COVER spring 1998 / planet of the arts 7 nowledge is power. And if the big-toothed man in the late night television info- mercials is right, 30 days of self-instruction is all you need to get “unlimited power.” All you need, that is, besides some extra cash to pay for instructional cassettes or CDs. The cash is out there, as are a growing bunch of “power-charged” and “highly effective” people, assuming Tony Robbins’ and Steven Covey’s bestsellers really deliver on what they promise. This cultural shift towards personal empowerment and individual effectiveness comes none to soon given the problems of poverty, taxes, crime, pollution, funding cuts to the CBC, and the colonial-imperialist oppression and ethnocide in Tibet. Colonial-imperialist what? Oppression who? Tibet where? Do we really have time for problems elsewhere in this big world when coping with our individual lives is such a struggle? Haven't we all learned by now that beneath their rhetoric, politicians are all the same (nasty, brutish, short, etc.) and that most world problems will get worse rather than better during our fleeting life- times? The mantra of the 1990s seems to be: Tune Out, Turn Off, and Drowse Away. To ordinary people, political buzz words like “imperialism” function as reliable cues to change the channel, flip the page, and walk on by. What, then, would possess anyone to publish a book on Tibet, a nation straining under its fifth decade of gloomy oppression courtesy of the People’s Liberation Army? Who among us is not so exhausted by their weekly routine that they have the time or inclination to learn about the immense political problems imposed on a peaceful Buddhist country half a world away? In fact, four separate, recent initiatives have been made to publish the story of Tibet’s suffer- ing. One of these initiatives is by Vancouver- based writer-photographer-Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design instructor Art Perry, whose work on The Tibetans: Photographs is in its final stages as this article is going to print. Perry’s work belongs in the category of books that seek to inform readers of a political problem, and to motivate them to be active in exercising their citizenship rights. The premise is that books still matter in political life, and that their readers, stimulated by what they have read and looked at, can be motivated to join the ranks of political problem-solvers. Besides Perry’s book, the three other recent contributions I have in mind are: Brian Harris’ Tibetan Voices (Pomegranate Artbooks, 1996), Where does the political necessity for text derive from and what does the visual artist encounter by attempting to make use of politically-oriented text? What sort of people is the visual artist likely to meet on the path of social-critique-based activism, and what important social-psychological attitudes is such activism likely to feed into _ on the part of the author and on the part of his or her audience. All of these questions bear on the matter of principal interest here: creative artists using a combination of image and text to prompt political attention and action in favour of Tibetan political and cultural sovereignty. There is a dual aspect to the nature of the visual artist being “concerned” enough to become active in a political cause: the inward choice to accept the role of com- municating a message to a potentially large and diffuse readership, and; the exter- nally generated demands that attach to playing out such a role. Perhaps the most exacting of these external demands is to engage in effective word usage. The onerousness of word usage for a visual artist is a matter of innate disposition (the left brain-right brain distribution of verbal and visualization skills); and of specialization — few people with vocations in the visual arts have the time to develop skills in the realm of oratory and written argumentation. These two factors handicap the political effectiveness of visual artists because words are the currency in which political decisions are negotiated and agreed to in Phil Borges’ Tibetan Portrait, The Power of Compassion (Rizzoli, 1996), and Galen Rowell’s My Tibet (Mountain Light Press, 1990). All fea- ture a large number of attractively presented photographic images and have been compiled in support of the Free Tibet Campaign. These four books are reviewed below following a discussion of the role of text and image in regard to the tasks facing socially responsible, politically active visual artists. a Being Political, Being Textual “Concerned photographer” is an old term in the history of photographic prac- tice but it seems appropriate as a label to use in order to describe the important pho- tographic aspect of these authors’ current political advocacy on behalf of Tibet. The apparent need or benefit of combining ample photographic images with texts that incorporate a politically partisan element compels us to question why images by themselves are less than adequate in the domain of politics and social activism. liberal-capitalist society, What increases the odds even more against the effective participation of visual artists in the political process is that people with more left- brain aptitudes and available time use these advantages to develop political word skills to a mercenary level. This extra level of self-development can then be exploit- ed in a way that seems to push political dialogue into being a perverse cycle of hyperbolic accusations, repudiations, denunciations, and counter-accusations. The mercenary nature of the political arena can be, and usually is, a bit much to take, especially for the ideologically faint of heart. But then again, since this is the real world and not utopia, the problem is not that unpleasant things exist, or that they afflict sensitive people such as visual artists more frequently than other people; the problem is how anyone deals with adverse situations when effective and respon- sible actions are called for. The adversity that faces visual artists who take seriously the responsibility of being “political” crystallizes into two main tasks: sufficiently overcoming any hand- icap they may have in authoring politically effective textual communication, and; learning to perform political work in an effective way despite the intimidating pres- ence of word mercenaries. It is worth noting that word mercenaries can turn up just as often as one’s false political friends than as one’s true political adversaries. Since the necessity of these tasks is generated by the circumstances of politics rather than by the impulse to create visual art, carrying them out is unlikely to call continued on page 9... Brian Harris, Beggar Seeking Alms, Lhasa, Tibet, 1994. IMAGINING TIBET’S FREEDOM THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT By Harald Gravelsins COVER spring 1998 / plonet of the orts 7 nowledge is power. And if the big-toothed man in the late night television info- mercials is right, 30 days of self-instruction is all you need to get “unlimited power. {All you need thats, besides some exe cash to pay for instructional casts orCDs The cash is out thee, as area growing bunch of "powe.charged” and highly effective” people, assuming Tony Robbins and Steven Covey’ bestsellers really deliver on what they promise, This cultural shift towards personal empowerment and individual efectveness ‘comes nine o soon given the problems of poverty taxes, crime, pollution, funding «cuts othe CBC, and the clonal-imperialist oppression and ethnocie in Tibet (Colonia-imperialit what? Oppresion who? Tibet where? Do we realy have time fr problems csewhere inthis big world when coping with our individual lives is such a struggle? Haven't we all leaened by now that ‘beneath their ehetori, politicians ate all the sme (nat, brutish, short, et.) and ‘that most word problems will et worse rather than better during our fetng life The mantra of the 190s Seems tobe: Tune Out, Turn Of and Drowse Away. To ‘ordinary people political buzz words ike “imperial change the channel lip the page and walkon by. ‘Wha, then, would possess anyone o publish a book on Tibet a nation straining under its fifth decade of gloomy oppression courtesy of the People’s Liberation ‘Ay? Who among us isnot so exhausted by their weekly routine that they ave the function a5 liable ees to time ot inclination to learn about the immense politcal problems imposed on a peace Buddhist country half a world aay? In fat four separate, recent initiatives have ‘been made to publish the story of Tibet’ suffer Jing: One of these initiatives is by Vancouver: based writer photographer-Enily Carr Institute of Art and Design instructor Art erry, whose ‘work on The Tibetans: Photographs is in its ial ‘ages as this article is going to print erry’ work belongs in the category of books that sek to inform readers of political problem, and to motivate them to be active in exercising cit tizenship rights. The premises that books still matter in politcal fe and stimulated by what they have read and looked a, «an be motivated to join the ranks of political problem-sovers. Besides Perry's book, the three other recent contributions I have in mind are: Brian Harri Tibetan Voices (Pomegranate Artbooks, 1996) a thee readers, Where docs the politcal ncesty for text derive from and what does the visual artist encounter by attempting o make use of poitically-orented tex? What sort of Peoples the visu artist likely to meet on the path of socal-ritique-based activism, and what important social-psychologica atitudes is such activi key to fed nto ‘on the part ofthe author and on the part of his or her audience. All ofthese questions bear om the mater of principal intrest here: creative artists using a combination of image and text to prompt politcal attention and action in favour of Tibetan politcal and cultural sovereignty, ‘There isa dual aspect othe nature ofthe visual artis being concerned” enough to become active ina politcal cause: the inward choice to accept the roe of com: ‘municating a message o a potentially large and ifs readership, and the exter rally generated demands that attach to playing out sch a role. Perhaps the most exacting ofthese external demands isto engage in effective word usage. The onerousnes of word usage for visual artis isa mate of innate Alisposition (the eft brain-right brain distribution of verbal and visualization sil); and of specialization ~ few people with vocations in the visual rts have the time to Aeyelp sills in the realm of oratory and writen argumentation ndicap the politcal eectvenes of visual artists because which political decisions are negotiated and agreed to in ‘These two factors words ae the curreney Phil Borges’ Tibetan Portrait, The Power of Compassion (Rizzi 1996). and Galen Rowell’s [My Tibet (Mountain Light Pres 990) Al fe ture a large number of attractively presented Photographic images and have been compiled in support of the Free Tibet Campaign. These four books are reviewed below following discussion of the role of text and image in regard othe tasks facing socially responsible, politically active sual artists =i4= Being Political, Being Textual J photographer” isan old tee ticebut it scems appropriate a labe to use inorder to describe the important pho aphic aspect ofthese authors’ curent political advocacy on behalf of Tibet. The parent aed or benefit of combining ample photographic images wi the history of photographic prac incorporate a politically partisan clement compels us to-queston why images by thensselves ae less than adequate inthe domain of politics and social activism, Viperal-cpitalist society. What increases the odds even more aginst the effective Participation of visual artists inthe politcal process s that people with more lft ‘rain aptitudes and availabe time use these advantages to develop political word Allo a mercenary lve. This extra level of self-development can then be exploit ‘ed ina way that seems to push political dialogue into being a perverse eye of hyperbolic accusations, repudiation, denunciations, and counter-aecustions. The mercenary nature of the politcal arena can be, and usually abit mich to take especialy for the ideologically fant of heat. But then again, since this isthe real world and not utopia, the problem i not that unpleasant things exis, or that they flict sensitive people suchas visual artists more fequenty than other people; the problem ishow anyone deals with advere situations when effective and respon sible actions ae cle for The adversity that faces visual artists who take seriously the responsibilty of ‘being "politcal" crystallizes into two main tasks: sufficiently overcoming any hand: icap they may have in authoring politically effective textual communication, ands learing to perform political workin an effective way despite the intimidating pes cence of word mere cs. Itis worth noting that word mercenaries can turn up just asofien as one's false politcal frends than as one's true political adversaries, Since the necessity ofthese tasks is generated by the circumstances of polities rather tha by the impulse to create visual art, careyng them out is unlikely to cll oe ee TIBET WHERE? IMAGINING TIBET’S FREEDOM THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT By Harald Grovelsins