Cde Tom, and other comrades,
It may be that "they" did not fail, but actually succeeded very well to
infuriate people and to reduce politics to rubble in Braamfontein.
It may be that "they" are going to succeed again at the Goodman Gallery.
Where is the Communist University when people are screaming at each
other and throwing bricks? Nowhere. So the Communist University is
drowned out. That is a success for "them", and defeat for the CU.
Of course there is no room for any open-ended pedagogy of the oppressed
when bricks are flying.
Further than that, you are exposed, Cde Tom, and the whole of South
Africa is exposed, because you cannot criticise this work. You have no
art-critical knowledge that can cope in this moment. If you did, and if
South Africa did have such knowledge, then you would be able to demolish
these pieces of kitsch with a few sentences, never to see them again.
This is a sign of how far we still have to go in our studies. The CU has
no course on art, on the history of art, or on the history of
revolutionary and reactionary art.
If we did have such knowledge then we, subscribers of the CU at least,
would not be disturbed by this present infantile disorder in the Goodman
Gallery. And, by the way, this is not the first public appearance of
Brett Murray's graffiti.
What is more, we as the CU would be able to extend our criticism to the
whole spectrum of visual, audio, architectural and other production, all
of which surround us and oppress us, all the time, and not just now with
these dirty-kitsch insults of Brett Murray's.
Human beings communicate in many ways and not just in words. Human
communications, whether in words or in other ways, carry political
messages. Those who are unable to communicate are unable to take part.
What this "artist" Brett Murray has done is in this way a favour to the
revolutionaries, if we can take it as such.
Murray has shown up the objective fact that in the world of visual art,
at least, the revolutionaries of South Africa are helpless. Their only
two available responses to visual imagery are: unconscious indifference;
or rage.
Some of the original images that Brett Murray has tried to make dirty,
by crudely changing them, are ones that I have used on this Communist
University. It is even possible that he found some of them here. It is
even possible that the Communist University is his conscious target, or
one of his conscious targets, because Brett Murray, as well as being a
purveyor of kitsch, is a reactionary of the most ploddingly literal kind.
I, your VC, have had some very good education in visual-artistic
matters. This is why I am able to present the material in the way that I
do: effectively.
This visual-art knowledge is not a "nice-to-have", but it is a
"must-have" for revolutionary communication. I am not boasting about my
knowledge. On the contrary, I am confessing a considerable inadequacy in
the CU, which is the absence up to now of any dialogue about visual art
or about any other expressive media, such as music or architecture.
This is a serious gap, now temporarily exposed by the furore around
Murray's worthless derivatives. It is serious because revolution is
comprehensive, if it takes place at all. So there would have to be a
revolution in the visual arts as well as in the democratic class
politics of the country, and in every other corner of society, if that
revolution was to succeed. This is how it was in the Russian proletarian
revolution, and in many other revolutions before and since.
Obviously, in 1994 in South Africa such a revolution is the visual arts
did not happen. That is one of the signs that it is correct to say that
we had a democratic breakthrough, but not a revolution. By 2012, South
Africa's on-going National Democratic Revolution still has nothing like
a revolutionary visual-art component. Even the consciousness of its
necessity is absent.
What to do about Brett Murray?
Those who are sure of themselves will probably ignore him. Better still,
they will criticise him. Even better than that, they will surpass him
with real visual art that is not kitsch like Brett Murray's imposts.
Those who are not sure of themselves may have no adequate response at
all. Throwing bricks will not help. Court cases will not help. What do
lawyers know about visual art? Lawyers will not be able to resolve this.
So it may just end as it has begun: as a provocation.
A successful provocation is one that provokes. If what the DA did in
Braamfontein on
Tuesday was a provocation, then it was an outstanding success, and not a
failure.
If what the ANC Youth League did in Braamfontein on Tuesday was a
success, then it was as a counter-provocation.
The revolutionaries have to realise that for as long as they are running
after one provocation or another, they are not doing their revolutionary
business.
If they go to the level of counter-provocation, then they could have
guaranteed the failure of the NDR, because the NDR cannot be done like that.
Asikhulume!
*VC*
On 18 May 2012 23:48, tom mhlanga <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
They have failed at COSATU house and now they are gunning for Zuma. It
is for these reason that I always say we must defend our democratic
against neo-liberal offensive. This is a clear neo-liberal agenda and
unfortunately some of our comrades dont see this and thats why they
dont condemn this because of their factional views going to Mangaung.
Media offensive and the courts has been one of the strongest weapons
used by those who dont like the ANC and President Zuma. U should read
their (media) response to this matter, clearly they are not even
ashamed of defending these clowns in the name of freedon of
expression. "Freedom of Expression My Foot!!! I wish Peter Mokaba was
still alive!!!
Damn, we cant continue to massage these clowns. this is too much.
On 5/18/12, [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
> Cde Mbali r u having problem with us condeming the disrespectful
manner in
> which the President of the ANC hv been protrade? Mayb we are not
commenting
> on the other pictures because we did nt c them until now and why
r u because
> u have seen them not saying anything?
> Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
> Sender: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
> Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 17:02:15
> To: <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
> Reply-To: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: [YCLSA Discussion] YCLSA utterly disgusted at the
distasteful
> photo of the President
>
> Comrades
>
> Y is there silence over the other pictures Brett Murray has done:
especially
> the ones depicting the ANC logo written FOR SALE and SOLD over (see
> attached)???
>
>
> Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
> Sender: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
> Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 16:51:43
> To: <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
> Reply-To: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: [YCLSA Discussion] YCLSA utterly disgusted at the
distasteful
> photo of the President
>
> I agree with u...
> Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mongale William Mothusi <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
> Sender: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
> Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 09:39:01
> To: <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
> Reply-To: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: [YCLSA Discussion] YCLSA utterly disgusted at the
distasteful
> photo of the President
>
>
>
>
> This is war. Brett Murray should be arrested and charged with
treason so
> that whoever thinks of depicting a sitting president in such a
manner should
> think twice. This is disrepect of the highest calibre to the
president and
> the country. And also the Goodman Gallery should be closed for
life, so
> that their Masters should come out. In a war there is no freedom of
> expression, people should be put where they belong. Cde's, our
goverment
> should also stop being soft on people who are undermining it.
>
>
> ------------------------------
> On Fri, May 18, 2012 6:46 PM EEST Gugu Ndima wrote:
>
>>Tjo...where does that come from???
>>
>>On Fri, May 18, 2012 at 5:45 PM, <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>
>>> Cdes,
>>>
>>> The Photo is not an attack to Zuma... It is attack to
communists... The
>>> photo is an attack to SACP... Take note that the picture is of
Lenin...
>>> With a dick out, it mean Zuma "fucks the Party".... Let's be honest
>>> here...
>>>
>>> There are many statutes why this one of Lenin???? Why??? Why???
>>>
>>> Let's not play games here...
>>>
>>> It's my view... What's yours???
>>>
>>> Madala
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Khaya Xaba <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
>>> Sender: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
>>> Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 17:36:52
>>> To: yclsa-eom-forum<[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
>>> Reply-To: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
>>> Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] YCLSA utterly disgusted at the
distasteful
>>> photo
>>> of the President
>>>
>>> YCLSA Press Statement
>>>
>>> May 18, 2012
>>>
>>> YCLSA utterly disgusted at the distasteful photo of the President
>>>
>>> The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] is utterly
>>> disgusted by the portrayal of the State President in a distasteful
>>> manner by Brett Murray of the Goodman Gallery. In the photo the
>>> President is seen in a pose made famously by Vladmir Lenin with his
>>> private parts showing.
>>>
>>> As much as we support both freedom of expression and the right of
>>> artists to express themselves freely we also strongly feel that art
>>> should not be used to obliterate the dignity of others. We totally
>>> dismiss the lame reason that this photo is meant to stimulate
debate.
>>> How do you stimulate debate when you tarnish the image of
others? What
>>> kind of debate is this that seeks to be debated by humiliating the
>>> state president by showing his genitals? This is a purely inhumane
>>> conception of debate and should never be allowed to flourish
>>> disregarding who might be the target of that art.
>>>
>>> There is a thin line in freedom of expression and artist must
be able
>>> to express themselves without producing work that is morally
poor. As
>>> the YCL we feel that is an abuse of freedom of expression aimed at
>>> further portraying our state president as someone who lacks
morals. We
>>> see this photo as nothing but an attempt by the Goodman Gallery to
>>> encroach the dignity of the State President through liberal art
that
>>> is objectionable.
>>>
>>> We note the refusal by the Goodman Gallery to remove the photo
after
>>> pleas from the African National Congress [ANC]; and as the YCLSA we
>>> support the decision by the ANC to take legal action against
them and
>>> will further lobby other members of society to understand that
there
>>> is a reason why there is a limitation clause in the Constitution
>>> especially when in exercise of rights others encroach on others’
>>> rights and hide under freedom of expression.
>>>
>>> Issued by the YCLSA
>>>
>>> Mangaliso Stalin Khonza
>>> National Spokesperson
>>> YCLSA
>>> 083 617 5546
>>> 011 339 3621
>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>>>
>>> --
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>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>Gugu Ndima
>>+27 76 783 1516 <tel:%2B27%2076%20783%201516>
>>
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