Thursday, December 01, 2005
The Baudrillard Hangover
The topic for class tomorrow is an overview of post-modernism. In preparation I have been re-reading my post-modern theory, like all good teachers do, one day before the lecture is due to be delivered.
One of the dogs is at my feet, sleeping without a care in the world. Her favorite place is now under the work table in my studio. She’s getting older now so she sleeps a lot and gets peevish when I deign to change my position in the house. She cares not for post-modern theory, preferring occasional sun-baths in our little yard.
I remember my first proper reading of Baudrillard in the year two. What a phenomenal mind-fuck! I walked around Melbourne city for a full day, seeing everything from sea-gulls to trams to little old women with strollers to my very own self as moving signifiers. Nothing is real! Representation is reality! I know what simulacrum is, and context and appropriation and juxtaposition and authorship and it all means absolutely pea-mush! Afterwards I believe me and Luke shared a joint and proceeded to drink many jugs of beer together over at the Lounge on Swanston St. Typical art students – everything is an epiphany and the world’s problems may be resolved over pints of VB.
I remember the stimulation and a sudden awareness of my own mind, like someone had hooked it up to a car jack and put a couple of hundred volts in. Now that I am back in Malaysia, the hands must turn what the mind knows into things that are useful and productive. How may one quantify and codify this awareness of mind into concrete data that may be given specific value, so that as a society we may see the value of having a mind that is alive? It has been drummed into us that education is important, but still what is important is the number of A’s. the size of our university campus and the quality of sound systems in the auditoriums.
I titled my previous post ‘For nothing’. Somewhere in there is a profound desire to see changes in the various economic and social systems on which the world runs its engine. This seems at odds in an art and a mind that pursues understanding and knowledge, vigorously and with passion, with no real concrete application as to how to ‘make this world a better place’, as it were. I can only sense vaguely that the mind is incredibly important, that art is incredibly important, words and expression and concepts and philosophy are incredibly important.
And it is now also incredibly important to return to post-modern theory so I don’t just talk wildly out of my ass tomorrow.
One of the dogs is at my feet, sleeping without a care in the world. Her favorite place is now under the work table in my studio. She’s getting older now so she sleeps a lot and gets peevish when I deign to change my position in the house. She cares not for post-modern theory, preferring occasional sun-baths in our little yard.
I remember my first proper reading of Baudrillard in the year two. What a phenomenal mind-fuck! I walked around Melbourne city for a full day, seeing everything from sea-gulls to trams to little old women with strollers to my very own self as moving signifiers. Nothing is real! Representation is reality! I know what simulacrum is, and context and appropriation and juxtaposition and authorship and it all means absolutely pea-mush! Afterwards I believe me and Luke shared a joint and proceeded to drink many jugs of beer together over at the Lounge on Swanston St. Typical art students – everything is an epiphany and the world’s problems may be resolved over pints of VB.
I remember the stimulation and a sudden awareness of my own mind, like someone had hooked it up to a car jack and put a couple of hundred volts in. Now that I am back in Malaysia, the hands must turn what the mind knows into things that are useful and productive. How may one quantify and codify this awareness of mind into concrete data that may be given specific value, so that as a society we may see the value of having a mind that is alive? It has been drummed into us that education is important, but still what is important is the number of A’s. the size of our university campus and the quality of sound systems in the auditoriums.
I titled my previous post ‘For nothing’. Somewhere in there is a profound desire to see changes in the various economic and social systems on which the world runs its engine. This seems at odds in an art and a mind that pursues understanding and knowledge, vigorously and with passion, with no real concrete application as to how to ‘make this world a better place’, as it were. I can only sense vaguely that the mind is incredibly important, that art is incredibly important, words and expression and concepts and philosophy are incredibly important.
And it is now also incredibly important to return to post-modern theory so I don’t just talk wildly out of my ass tomorrow.
Labels: art
¶ 8:07 AM
