4 planet of the arts / spring 1998

Apathy

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lack the desire to experience an emotional existence. We do not want to express emotion towards any- thing or anybody because we fear we will be let down. We are apathetic because we are afraid to let go. We pretend that everything is under control. We feel the desire to impose order on an otherwise dis- orderly existence. Passion and emotions are not pre- dictable, nor are they reasonable. We are apathetic

- because the standards of society suggest that we

maintain composure under pressure and that we avoid negative attitudes. Do not cry in public, do not laugh when you are by yourself and definitely do not say how you really feel. We are apathetic because we are unwilling to take risks in our every- day life.

What if the issue of concern to us does not fall within an individual’s socially constructed identity that is visibly apparent to the outside world? In other words, can I take up arms against an issue by which I am not directly affected? It sounds like a catch 22, as I am deemed an ethnocentric oppor- tunist if I take on an issue outside of my ‘culture’. Or I am an apathetic, middle-class, white, narcissistic, privileged art student if I do not take on socio-cul- tural art issues/action? By taking up a banner, you universalize your independent existence. You gener- alize your identity to fit in with other people. It seems that change is necessary on a smaller, more personal level. Perhaps we need to relate to each other with greater compassion on a daily basis. Despite the larger issues that may or may not direct- ly affect us, each of us is an individual who is strug- gling with her/his own personal issues. To take action towards the greater good may make change for tomorrow, but what about changing how you act today? When was the last time you told some- body how much you admired them? When was the last time you accepted the compliment without thinking that the person wanted something from you? To extend compassion towards the people you are closest to is a seed to improve the relations amongst the greater whole.

The function of society is to harmonize dis- parate identities. People must learn to live with oth- ers. Social structure ensures a small faction of order in an otherwise disorderly existence. Within this order we must create our own identities. We must learn where we fit in. We must learn to place our- selves in a larger context and we must adapt. Apathy has arrived: a passionless existence and insensitivity towards suffering which are products of a society that determines the individual’s actions by bound- aries already set. Identity formation becomes a process in which the subject must distinguish exter- nal context from internal self. We are unable to man- ifest a sense of self free from the cultural context in which we are born. We are overwhelmed by the lim- itations of a history already given to us. Between the self and society arises a mutually exclusive dialectic

in which the subject is required to manifest a sepa-

ILLUSTRATION BY TARA DELONG

rate identity in an inherently dependent identity context. We lack an interest to conform to the struc- tures already in place. We lack a desire towards the empty, idealized, stereotypical icons of the self that pervade our culture. One must take up arms against false representation. One must fight the powers of projection and stereotypes that pigeonhole per- son(s) into place(s). We lack the passion to fight for the greater good when the greater good itself is the reason for our inability to unite. We are unable to

manifest an identity outside of the construct. We feel a desire to be free from cultural stereotypes and we want to be independent persons connected to independent people. We are caught in a bind in which we feel bound by society and yet we feel dis- tinctly separate.

To be active and non-apathetic is contingent on an equal and opposing force. Apathy depends on inactivity as the counterbalance to its motives. This other force could be called sublime indifference, the way of Zen, or maybe the way of the couch potato. There is a story in The Works of Chuang Tzu (the founder of Taoism) called The Useless Tree. It reads as follows:

Hui Tzu said to Chuang Tzu, “ I have a big tree of the men call shu. Its trunk is too gnarled and bumpy to apply a measuring line to, its branches too bent and twisty to match up to a compass or square. You could stand it by the road and no carpenter would look at it twice. Your words, too, are big and useless, and so

everyone alike spurns them!”

Tzu said, “Maybe you've never seen a wildcat or a weasel. It crouches down and hides, watching for something to come along. It leaps and races east and west, not hesitating to go high or low-until it falls into a trap and dies in the net. Then again there’s the yak, big as a cloud covering the sky. It certainly knows how to be big, though it doesn’t know how to catch rats. Now you have this tree and you're distressed because it’s useless. Why don’t you plant it in Not-Even- Anything Village, or the field of Broad-and-Boundless, relax and do nothing by its side, or lie down for a free and easy sleep under it? Axes will never shorten its life, nothing can ever harm it. If there’s no use for it, how

can it come to any grief or pain?”

The moral is that the uselessness of something for one person may be useful to somebody else. The useless tree did not get cut down and it made somebody else happy. A political body implies dissent and the division between right and wrong. The usefulness of inactive participation in political action signifies that people do not believe in this infrastructure of reason. To act as part of a political body is to conform to socially acceptable behaviour.

Consequently, to oppose such behaviour is to not

participate, which in turn becomes labelled apathy.

Contention within society is mutually exclusive to conformity. The government depends on the artists, the ‘madmen; the law breakers — the counter culture — to convince the masses that order in society will be maintained with the political, corporate, and economic structure in place. Revolt is a neces- sary balance to stasis. In fact, the ideas developed by the rebels and the reformers _ eventually become tools of corpo- rations, the government, and the entertainment culture. Think of the obvious example of Benetton. Benetton uses issues such as personal struggle and the formation of a cultural identity to sell clothes. Benetton has universalized people by putting them all in the same clothes. We recognize each other’s skin colour and we become one by adopting the same culture. Corporations have capitalized on the politics of difference and identity as diversity has become another word for commodification.

Communication has expanded. Life expectancy has risen. Death and violence have become so prevalent in the media that we are numb. We expe- rience death in the media on average five thousand times more than we do in our real lives. Our mor- tality is so sensationalized that we have become dis- connected from our basic human experience. This is the coming of the twenty-first century. The inter- net and e-mail have created a homogenous subject in which the computer screen has dissolved per- sonal identity. Individuals become so far removed from their actual state of being that they have dis- appeared altogether. This idea — that cultural barri- ers can be broken by the revolution of virtual com- munication — is threatening. This is a false aware- ness of difference based on the homogenization of people. The invisibility of the subject has replaced diversity. We are living under a false veil of social egalitarianism.

We no longer live in a society in which social roles are explicitly defined. We realize that women are not necessarily housewives and male hair-

Despite the larger issues, perhaps we need to relate to each other with greater

compassion on a daily basis.

dressers are not necessarily gay. The words ‘gender’ and ‘minority’ have evolved. The politics of differ- ence have shifted from being a politics of resistance and change to being a politics of complacency and tolerance. The recognition of cultural difference and the’ new language of hybridity have created a false sense of unity among people. Somehow unity has become equated with homogeneity. We no longer create new ways to represent our- selves. We ~ have mobilized our experi- ence and forms of agency so that cultural change turns into a per- sonal agenda in which the subject must decipher reality from representation.

To step out of ourselves and talk about issues works to perpetuate change. We have to look at our- selves to develop our own voice. When we develop our own voice we learn to communicate with oth- ers. As artists we must challenge ourselves to look at who we are in relation to the rest of the world. We must share with other people. Disclosure of our hidden selves will reveal the things that make us similar and dissimilar. We will dissolve barriers by opening ourselves up. Each person contains build- ing blocks of experience; each of us contains a his- tory of personal knowledge. If we share this knowl- edge we will discover the ways in which we overlap. As well, we may discover that there is strength in our differences. Passion is an overwhelming feeling in life that requires extreme highs, extreme lows and all the emotions in between. If life were predictable, if people were all the same and if our feelings didn’t change, we would never feel the need to express. In our everyday lives we feel separate because we are unable to reveal our secrets to the outside world. We are all here as artists because we contain the similar passion to create a language that expresses the unex- pressable. We hope to change ourselves and to change other people by expressing the things of which we cannot speak.

4 planet of the arts / spring 1998

Apathy = lack be dsreto experience an rotonal existence, We donot want to express emotion towards any thing amd bcm we awe wile ed dwn. Weare apathetic Bec we at aad oe. {We pretend that everything under conto. We fel the deste o impor ode on another di onder extence: Pasion and emotions are not pre liable, nor are they resonable We are pathetic Icatse the standards of society suggest that we maintain compose under pres ed that we avoid negate aides, Doo ey i publ o, tot lngh wen you are By youre and defini not sy Tow you rely fee, We re apace eS Floste a aly

What if tee f conc 10's doesn fll wihin an individu socially otras eat thats edly sppaent to the onthe word? In other wordy can ake up arm ist an by ich tam not dec fleet sounds ke 2 Shay eee Pon Eerie are {am an apathetic mide cay, white, arcs, peelarere ee eee tural at isevacton? By taking up banner, yo nealize our independent existence, You gene die per desig fom wel ote pee Rae eee epee ie ferrona level Perhaps yo aed fol Yo ach Other with rater compasion on + day Bs Despite the argc that my mayo dict Iya ech of ws i an india isso Sct joa rue good, ay make change

sling with her/his own

for tomorrow, but what about changing hove you act today? When was the lst time

body how much you admired them? When was the last time you accepted the compliment without ‘thinking that the person wanted something fom, you? To extend compassion towards the people you are closest to is 4 seed to improve the relations amongst the greater whole.

‘The function of society is to harmonize dis. parate identities. People must lear olive with oth- rs Social structure ensues smal faction of oder Jn an otherwise disorderly existence. Within this ‘onder we must erate our own identities. We must

learn where we Bt in. We mist lear to place our vd we must adapt Apathy Jha arrived: a passionles existence and insensitivity

selvesin a larger context,

towards suffering which are products of a society that determines the individual's ations by bound: aries already set. Mentity formation becomes 3 proces which the subject must distinguish xtr= ‘al context from internal self Weare unable o man fet a sense of sf ice from the cultural context in ‘which we are born. We are overwhelmed by them tations of a history already given tous. Between the self and society arses a mutually exclsvedalctic in which the subjects required to manifesta sep:

rate idemtty in an inhetently dependent identity contet We ack an intrest to conform to the struc: tures already in pce, We lack a desire toeards the empty idealized, stereotypical cons ofthe elf that vad our elt, One must take up arms against fake representation, One must fight the powers of projection and stereotypes that pigeonhole per- son() nto place(s) We lack the passion fight for the greater good when the grater god isl is the reason for our inability to unite. Weare unable to

‘manifest an identity outside of the construct, We {ee a deste tobe free from cultural stereotypes and we want to be independent persons connected to independent people. We are caught in a bind in hich we feel bound by society and yt we fee dis- ‘incl separate

‘Tobe active and non-apathetic is contingent on an equal and opposing fee. Apathy depends on inatvty a the counterbalance to its motives. This other fore could be called sublime indifference, the way of Zen, o maybe the way ofthe couch potato. ‘There i story in The Works of Chuang Teu (he founder of Taoism) called The Useless Tre. It reads as follows:

ot ccing es be oe Standby thro and no carpenter woullonk tt we. Your rd fo ae Big and wes, and 30 ‘ern ae pus the

‘i "Maybe youve neve Sena wk 0 & Pa er

of gat tating igh ot mani tito bigot dod oering thy: cain he Now yu ne this tea ou dtl Bese 16 wes. Why dot you

enbing ils the tf Bo tees ad do thing byt see dome ay sey de

tathing in ver harm i He ow row

Atel eve shorten i i

Sas

“The moral is that the usclessness of something for one person may be useful to somebody else. The tices tre did not get cut down and it made somebody else happy. A. political body implies disent and the division between right and wrong. ‘The usefulnes of inactive participation in political action sigifes that people do not believe inthis {njratruture of reason To acta part ofa political body sto conform to socially acceptable bhaviout

‘Consequently, to oppose such behaviour isto not paticipte, which in turn Becomes abled apathy Contention within society is mutually excsive to conformity. The government. depends on the ants, the madmen’ the aw breakers ~ the counter ‘ulture—to convince the masses that order in society willbe maintained with the politcal, corporate, and Place. Revolt isa neces sary balance to stasis In fact the ideas developed by the rebels and the reformers eventually ‘become took of corpo: rations the goverment, and the entertainment ‘culture. Think ofthe obvios example of Benton. Benetton uses issues suchas personal strugle and the formation of a cultural identity to sll clothes Benetton has universalized people by puting them all in the same clothes. We recognize each other's skin colour and we become one by adopting the same culture. Corporations have capitalized on the polis of diference and identity as diversity as become another word for commodification ‘Communication has expanded. Life expectancy has risen. Death and violence have become s0

prevalent in the media that we are numb We expe rience death in the media on average five thousand imes more than we doin ur rea ves. Out mor: tality iso sensationalized that we have become dis- ‘connected from our basic human experince. This isthe coming of the twenty-fiest century. The inter- net and e-mail have created a homogenous subject, in which the computer screen has dissolved per: Sona identity. Individuals become so far removed from their actual state of being that they have dis appeared altogether. This idea that cultural bari «ers ean be broken by the revolution of virtual com- munication ~ is threatening, This fa false aware nes of difference based on the homogenization of people. The invisibility ofthe subject has replaced diversity. We are living under a false veil of social ‘galitaranism, ‘We no longer live in a society in which social roles are explicitly defined. We realize that women fare not necessarily housewives and male haie-

Despite the larger issues, perhaps we need to relate to each other with greater

compassion on a daily basis.

dressers are not necessarily gay. The words ‘gender? and ‘minority have evolved. The politics of difer: ‘ence have shifted rom being a politics of resistance and change o being a pois of complacency and tolerance. The recognition of cultural diference and the new language of hybridity have created a false sense of unity among people. Somehow unity

has become equated with homogencty. We no longer create new ays to represent our- Selves. We have ‘mobilized our experi- ence and forms of agency so that cultural change turns into pr sonal agenda in which the subject must decipher reality from represent

To step out of oursches and talk about issues works o perpetuate change. We have tolook at ou selves to develop our own voice. When we develop ‘our own voice we lean to communicate with oth- ers As artiste must challenge ourselves o look at who we ae in relation tothe ret ofthe world. We rust share with other people. Disclosure of our hidden selves will eval the things that make us similar and dissimilar, We will dissolve barriers by ‘opening ourselves up. Each person contains build: ing blocks of experience; eth of us contains a his tory of personal knowledge f we share this know ‘edge we wll discover which we overlap, ‘As wll we may dicover tha thereistrength in our

e ways

sbferences. Passion is an overwhelming feng in Ife that requires extreme highs, extreme lows and all the emotions in between. Ife were predictable, if people were al the same and if our fetings didnt chang, we would never fee the need 1 express. In ‘our everyday lives we fel separate because we are ‘unable to reveal our secrets tothe ouside word, We areal here as artists because we contain the similar pasion to createa language that express the unex presable. We hope to change ourses and to change other peopl by expressing the things of ‘which we cannot speak