Re:Action Concourse Gallery, October 20 - 22

written by Harald Gravelsins
with research by Jonathan Lander

if a work of art pisses.people off has it

made people think? If a Concourse show
pisses people off is it a good show?

These are some of the obvious questions
that the Re:Action Show invited its viewers
to ask. -

One of the most intriguing aspects of the
show was its title.

The label “reaction” is a standard refer-
ence to opponents of revolution. Prior to
Mike Harris (the politician, not the Emily Carr
Film/Video student), the term revolution
seemed to be reserved by the political left-
wing. The Conservative Premier of Ontario's
so-called “common sense” revolution of
spending cuts and tax reductions has tried to

make right-wingers comfortable with tae
revolutionaries.

Perhaps like Premier Harris the organizers
of the Re:Action Show opted for a strategy
of label inversion. Maybe the goal of their
show was to communicate to art students
that the path of redemption lies in reac-
tionary art and reactionary politics? Part of
their strategy might have been to taunt the
political left about its traditional contempt
for reactionaries. For the left, a reactionary is
someone you engage with to maximum
advantage through the cross-hairs of your
liberation-struggle gun.

An alternative interpretation might be :
that the title of the Re:Action Show.was
poorly conceived. In this scenario the title of
the show is simply an ideological blunder of
massive proportions.

Whether the show's organizers think of
themselves as reactionaries in the long estab-
lished use of that term, or whether-they are
just severely muddled to the very core of
their ideological being, the presence of the
Re:Action Show asks thoughtful viewers to
consider the myths and stereotypes about art
students, art schools and artists.

Maybe a significant number of art stu-
dents identify positively with being reac-
tionaries.

And maybe art schools
are not a refuge for
that part of the
lumpen-
proletariat
with good
visualiza-
tion and
drawing
skills.

A goodly number of
people studying at
Emily Carr are con-
nected in a spongy
sort of way to very
middle class income
earners with names
like “Mom” and
“Dad.”

And maybe the
beliefs of artists span
the spectrum of poli-
tics, from reactionary
to non-reactionary
and everything in
between.

So, if the point of
the Re:Action Show
was to make us think,
then it succeeded

because its title
blatantly
challenges
the stereotype of the art
student as a progressive-
thinking and progressive-
acting person.

The title of the Re:Action Show demands
recognition from the public for art students,
or at least for the Re:Action Show organiz-
ers, legitimately choosing to be reactionary
in their thinking and behaviour. More locally,
the Re:Action organizers have made a practi-
cal contribution towards gaining acceptance

December 1996 / Planet of the Arts 23

for their reac-
tionary politics at
Emily Carr.

| hope they
don’t mind if some
of us at Emily Carr
hold on to a leftist
perspective a
while longer, but
getting a sense of
what the organiz-
ers mind and don't
mind at Emily Carr
and in the world
requires looking at
the individual
pieces in the show.

The seven
works in the
Re:Action Show
divided roughly in
half in that three
of the works
employed Mickey
Mouse/Disney
iconography
whereas each of
the four others
used individually
distinct subject
matter. Within this
latter group, two
artists exhibited
multiple works
that had the print
medium of com-
munication as
content or as a
formal organiza-
tion structure.

In one of her
pieces, Kyath
Battie enlarges
the classified
advertisement
section of a news-
paper. The
enlarged scale of the piece prompts the
viewer to perceive more easily the insertion
(in the Lost items column) of an advertise-
ment for post-secondary education.

In her other piece, Battie collates posters
for the CFS Week of Action in.order to
achieve an enlargement of scale for text that
interests her. Battie’s two pieces identify the
print medium as a key site for reactionary
politics.

They give us insight
into the self-
understanding of
reactionary political
operatives.

Such a person seeks to contrive a single
inflammatory page or slogan that can be
used as a political tool to ignite the masses.

Battie provides us with two dimension of
this insight. In one, we see a seemingly

innocuous classified ad which just might
have the power to subvert the non-reac-
tionary context that surrounds it. One way of
understanding this is as the translation into
reactionary political terms of The Little
Engine That Could.

In Battie’s other piece, we see the slogan
as the building block of reactionary con-
sciousness and as the normative prototype
for reactionary media. Battie has appropriat-
ed CFS slogans to illuminate this point for us.

In the Re:Action Show, Nadia Myre’s
work was situated next to Battie’s. Myre
narrows the generalizing nature and tone of
Battie’s work to a specific medium and
writer: The Planet of the Arts Newspaper and
one of its current contributors, Ling Chiu.

In one of her three submissions to the
show, Myre posts on the wall the four pages
of Chiu’s recent article on the 1995-96
Students’ Union Executive (Power Trip, Planet
of the Arts, October 1996). The pages have
been varnished yellow in a way that obscures
much of their original content.

continued on page 26

Teaching visual culture

Ron Burnett
chief executive artist

Telephone: (604) 844-3854

E-Mail:

rburnett@eciad.bc.ca

And making B.C. Beautifuller

Emily Carr Institute
of Art and Design

Vancouver, Canada
http://www.eciad.bc.ca

Admissions
Endowments

(604) 844-3850
844-3871
844-3811
844-3861

Gallery
PoA Newspaper

Good, TheBad
And The Reactionary

I

Re:Action Concourse Gallery, October 20 - 22

The Good,
And The Reactionary

written by Harald Gravelsins
with research by Jonathan Lander

Jee ee
pe See
Seema
Eo rmuae ce.

‘make right wingers comfortable with being
‘evolutionaries.

Perhaps lke Premier Haris the organizers
of the Re-Action show opted fora strategy
‘of label inversion, Maybe the goal of thei
‘Show was to communicate to art students
that the path of redemption lies in reac
tionary art and reactionary politics? Part of
their strategy might have been to taunt the
politcal left about its traditional contempt
for reactionaries. For the left a reactionary is
someone you engage with to maximum
‘advantage through the crosshairs of your
liberation struggle gun,

{An alternative interpretation might be
‘that the ttle ofthe RevAction Show was
poorly conceived. In this scenario the title of
the show i simply an ideological blunder of
tial proportions

Whether the shows organizes think of
‘themselves as reactionaries inthe long estab-
lished use of that term, or whether they are
just severely muddled to the very core of
‘their ideological being, the presence of the
Re:Action Show asks thoughtful viewers to
‘consider the myths and stereotypes about art
Students, art schools and artists.

‘Maybe a significant number of art stu-
dents identity positively with being reac-

And maybe art schools
are not a refuge for
that part of the
lumpen-
proletariat
with good
ualiza-
tion and
drawing
skills.

‘A goodly number of
‘people studying at
Emily Care are con
nected in a spongy
sort of way to very
‘middle class income
‘earners with names
like "Mom" and
"Dad.

‘And maybe the
beliefs of artists span
the spectrum of poli:
tic, from reactionary
to nonreactionary
‘and everything in
between:

So, if the point of
the Re:Action Show
was to make us tink,
then it succeeded

because its title
blatantly
challenges

the stereotype of the art
student as a progressive-
thinking and progressive-
acting person.

“The title ofthe Re:Actio Show demands
recognition from the publ for art students,
or at least forthe Reaction Show organ:
rs legitimately choosing to be reactionary
inthe thinking and behaviour More local
the Re-acion organizers have made » proc
{al contribution towards gaining aceptance

December 1996 / Planet of the Arts 23

for their reac-
‘tionary polit at
Emily Car

hope they
don't mind if some
of us at Emily Care
hold on to a leftist
perspective a
‘while longer, but
getting a sense of
‘what the organiz-
fers mind and dont
‘mind at Emily Care
fang in the world
Fequites looking at
the individual
pieces in the show.

‘The seven
works in the
ResAction Show
divided roughly in
half in that theee
of the works
employed Mickey
MouseDisney
eonography
‘whereas each of
the four others
sed individually
distin subject
‘matter. Within this
latter group, two
artists exhibited
multiple works
that had the print
medium of com-
‘munication 98
content or a5 9
formal organiza
tion structure

none of her
pieces, Kyath
Battie enlarges
the dasifed
advertisement
Section of a news:
paper. The
enlarged scale ofthe piece prompts the
Viewer to perceive more easily the insertion
(Gin the Lost items column) of an advertise
‘ment for postsecondary education.

In her other piece, Battie collates posters
for the CFS Week of Action in order to
achieve an enlargement of scale for text that
Interests her. Battie's two pieces identity the
‘rint medium asa key site for reactionary
polities.

They give us insight
into the self-

understanding of
reactionary political
operatives.

Such a person seeks to contrive a single
inflammatory page or slogan that can be
sed as a political tool to sgnite the masses

Battie provides us with two dimension of
this insight In one, we see a seemingly

Teaching visual culture
And making B.C. Beautifuller

Ron Burnett

chief

cutive artist

Emily Carr Institute
of Art and Design

Da

innocuous classified ad which just might
have the power to subvert the non-reac
tionary context that surrounds it. One way of
Understanding this sas the translation into,
reactionary political terms of The Little
Engine That Could.

in Battie’ other piece, we see the slogan
25 the building block of reactionary con-
Sciousness and as the normative prototype
for reactionary media. Battie has appropriat
{ed CFS slogans to illuminate this point for us

In the Re:Action Show, Nadia Myre's
work was situated next to Battie’. Myre
narrows the generalizing nature and tone of
Battie's work toa specific medium and
weiter: The Planet of the Arts Newspaper and
‘one of its current contributors, Ling Chi

In one of her three submissions to the
show, Myre posts on the wall the four pages
(of Chiu recent article on the 1995-96
Students! Union Executive (Power Trp, Planet
of the Ars, October 1996) The pages have
‘been varnished yellow in a way that obscures
‘much of their original content.

Admissions
Endowments
Gallery

oA Newspaper

(60) 844-3850
8443873
844-3811
844-3861