce alot of work, often in close
Co-operation with each other think that this Is
eniy natural for us as artists - we are often
Working with completely new things, and rules
(dealing as they do with organizing the unknown)
a9 of lite help to us. Infact rules are often
Perceived as one ofthe prime barriers in the
execution of our work.

We tond to S00 rules and structures as in-
{ringements on our freedom. And since maximum
fteedom fs what we want (among other things)
rUles are seen as nogative things

Realy though, rules are neutral. Sometimes @
rule may decrease treedom, sometimes increase
1t. But wo have a perceptual problem with rules -
Usually when we are aware of thom itis because
they ate preventing us from doing something. We
rarely S00 rules as being aids.

But consider Pub Nites as an example. As an
‘experience, Pub Nites are pretty chaotic. Poople
{ancing, beer and cigarette smoke al over the
place, loud musie and flashing lights. We all enjoy
them: Yet the Pub Nites would be impossible
Without a set of rules drawn up by the Student

Panel ofthe Ars

VoL3 No.7 May 188

Step Bone True

In broken-down shoes he ruled
the world crossing mountains and
borders and endless miles of
white picket fences.

ariver and
sleep in the grass on its sunny
n the cool green
hot. There are
ab them with

fish t

ight falls I will build a
fire to ward off the cold and I will
lay on my back and look forever
into the sky and watch the barbed
wire stars twinkle and pop.

He said I know a jungle lush
and over-ripe there is fruit on the
trees for me to e: throw to the
monkeys for pleasure. I can rest
my head on the floor of the earth
with dust under my fingertips and

in my shoes.
And when I become lonely Iwill
trayel (o a village and the people

Society Executive in the fall of 1986. These rules
lay out what the organizers have to do in order to
carry off a Pub Nite without leaving a huge mess,
damaging the school and losing lots of money.

“The positive aspect of ules is that they give Eeeaillichaaake ’
usa oliable structure from which to work, there will share their wine. I will
fenabling us to be more effective in what we want dance to their songs and sing with
todo. their voices — the bats will not

See A

become involved in the rules themselves, engage dare come near!

pesmi orel ee ee eer aor :

es cvaseesnpleent ree aE Sa I will know the right moment

‘structure is meant to accomplish. when it comes I will throw
slowing ember

‘A weird aspect of rules is that they tend to
‘make themselves if people don't sit down and
decide what they should be. Self-made rules can
be just the unconscious way a group of people
relate to each other. Or self-made rules can be the
‘way that a dominant person controls a group.
Either way, | think that rules that evolve without
the conscious participation of the people who live
lunder them tend to be capricious, arbitrary, and
inefficient. Not only that, since the rules them-
‘selves are invisible, the harm that they cause is
not attributed to the rules but to the people
involved.

‘Going back to the Pub Nite example - years —
ago, there we
‘without the

sysjr|e|>
alae sl

|
3y 4
in|

etal

‘drunken students wandering around the whole
place, holes knocked in walls and who knows:

what else. The College looked at the situation and
‘saw that art students were irresponsible louts, not

©.

{o do, why we should do it, or who our constitu-
tency is. The paper, and our organization, evolved
during produetion, in an ad hoe kind of way.

We've always been too busy with immediate
production tasks to sit down and wrangle out
theory.

BY not sitting down and wrangling out out the
theory though, I think wo've ended up with an
undemocratic organization with the Ealtor
boss, Not that thre faa lot of oppression, We're
all volunteers afterall, and can leave at any time
Without even losing a paycheck. But l don't like
‘boing told that if dont want to do what the editor
Wants that can just step aside and someone else
Will do the work. That basieally means that the
Editor considers the Pia
thatthe rest of us are ju
very strongly that the Balance
staff's on one level, the whole student body's on ‘That which is space, that | do not know how to exist in the space, I do not
nother and that the Edo ie haping us out by know what | look like. That | am the space, that it is anywhere. That it exists
ee ree | ne ae LIE only as it is there, that the sum of my experience is the space. That | am
amount of work, and Is the centre of our operation concerned with addressing the balance within the space, that the balance
Sa se eee ae does not exist, the balance within the space. That | am time, that time holds
ceed usratentterenenee ied aero no meaning but it occupies the space. These are the conditions for my

experience, irreconcilable conditions. That my existence exists only within
sume publication the space. That existence is space. That the boundless expanse where all

Starting fo be harmful to us and that our first
Priority next year before we.

Should be to sit down and consciously work out ; ‘
haus sk sores pov era objects exist, does not exist. That it is me. That | may not exist.

Arts, Erika M.

10 Ma

.} NEAR Tapes,

Hunt