Hi Kevin, Thanks - I have read most of them already, but will rereading them very soon for the PhD.
The Revolution of Everyday Life. Raoul Vaneigem. PM Press; Second edition edition (November 1, 2010). ISBN-10: 1604862130 This publication is especially interesting to me, because it moves away from Debord's (perhaps) more mechanical approach into a more poetic understanding of situationism - it is also less masculine than Debord's, black and white notion of society and capitalism. Much of Vaneigem's work is less polemic and more fluid emotionally, working as a strong counter point to Debord. There is an interesting interview he did a little while back with e-flux (http://www.e-flux.com/journal/view/62) Electronic Disturbance, The (New Autonomy Series). Critical Art Ensemble. Autonomedia (May 1, 1994). ISBN-10: 1570270066 Well, I have always found them inspiring and imaginative - I remember buying this small book around 94 or 95'ish, when I had been working on various hacking projects (mostly analogue), and pirate radio, and BBS systems. It communicated to me immediately, I understood exactly where they were coming from and have followed their adventures through the years. I have always wondered whether the term 'tactical media' was really useful in respect of defining their projects and social engagement with culture. They were well ahead of many other groups. Last year I wrote about them in an interview with Art is Open Source - http://www.interviewingthecrisis.org/?p=27 "Many artists have played a vital and critical role during the crisis. Some, such as Critical Art Ensemble have experienced a form of suppression, as Wajdi Mouwad puts it, ‘war on the artists’. Artist and SUNY Buffalo professor Steve Kurtz of Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) was arrested by The Joint Terrorism Task Force illegally, in May 2004. Kurtz and Robert Ferrell, Professor of Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health, were threatened with 20 years in prison. The incident is not only bazaar but it also tells us how cruel the American has been. Not only to others around the world, but also to its own citizens. On the morning of May 11th, Kurtz found his wife Hope Kurtz had stopped breathing in her sleep and of course in reaction to this he phoned 911. Police and emergency services arrived and were immediately suspicious of the materials that they had found in their home. “He explained to them that he uses [the equipment] in connection with his art, and the next thing you know they call the FBI and a full hazmat team is deposited there from Quantico — that’s what they told me,” says Paul Cambria, the lawyer who is representing Kurtz. “And they all showed up in their suits and they’re hosing each other down and closing the street off, and all the news cameras were there and the head of the [Buffalo] FBI is granting interviews. It was a complete circus.” [11] Dr. Robert Ferrell was indicted just as he was preparing to undergo a painful and dangerous autologous stem cell transplant, the second in 7 years. Suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he also had malignant melanoma and since the arrest had undergone two major strokes. The timing could not of been worse, Robert Farrell had no other option in view of the overwhelming strain, whilst suffering from an incurable form of cancer. It was hard enough fighting the extreme conditions of his illness as well as the powers that be. The decision was made with his family because they all feared that he would not last out the prolonged harassment of the trial for federal charges “mail fraud” and “wire fraud”. The opportunistic, political attack on Steve Kurtz lasted for 4 years and the case was finally dismissed on April 22 2008. Lucia Sommer, Coordinator of the CAE Defense Fund, which raises funds for Kurtz’ legal defense, said, “We are all grateful that after reviewing this case, Judge Arcara took appropriate action.” She added that “this decision is further testament to our original statements that Dr. Kurtz is completely innocent and never should have been charged in the first place.”[12] This is an example of the state abusing its power to crack down on individuals, turning against its own citizens. This tactic of demonizing artists as if they were terrorists, aims to ruin the lives it chooses to attack, using its extensive powers to manipulate the media. In exploiting the vulnerability of Steve Kurtz and Robert Ferrell, tarring them as anti-patriotic villains. The state used its institutional mechanisms imposing a symbolic crack down. Ferrell and Kurtz, were pawns in a dark, political and psychological game designed to warn others that this could also happen to them if they got in the way. Thankfully, many artists, individuals and groups out there are continuing to ask questions that offer up dialogues, ways into exploring alternative visions beyond such woeful terrains." Anyway - I better get back to preparing for the radio tonight :-) chat soon & wishing you well. marc > Congrats Marc > I'm a it late coming to the conversation > I got as far as the reading list > and just wanted to say > what great books these are >> The Revolution of Everyday Life. Raoul Vaneigem. PM Press; Second >> edition edition (November 1, 2010). ISBN-10: 1604862130 >> >> Electronic Disturbance, The (New Autonomy Series). Critical Art >> Ensemble. Autonomedia (May 1, 1994). ISBN-10: 1570270066 >> > I particularly love the Chapter 20 of the The Revolution of Everyday > Life "Creativity, Spontaneity, and Poetry" > http://library.nothingness.org/articles/SI/en/display/66 > Really one of my all time favourite texts > > I wrote my college thesis on new media art and activism in 2004 > It wasnt a great piece of writing or anything but I enjoyed the research > I wrote about Floodnet the distributed denial of service attacks by > the Electronic Disturbance Theatre in support of the Zapatistas. > http://www.thing.net/~rdom/ecd/EDTECD.html > Some great essays in that little book too > > Best of luck > > Kevin > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
