Under the sun, 2008

Auringon alla/ Under the sun, 2008

Hei, me ollaan taideyhteisö.

Mitä taiteen nimissä voi  tehdä, millaisista arvoista taidekenttä pitää kiinni ja mistä helposti luovutaan oman edun suojelemiseksi? Eli mitä tunnettu kuraattori ja taiteilija saavat tehdä taidekentässä siihen kenenkään puuttumatta, kenenkään häiriintymättä tekojen oikeutuksesta, oikeellisuudesta, suoranaisista virkavirheistä joita voidaan tehdä koska tunnettuja ihmisiä suojelee taidekenttä joka ihailee tunnettuja taiteilijoita ja päätöksiä tekeviä taidevirkailijoita, henkilöitä jotka saavat elantonsa taidekentässä, jossa he voivat keskenään päättää mikä on oikein, mikä on hyvää ja mikä huonoa, mikä tai kuka jätetään ulkopuolelle. Millaisia arvoja tällainen taidekuutio pitää yllä on kiinnostava kysymys etenkin koska taidekentän päätöksenteko ei ole läpinäkyvää, koska päätöksentekijöitä on syytä suojella, koska taiteessa valitseminen ja päättäminen on vaikeaa, usein henkilökohtaista, koska taidetta tekevät yksityishenkilöt. On siis kiinnostavaa kun puhutaan yksityishenkilöistä jotka tekevät taidetta ympäristössä jossa taiteilija ei ole valtaapitävä, josta voidaan sanoa ihan mitä tahansa ja huhu lähtee kulkemaan hyvin helposti ja syntyy maine tietynlaisesta taiteilijasta. Tämä kaikki kuulostaa hyvin lapsellliselta ja sitä se nimenomaan on. Ei ole kysymys oikeudenmukaisuudesta vaan vallankäytöstä, vallassa olemisesta, asemasta, rahasta ja kuuluisuudesta. Taiteessahan kuuluisuus on se mihin usein pyritään. Siksi alalla ollaan varovaisia koska pyrkyreitä on niin paljon ja kommentti kuraattorilta että taiteilijoita on niin monenlaisia että on oltava varovainen onkin paljon puhuva, mutta kertonee kuraattorin omista ennakkoluuloista enemmän (kuraattori on pallilla ylempänä, eikö niin. Taidetta on mistä valita, paljon on huonoa taidetta. Kuraatoreiden huonoudesta tai erinomaisuudesta ei niin kovasti käydä keskustelua, saati tarpeellisuudesta. Asema on itsestäänselvyys jota ei ole kiistäminen, vai mitä.). Tahtoisinkin kuulla tarkemmin millaisia ne taiteilijat sitten ovat, kerro ihmeessä lisää.

Mitä taiteen nimissä voi tehdä? Vastaus kokemukseni mukaan on että paljon ja suhmurointi eli klähmintä ja mustamaalaaminen, kiusaaminen, ahdistelu, seksismi ovat normaalia arkipäivää joka taiteilijan tulisi ilmeisesti vaan kestää koska itsepähän alan valitsit. Tämä argumenttihan on tietysti nykypäivänä varsin omituinen, koska yhteiskunnassa olemme periaatteessa tasa-arvoisia, oikeuskelpoisia, meillä sanan- ja ilmaisunvapaus ja virkamiehet että -naiset ovat vastuussa tekemisistään. Tämä pätee instituutioissa kuten taidekoulut ja -museot. On selvää että tuntematon taiteilija on roskaa ja tunnettu taiteilija on arvokas kurattorille ja museolle. Kuinka tuntematonta taiteilijaa siis voi kohdella ja tuleeko hänelle esimerkiksi maksaa palkkaa tehdystä työstä, kulukorvauksia, materiaalikorvauksia, voiko hänestä puhua ihan mitä vaan vähättevään sävyyn muiden museon työntekijöiden kanssa? Kerro ihmeessä museotyöntekijä jos tiedät näihin kysymyksiin pätevät vastaukset. Haluan todellakin kuulla. Taiteilija aliarviointiin olisi jo luullut tottuneen mutta aina se kuulostaa vaan oudolta ja ammattipätevyyden anastamiselta. Minusta sellainen on itsessään ammattitaidottomuuden merkki ettei osaa antaa arvoa muulle kuin brändille, Helsinkikeskeisyydelle ja hierarkiassa pärjäämiselle.

Hienoa että museossanne otetaan kantaa ja kommentoidaan, ensin kannattaa pitää huoli että kaikkien ihmisten oikeuksista pidetään huoli, eikö totta. Syntyy uskottava kuva toiminnastanne ja siitä millaisia arvoja todella edustatte.

When temper is freakish

Women with temper are said to be good in bed, women with temper are seen in strange ways which associates with sexuality, funniness, a bit childlike tantrum and troubled mind. You simply cannot lose your temper because to stay calm is what a lady does whatever happens she does not yell, scream back at you, swear, hit, spit at you, give you a speech you have always needed to hear to fall down to the ground. To me that is what a true lady does exactly when there is no other way to be understood. In a world where women are seen inferior, second-class and intellectually incapable calmness is connected to having abilities like strength of mind, maturity and grace. Women with grace who float beautifully doing their tasks in manner that nobody notices, without complaints, tip top smelling good, thanking for everything they get, being happy to have those people who love her around, they bring grace to people who are there to take this lovely grace.
To show anger when there is need is vital. It is vital for children and women who are denied this privilege of showing negative emotions and dissatisfaction. It is necessary for their mental health, to clean the air, to have a conversation, just to explode once in a while is good for you. If people around don’t like it, so what. People cannot stand loud noises, if someone raises her voice it is preposterous, outrageous and disturbing. I myself encourage people to argue, have debates with emotions, not to settle to avoid negative awkward moments but to live and talk them through. Solving problems that can escalate much bigger when left unsolved. To be tolerant towards negative emotions of yours and others’ means the effort and will to understand why such emotions occur and exist. Emotions cause an awful lot of trouble and hurt. To understand emotions is crucial to understanding humans, it is crucial to understand yourself. Why do you feel the way you do, how to confront that problem of emotional self, emotional life to live with variety of feelings, to live with those feelings which may come to you every day like anxiety, anger, hate, envy, feeling of misery and lost, emptiness.
I put my temper in to work. I work with my rage, with all of it. It is an undying one, painful and creative. I use my anger to make art and to write. I cannot stand mildness, situations where there is pretense and I have to hide my self as if I was something terrible and ugly, hide me in disguise of well-mannered middle class fucker. That is intolerable.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/prisca-dorcas-mojica-rodriguez/spicy_b_8020760.html?utm_hp_ref=latino-voices&ir=Latino+Voices&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000052When I hear you call me spicy, I think: yes, I might be. But do not reduce this contextual reaction to my lived-realities because of how different it is from yours.”

Meaning of repetition: do we find meaning when we repeat or do we just find repetition? To find a meaningful mantra.

Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition
Meaning of repetition

I ask because there is meaning in all we say and do. To actually understand what was repeated, why something is repeated, what does it do to repeat something, what does it actually mean to repeat and what kind of difference, indifference or non-difference does it make happen. I personally get bored easily so repetition interests me as it is something that is very normal and common, it makes mechanical patterns something easy to follow, a rule, some things and actions we must repeat to live, to find a way. In that way repetition a solution to a problem. The thing is how we repeat those things, why and what do we make of patterns made, do we feel repetition too repetitious, can we brake codes and rules to brake the repetition.

Do we sleep every night in similar pajamas, in similar position, similar amount of time, have similar depth of sleep, dream of similar things, fall asleep as fast or as slow like last night. It gets quite tricky when you start to think what kind of things you repeat during a day, what you must repeat, what you avoid repeating, repetition of thoughts, acts, ideas, words, movements, reasons to be happy, reasons to be unhappy, reasons to repeat.

Menstruation/Kuukautiset, öljypastelli, 76*56cm, 2003

What is intelligence and how are we intelligent?

I ask because it is the main characteristic in humans that people like pay attention to, find and define by measurements of their own which society confirms. What does intellect become to be when it is decided within society without understanding how complex the issue is and what intellect means? What does it mean to have intellect and what to do with it? So far to me conclusions have been insanely absurd and something deep is seen as a blank paper, thin and white. When intellect is measured by looking at someone’s appearance conclusions are to go wrong and the very idea of knowing the brain of anyone is crooked. How are we intelligent and how are we not, the judgment happens in seconds so my conclusion is we know it, we know what is intelligent, what impresses us and what does an intelligent person do. So far those who consider themselves intelligent put other people down because they are the best of the best, intelligence as something of a privilege has a diabolic history for which patriarchy and science are to blame for their part. Men being more clever than women still lives on, adults more clever than children. I must remind you that learning abilities of children beat any adult.
We have to make an impression in a highly demanding task, know how computer works (do you know how computer works? You push the button and surf, log in to fb? You are so clever.), how society works, know without telling, look smart, impress, how to present yourself to belong, say the right things at the right spot, know the right people. We have intelligent everything because if it wasn’t intelligent we would not need it, right? Gossiping is stupid but still it happens frequently: you don’t like her, they don’t like her. Doesn’t sound hugely clever, but as a process it is for its purpose which gossiping serves: to shut certain kind of people out, to make distinction, and it surely makes society. So one can ask in what kind of society do we live? Conduction of thought is a straight line (jumping to conclusions is not something intelligent people do as they must see sides to things and to people) and you trust what that friend of yours says because he/she is a friend the one you trust, buddies on your side against the stupid ones. Stupid ones, you mean losers? Sounds like bullying. I must ask how bullies become teachers? The assumption is teachers have intellect. We like stupid things too even though we are the cream because we like to laugh at the losers. Lack of empathy is clear. It is no wonder our society is dragging in shit. Cream does not mean cream has intellect because it is cream, sadly.
We tend to find groups of people who think the same, do the same things as we do. It is us liking to do what we like and get together. There is a teeny tiny error in the way that idea of bonding appears and closes, stays closed. Bonding with similar minds and friends which in the long run become a pretty large flaw on every level of society. Something trickling down? Well it ain’t money. Similar minds preferring something that stays the same and changes very little as I notice because it is serving. When there is talk about change and progress which there is a lot, I understand you truly wish to make change,,,deep down inside. It is my advice to seek difference, all out of the box. Yes it is scary because you won’t be having your buddies, your safety net. My conclusion about people is quite horrifying and I see it is not wrong at all as very little changes eventually, especially in the arts. Arts the progressive, dear Lord. To have institutions have the power is sadly the interest of art. We live in meritocracy. Institutions gladly give credit to good and capable people, don’t they. It is one reason progress is not happening within the arts, the fame bubble, the privilege and the good you do. Bureaucrats taking credit, dictating what is good and worth while doing, what is art in this, who will be lifted up, who will be silenced. You will stay behind as long as the self-love and self-interest are those most important traits to reach out. This little I have faith in you too.
Fearlessness, ability to brake harmful destructive patterns and curiosity represent intelligence as does kindness of heart to me. Emotional intelligent is actually an extremely important part of being intelligent, finding out intelligence in yourself and in others. This not so minor detail continuously is failing as hard science and technological thinking prevail as the highest intellectual achievement, something to conquer and master. Cold formal behavior is made to represent something that is the very brain of the West and the good within civilization. Following orders, filling up forms, making rules to be obeyed, white wall, lack of emotion, inability to show compassion for someone you do not know. Inability to take and answer to critique is clear sign of masters liking their position too much.
 orchid

 

LUX express

 

bag and balls of clay

Doing my ting in the suburb, LUX express

 

balls of clay in a bag, see what happens..

Holding on to entitlement. What can be called a minor human error?

Definitions by which we move on: we must know on what kind of ground we stand, what there is to know about the world around (we should be interested), we must define ourselves what is it that we can achieve as ourselves finding the best in ourselves, what we are compared to environment and other people and what we can do with knowing where we come from. We are defined by others for the same reasons, goals and looking for meaning; where those others stand in relation to us. Knowledge is the key to any entitlement, any relation and standing, at least this I hope. What do we know then? What kind of resource knowledge we have is and what kind of knowledge is available? Mission gets complicated when we begin to evaluate what is worth knowing, what do we want in the end and where do we move with the knowledge we have, what does it do to us and what do we do with it.

Something one is entitled to, to know, to learn, to speak, to work, to grow, to live, to breath, to feel, to move, to explore, to find, to lose, to sleep, to rest, to imagine, to invent, to play, to be a child, to be what one desires to be. What can we say we are entitled to are those mentioned and things people have to know themselves without putting anyone down but to lift up. When we feel entitled is when we enjoy having something, is it extra or is it because we are humans and therefore can and will? What is too much entitlement? We tend to take many things for granted, things which are granted to us as privileges in a world of crises and wealth distributed unequally but something we truly need like education, continuous schooling and work. We have an obligation to educate ourselves and our children, find a way to make a living and place of living. To say to have a life is to live a fulfilling life with joy and curiosity. How many can say that? We should be entitled to be able to feel joy, feel joy of living as we are privileged to be living this exact time on Earth. Still it seems to be difficult for many to be content, grateful and have feeling of joy for what one has. Is that the basic dilemma of human existence, discontent, unhappiness and emptiness? Not having enough ever or not having what that other person can have, not being able to be happy for someone else and not being able to be content for life as it appears to be.

Problem can be that one cannot let go of the old because it was the entitlement to that person, a possession, to let go and have others have the same entitlement and joy. Problem of sharing something good, especially material good, material comfort, not riches but security.