Wednesday 19 January 2022

Print/collage: Liberty / Politics & Art & Philosophy & Music

 

RTomens, 2022

Who doesn't want liberty?

I'm not at liberty to say.

So 'libertarian' is...a...controversial label?

No, don't get mired in Politics, for god's sake. But...

I wouldn't say Politics and Art don't mix - they obviously do in the hands of some, usually 'street artists' for whom the realities of life amount to a bundle of off-the-shelf protest slogans - huh!

Communism caused great rifts in early 20th century Art movements, what with those so inclined nailing their colour (red) to the mast and declaring those who didn't bourgeois scum, no doubt. Communism lured many writers too...it was the go-to cause because who wasn't for the rights of 'the masses' and justice for all? Later, what Stalin did became more commonly known. It still didn't deter the faithful from defending the Soviet Union.

I rarely make Political Statements in my Art. Part of me does think Art should be above and beyond Politics. Which is not to say there aren't 'political' observations in what I do, sometimes. 

Meanwhile, in the shop, I try to avoid Political Conversations, knowing full well that nine-times-out-of-ten they would end in tears - ha-ha! Not mine, I hasten to add. 

The other day someone asked me who my favourite philosopher was as he looked at the Philosophy section. I told him I don't have one. I don't read philosophy. He seemed surprised. I also told him I was illiterate, which a Punk (red, spiky Mohican and leather jacket) who was also there found most amusing. Meanwhile, the other guy looked non-plussed. OK, he didn't get my sense of humour, perhaps because he was Italian. He told me he was setting up a club for Art and Music in Camden. Great. He wanted me to come up with a name for it. No idea. That would take a while. It would have been a great idea if the music was guaranteed to be good but I suspected not. He told me he had been a House DJ. Oh. Visions of a space filled with House music and Street Art on the walls sprang to mind. Banksy has a lot to answer for. I wished him luck, of course.

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