— _ I Oa A epg I gg ET I ye — ee — GABI PROCTOR VOL.4NO.6 19869 Pofi Bar. Feb. 26/89. Ann McDonell talks with Gretchen Perk (a.k.a. Hay- wire Ali) and Dan Vie. FB Z (Gretchen takes a large slurp of her coffee.) AM: Let’s first of all talk about the Fool’s Society, for perspective. DV: Let’s not. GP: Why? Why not? DV: The Fool’s Society just does what it does. This is the 8th annual parade. AM: Do you have a mandate? Is it connected to the dadaists? GP: I think it’s actually pre-dada. The concept of fooling around has been with us since the beginning of time. And Springtime always brings out the foolishness in everyone. which seems like the antithesis of Spring, and birth and fecundity. DV: The end of the world is our own special surprise. AM: Is this a serious kind of foolishness? DV: There’s a question about how the world is going to end. There’s gonna be a big fire, see... and some people believe that if you dig a hole, cover it up with a couple of doors and then throw three feet of dirt on top, if there are enough shovels and canned goods every- one is going to make it. They believe that when the apocalypse happens we’re gonna be givenournew bodies and live in our new paradise, and eat our new food, and we’ll be restored from our fall from grace. AM: The end of the world is about a rebirth. DV: Are we just car- rying on as if everything is alright, living our normal lives? “Oh well, I’ve got enough to eat so I might just as well gooutandhavea good time to- night.” ‘That’s what we want, tight? To have a good time? So we should pursue that ag- gressively as often as possible. The thing is that we’re all in the same boat. What the Fool does is mimic those attitudes and says we're just dancing on the edge of a A\\\\ \, \Y \\ cliff. GP: The end of Dadaism... I wasn’t there butsometimes I feel as though I could have been. Someone once said that Haywire Ali has the pitui- tary of Alfred Jarry...it’s quite possible that I am the reincarnation of Jarry. However, there is not much cachet in Dada. Dada,dada or dadadada. AM: Is there much data about Dada? GP: I just read a book called The Banquet Years which describes the Dadascene: Apollinaire, Jarry, Max Emst, Diego Rivera, Mann Ray. DV: Everybody was working with a sense of ur- gency. They also had a relationship to a world that was ending which made for more passion in their art. There are two ways to make art. One is from a point of despair and one from a point of hope. It’s quite easy to \ |i: \ get swallowed up by the despair. You can just wallow \| \ \ around init or youcan move through it. The Fool realizes this, \ that no matter how bad things can get, you just struggle on. . \\ EZ Injecting levity into the scene doesn’t hurt. pe BES BES. GP: I believe in genetic memory. If you look at the kind ' of food that we eat and the chemicals that modify our food, and Wij, YU; Vs how they enter our DNA chain and change us, cliange the \\ Ww AN ASN \' AM: This year one of the themes is The Endof the World, © a atitenn eaten tieeedinettiinee ene ane eet a children that we bear, within the last 20- 30 years... DV: ...our entire physical structure has been molecularly changed. We’re all changed and there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re living in our own toxic waste. That affects peoples’ abil- ity to reason, to intuit and use their imaginations. There’s so much going on thatrobs your imagination...a kind of spirit loss. The images that are all around us in this floating world are just distracting us from our personal im- ages. AM: You mean the images in mass media distract us? DV: Arthur Koestler says that “The human brain has developed a terrible biological flaw, such that it is working now against the survival of the race.” GP: Neverinhistory, as we know it, have people been so modified by their environment. AM: What is the point of being in the Fool’s Parade? What is the point of putting a lot of work and energy and time into creating something wonderful and fantastic to bring out on April 1st? GP: For me the reason is the chil- dren. The people who are being totally and seriously ripped off these days are the children. Western children, who have access to so much, have no advo- cacy. Everything is prescribed for them. Their environment is prescribed for them. There have always been people who have stepped out of the herd to say to the children, “Here we are. This is what wedida thousand years ago.” You can do it too. Try it. AM: What you are talking about is the importance of public art in giving people a sense of continuity and con- tinuation of human culture. Groups like The Fools, The Public Dreams Society and Special Delivery are working with myth and archetypal imagery and ex- ploring the area of public art. GP: We had an oral tradition in our culture once-upon-a-time. It’s been lost. There are cultures that still exist that are committed to apreservation of their oral tradition. DV: There’s a kind of generosity that’s missing from a lot of work. The world is in a state of extreme suffering. That’s why I feel a certain urgency to say that I have to spend the time, and it’s my responsibility as an artist to come public with my work and say, “What is essential about my work? Who is it for? What use does it have?” There’s a theory that art, and mak- ing of art, rescues love. There’s so much love missing from peoples’ lives... if there was more love there wouldn’ tbe so much of this missile envy and desire for destruction. (Dan opens In Quest of Candlelighters, by Kenneth Patchen, at random.) “Somewhere I hear the beat- ing of a great heart. It drowns out every other sound. Just what are all you fat swine squatting around on your haunches waiting for anyway?” . A s \ al ar oe "real Z| INTERVIEW WITH A COUPLE OF FOOLS Pofi Bar. Feb. 26/89. Ann McDonell talks with Gretchen Perk (a.k.a. Hay- wire Ali) and Dan Vie. (Gretchen takes a large slurp of her coffee.) AME Lets frstof al tlk about the Foo!'s Society, for Loy e's Pal GP: Why? Why not? DV: The Foo!'s Society just does whatit does. Thisis the Sh annual parade ‘AM: Do you have a mandate? Is it connected to the dadaiss? GP: Iihinkits actually pre-dads. Theeonceptof fooling, around has been with us since the begining of time. And Springtime always brings out the foolishness in everyone 'AM: Thisyearoneofthe themes is Te Endof the World Which seems like the antithesis of Spring, and bith and fecundity. DV: The endof the worlds our own special surprise "AM: Is this serious kindof foolishness? DV: There's aquestion abouthow theworldis going to end. There's gonna be a big fis, see. nd some 3 people believe that you dig ahoe,coveritup witha couple of dors andthen throw tree fetof dztontop, if there ae enough shovels and canned goods every one is going to makeiit. They believe that when the ‘spocalypschappens we're gomabe givenournew ‘bodies and live in our new parase, and eat ‘our new food, and we'll be restored from ou fall from grace. ‘AM: The endof the world is about a rebirth 5 PU DV Are we just ca. ying onasifeverything is aright, living our normal lives? “Oh well, I've got ‘enough o cat so mightjustas well sooutandhavea food time to night” That's what we want, right? To have a good time? So we should purse that ag agresively as often 35 possible. ‘The thing is that we're all inthe same ‘oat. What the Fool does is mimic those aides and says we're just dancing on the edge of « Sve litt. GP: Theend of Dadsism...I wasn't there butsometimes! fee! as though couldhave been ‘Someone once said that Haywire Ali has the pit tary of Alfred Jany..it's quite possible that am the reincamation of Jay. However, there isnot much cachet in Dada. Dadadada or dadadada, "AM: Is there much data about Dada? GP: just read book called The Banquet Years whichdescrbesthe Dadascene: Apollinare Jarry, Max Ems, Diego Rivera, Mann Ray. DY: Everybody was working with a sense of ur ‘geney. They also had a relationship toa world that was ‘ending which made for more pasion in ther art. ‘There are two ways tomake ar. One's fom «point ‘of despair and one from apoint of hope. It's quite easy to. get swallowed up by the despair. You can just wallow around nitor youcanmove troughit. TheFoolrealizes this, ‘hat no matter how bad things can get, you just struggle on. Injecting levity into the scene doesn't hurt GP: Ibelievein genetic memory. Ifyou look atthe kind of food that weeatand thechemicalsthatmodifyourfood, and = how they enter our DNA chain and change us, change the children that we bear, within thelast20- 30 year. DY: ou entire physical structure has been molecularly changed, We're all changed and there's nothing we can o about it. We'e living in our own, toxic waste, That affets peoples abil- ity w reason, to intuit and use their imaginations. There's so much going ‘onthatrobs yourimagination..akindof spirit los. The images that are all sound usin this loatng world are just distracting us from our personal im: ages ‘AM: Youmean the images in mass media distract us? DV: ArthurKoestler says that"The human brain has developed a tersble biological flaw, such that itis working now against the survival of the rac.” GP: Neverinhistory,as weknow it, have people been so modified by their ‘AME: Whats the pont of being in the Foo!’s Parade? Whatis the point of patting alot of work and energy and timeinto creating something wonderful and fantasti o bring out on April 1st? ‘GP: Forme the reason isthe chil ren, The people who are being totally and seriously ripped off these days are the children, Wester children, who have access to so much, have no avo: cacy. Everythingis prescribed forthem. Their environment is prescribed for them. There have always been people who have stepped outof the herdto say to the children, “Here we are. This is what wedidathousandyearsage.” You cea doit too, Try i ‘AM: What you are talking abouts the importance of public atin giving people a sense of continuity and con: tinuatonof human culture. Groups ike ‘The Fools, The Public Dreams Society and Special Delivery are working with ‘myth and archetypal imagery and x ploring the area of pubic art. GP: Wehad an orl tradition in our ccultureonce-upon-a-time.I'sbeentost ‘There areculriresthat silexistthatare ‘committedto preservation of theiroral tradition. DY: There's akind of generosity that’s missing from alot of work. The worlds in astae of extreme suffering. That's why I feel a certain urgency to say that Thave to spendthe time, andit's iy responsibilty as an artist o come public wth my work and say, "Whats cexsentil aboutmy work? Whoisitfor? "What use docs ithave?” There's a theory that art and mak ing of art, rescues love. There's so :muchlovemissing from peoples’ ives. ifthere was more love there woulda’ tbe somuch of thismissile envy and desire for destruction. (Dan opens In Quest of Candlelighers,by Kenneth Patchen, at random) “Somewhere I hear the beat ing of greathear.Itdrowns outevery other sound. Just what are all you fat swine squatting around on your Ihaunches waiting for anyway?”