Thank you! It sounds like there's much we agree on. Art's revolutionary potential doesn't lie in its use as propaganda (quite the contrary) or at the level of ideology... I don't think it can be purely gradual, nor purely of the mind, but I do think being a revolutionary means a commitment to a long-term project even when it seems impossible. As Gramsci liked to say, "pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will!"
Yes... my resistence lies on trusting collective movements. In a certain way we've been conditioned to accept only convenience and to relate to life always through a consumerism approach. Art demands attention and imagination, but these are the very muscles nowadays' internet, pop culture and social media diet are atrophying. At least now, reading books, creating art, engaging in a self discovery path, all of these are similar to a priest life, where the solitude of the search is guaranteed,so you've gotta have a deep intrinsic motivation. It's not a problem for me, I just wish the web architecture didn't make it so hard to meet kindred spirits. On the other hand, the web itself makes it possible as never to find such people. It only demsndas much more work.
Interesting as always. Curious as to your thoughts on the importance of artistic freedom vis a vis cultivating revolutionary consciousness vs political repression of forms of art deemed counterrevolutionary by some purportedly socialist or communist governments. Admittedly I’m only really familiar with western critiques of these movements such as the cultural revolution but just curious as to your thoughts. Is true artistic freedom always possible or desirable?
Thanks, Ryan, I appreciate that. It’s a good question and an important one, as D&G write, “what is at stake is not merely art or literature.” The authors of the manifesto indicate a certain responsibility for the artists to embrace the revolutionary movement, to be a part of it (particularly by expressing themselves through their art). And on the other hand, the revolution “is not afraid of art.” One passage from the manifesto which I didn’t include in my essay but which I think is useful here: “We recognize, of course, that the revolutionary state has the right to defend itself against the counterattack of the bourgeoisie, even when this drapes itself in the flag of science or art. But there is an abyss between these enforced and temporary measures of revolutionary self-defense and the pretension to lay commands on intellectual creation.” I do agree with their general principle that art ought not to be under any broad, repressive control. It seems repression of art is a direction focused less on furthering the social revolution than on protecting the sovereignty of the party/state. With something like a “permanent revolution” in mind, I think we envision a world where freedom of expression is a basic part of life, and regimes willing to repress and control art are an obstacle to this kind of world. There’s certainly a place for propaganda (and I enjoy a lot of Socialist Realist art), but the active suppression and/or broad control of art I think is a bad sign for the state of the revolution itself.
Very good. What I don't see is professional politicians with enough soul reach to embrace art as a revolutionary path. Revolution, from my pov, isn't something to be achieved by means of changing the people on power positions, but by unmaking power positions. The daoism of zhuangzi, the life of thoureau, ikkiū, such examples of revolution sound much more grounded on real world than the notion of some sort of communism. But I live in a time when stupidity is incentivized and rewarded, and people don't give a sh*t for art, as they're satisfied with tiktok and instagram and marvel movies. So I've got a pessimistic bias on that. I believe in revolution thru art, but it's much more a consciousness revolution, and it's not massive, it's persistent though, and someday it might be the collective perception on things changes, almost imperceptibly. But a clear, extroverted, yang political project that has in the arts a tool... no, thanks
Thank you! It sounds like there's much we agree on. Art's revolutionary potential doesn't lie in its use as propaganda (quite the contrary) or at the level of ideology... I don't think it can be purely gradual, nor purely of the mind, but I do think being a revolutionary means a commitment to a long-term project even when it seems impossible. As Gramsci liked to say, "pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will!"
Yes... my resistence lies on trusting collective movements. In a certain way we've been conditioned to accept only convenience and to relate to life always through a consumerism approach. Art demands attention and imagination, but these are the very muscles nowadays' internet, pop culture and social media diet are atrophying. At least now, reading books, creating art, engaging in a self discovery path, all of these are similar to a priest life, where the solitude of the search is guaranteed,so you've gotta have a deep intrinsic motivation. It's not a problem for me, I just wish the web architecture didn't make it so hard to meet kindred spirits. On the other hand, the web itself makes it possible as never to find such people. It only demsndas much more work.
Interesting as always. Curious as to your thoughts on the importance of artistic freedom vis a vis cultivating revolutionary consciousness vs political repression of forms of art deemed counterrevolutionary by some purportedly socialist or communist governments. Admittedly I’m only really familiar with western critiques of these movements such as the cultural revolution but just curious as to your thoughts. Is true artistic freedom always possible or desirable?
Thanks, Ryan, I appreciate that. It’s a good question and an important one, as D&G write, “what is at stake is not merely art or literature.” The authors of the manifesto indicate a certain responsibility for the artists to embrace the revolutionary movement, to be a part of it (particularly by expressing themselves through their art). And on the other hand, the revolution “is not afraid of art.” One passage from the manifesto which I didn’t include in my essay but which I think is useful here: “We recognize, of course, that the revolutionary state has the right to defend itself against the counterattack of the bourgeoisie, even when this drapes itself in the flag of science or art. But there is an abyss between these enforced and temporary measures of revolutionary self-defense and the pretension to lay commands on intellectual creation.” I do agree with their general principle that art ought not to be under any broad, repressive control. It seems repression of art is a direction focused less on furthering the social revolution than on protecting the sovereignty of the party/state. With something like a “permanent revolution” in mind, I think we envision a world where freedom of expression is a basic part of life, and regimes willing to repress and control art are an obstacle to this kind of world. There’s certainly a place for propaganda (and I enjoy a lot of Socialist Realist art), but the active suppression and/or broad control of art I think is a bad sign for the state of the revolution itself.
Very good. What I don't see is professional politicians with enough soul reach to embrace art as a revolutionary path. Revolution, from my pov, isn't something to be achieved by means of changing the people on power positions, but by unmaking power positions. The daoism of zhuangzi, the life of thoureau, ikkiū, such examples of revolution sound much more grounded on real world than the notion of some sort of communism. But I live in a time when stupidity is incentivized and rewarded, and people don't give a sh*t for art, as they're satisfied with tiktok and instagram and marvel movies. So I've got a pessimistic bias on that. I believe in revolution thru art, but it's much more a consciousness revolution, and it's not massive, it's persistent though, and someday it might be the collective perception on things changes, almost imperceptibly. But a clear, extroverted, yang political project that has in the arts a tool... no, thanks