Negative Thoughts ... Some essentially Negative Thoughts from a superficially Positive/ Negatori situation... or is it... ? Yeah, The Essay Burnout has struck, its 12:45 am and some rock star jerk on the radio is talking about chewing cocoa leaves in Columbia. O.K. he’s not a jerk - we artists have to hang together, right? Ain't it fun to have license, after all, and to dress like no one else dares to (unless it’s a suburban Saturday night)(or S. Granville), and to have dedication to creation? Yes, even Design students, friends in Fine Art. And ain’t it fun to have the cheapest space in the race either torn out from under you, or it’s some place you’d rather not come home to? And ain’t it fun to watch 2 B.C. Hydro ‘sardine cans pass by without stopping in the morning or rush hour eve’s? And ain't it fun to want to recycle garbage, but you need a planet-wrecking car to get the stuff to the depot? If there’s one good way to use the word “box” in the city, colour it blue. Well, sometimes it ain’t fun at all, dear Administration, Van. City Council, Ministry of Advanced Education, and Student Loans, and all the people who won't lend money, dear dad. Dear God... I’m praying into my pillow because it’s so hard to keep one’s head up to create visions when you want to, have to, were born to find it (whether in ID, 2D, 3D, or 4D - who signed up for that?), and we can’t even smell cocoa leaves in this soulless place, never mind ingesting Lord. Please let me win so much money in the 6/49 that | can Buy this school and turn Granville Island into a (non-addicted) bohe- mian throbbing artist commune that has its own political party coalition in the patched seat of power that we pushed over for the pot-latch tradition... Amend. Lesli and Kelly Decisions, Decisions Both humans and their societies are the products of ‘happy’ accidents rather than anything determined or “evolved”. Revolutions, depopulations wars and other upheavals have more to do with the collective cycles of the human race and the biosphere than with any of the ‘famous’ people we cling to out of, perhaps, a rationalized sense of confusion. It is the constant reference to history as made, par- ticularly by these esteemed persons, that allows us to believe that we have any impact on events, either individually or collectively. We have neither freedom of movement nor freedom of choice-only its tangible illusion- in forms such as The Car (“I can go anywhere”), The Vote (“The government won't forget that | contributed to its victory”) or The Community (“What we buy sends a signal”). We decide nothing of importance. 2 In the movie Brazil (by Pythonite Terry Gilliam, also responsible for Time Bandits, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) the season-setting was Christmas. Like every other institution, there was virtually nothing left of Christmas (not that there is now)—it had degenerated into a set pattern of movements to such an extent that everyone exchanged the same gift wrapped the same way. The viewer had one or two opportunities to see these presents in action—the doorclerk/desk sergent at the Ministry of Information Retrieval and the protagonist’s ‘desk-mate’ both have scenes in which they’re using what everyone was exchanging: decision makers. To elicit a response all one had to do was (absently) crank a conical plumb up with a small winch and let it drop, a knife- edge would determine wether the oracle would answer yes or no. Only two charac- ters, who were never actually seen ex- changing presents with anyone, had achieved any mastery of their environment- little-long control- the protagonists plastic surgery obsessed, and constantly-growing younger-mother, and the terrorist/air conditioner repairman, Tuttle (or was it Buttle?) So it is not surprising that every- one else was busily trading the trappings of choice. In demonstrating, the desk-clerk did it best. It was all a routine, a different flavour of boredom, none of it-like anything- mattered, not even the ambiguity to choose. oh (Advertising is art in definitive transla- tion) In the holiday colour supplements of the Vancouver Sun, an interesting device can be found amongst the ‘executive toy’ retailers—they “provide the solutions for today’s tough decisions” They are decision makers. Williams and Mackie have the analog, desktop version (not pictured). It’s a solid brass (is obsessive “acres-of-brass- fascination” healthy? does it have anything to do with the old testament?-) Game- spinner; the irony isn’t lost on the manufac- turers of this thing (also available in French)- among the six choices the pointer can rest on “Fire Someone” or, “Pass the Buck”. Less cynical and more portable are the Burns Leather, and Den for Men elec- tronic versions which feature six grades of yes and no-as if everyone somehow realizes how limited our bifabricated universe has become-for use by the executive on the go, or anyone else with keys. Mobility, or rather the constant demand for one’s presence, being the test of a person’s status. The Business Body can absent-mindedly push the keychain’s button and test the negativity of the field around, much like the desk clerk, as no decision really matters. 4. Here is the trivialization of the all- important decision-the tool of choice, of war, of peace (the decision maker could be, with a little paper and scotch tape, made to vote (conservative? Liberal? Rhino?). Is this a case of the fool telling the truth to the king, as if in one of the many Shakespeare plays we were forced to swal- low? It’s not enough that we’re all trapped into having to buy Christmas presents-we now have to steer away from the practical as well (..She has one of those...) and stick to the flimsly and useless? Only consump- tion, for its own benefit, will do—we must buy only stupid stuff. Of course, though, enforced buying doesn’t seem to make sense—nor does what we buy, “the mysti- cal character of commodities does not originate...in their use-value. Just as little does it proceed from the nature of the de- termining factors of value, “(Marx, Capital: 1,1,C(D)4) But now we are somehow ac- knowledging our lack of faith in the momen- tary explanation we have raised for our purpose in the universe. Now even execu- tives realize they are trapped in the thick of non-decisions. We need only make fun of it and it will go away, surely. Brian Morgan _ ae alieual Negative Thoughts s« Some essentially Negative “Thoughts from a superficially Postive! ‘Negatori situation... or ist. ? Yeah, The Essay Burnout has struck, its 12:45 am and ‘somo rock star jerk on the radio is taking about chewing cocoa leaves in Columbia. ‘OK. he's not a jerk - we artists have to hang together, right? Aint it fun to have license, after al, and to dress like no one ‘else dares to (unless i's a suburban, ‘Saturday nighi)(or S. Granville), and to have dedication to creation? Yes, even Design students, fronds in Fine Art. And aint it fun to have the cheapest space in the race either torn out from under you, of i's some place you'd rather not come home 0? And ain't it fun to watch 2 B.C. Hydro ‘sardine cans pass by without stopping in the moming or rush hour eve's? And ain it {un to want to recycle garbage, but you ‘need a planet-wrecking car to get the stuff to the depot? If there's one good way to use the word "box" in the city, colour it blue. ‘Well, sometimes it ain't fun at all, dear ‘Administration, Van. Cty Council, Ministry of Advanced Education, and Student Loans, and all the people who won't lend money, deat dad, Dear God... praying into my pillow because i's so hard to Koop ‘one's head up to ereate visions when you want fo, have to, were born to find it (Whether in ID, 2D, 30, oF 4D - who signed Up for that?), and we cant even smell ‘co008 leaves in this soulless place, never mind ingesting Lord, Please let me win so much money in tho 6/49 that lean Buy this school and turn Granvilo Island into a (non-addicted) bohe- ‘ian throbbing artist commune that has its ‘own political party coalition in the patched seat of power that we pushed over for the ppot-latch tradition. ‘Amend, Losli and Kelly Decisic 1 Both humans and their societis aro the products of ‘happy’ accidents rather than anything determined or “evolved! Revolutions, depopulations wars and other Upheavals have more to do withthe collective cycles of the human race and the biosphere than with any ofthe famous’ people we cling to out of, perhaps, a rationalized sense of confusion. itis the constant reference to history as mad, par- ticularly by those estoomed persons, that allows us to believe that we have any impact on events, ether individually or collectively, We have neither freedom of movement nor freedom of choice-only its tangible ilusion- in forms such as The Car Clean go anywhero’), The Vote (The {Government won't forget that I contributed toits victory? or The Community (What we buy sends a signal). We decide nothing of importance. 2. In the movie Brazil (by Pythonite Tery Gillam, also responsible for Time Bandits, ‘and The Adventures of Baron ‘Munchausen) the season-setting was Christmas. Like every other institution, there was virtually nothing eft of Christmas (cot that there is now)—t had degenerated into a set pattern of movements to such an ‘xtont that everyone exchanged the same sift wrapped the same way. The viewer had ‘one oF two opportunities to see these: presents in action—the doorclerk/dosk Sergent at the Ministry of Information Retrieval and the protagonist's ‘desk-mato! ‘both have scenes in which they're using ‘what everyone was exchanging: decision makers, To elicit a response all one had to ddo was (absertly) crank a conical plumb up with a small winch and let it drop, a knit ‘edge would determine wether the oracle would answer yes or no. Only two charac- tors, who were never actually seen ex- ‘changing presents with anyone, had achieved any mastery oftheir envronment- litl-Jong control- the protagonists plastic surgery obsessed, and constantly-growing younger-mother, and the terrorisVair Conditioner repairman, Tutle (or was it Buttle?) So iti not surprising that every- ‘one else was busily trading the trappings of ‘choice. In demonstrating, the dask-