elitismi

Finding honor

| Henna Timanttimetsä
When we find honor via other people through what they are and mean to us we see other people as extensions to us, parts of us that are elementary but controllable ones. When what other people represent as wholes or just parts that fill the whole of you how whole are you?  When to bring honor is master-subject relationship, tyranny, ownership of slaves kind of relationship, what kind of honor is there and how easily it can be put to dirt. Honor which is taken away and put to dirt must be cleaned, revenged, suffered for and for many people honor is found only through suffering, hurt and pain. To have no honor is a stigma and people with no honor for whom that state is given which is strongly dictated by society and community are usually lost people. When property is source of honor and that property does everything that is expected of it honor is very short-lived and easily lost, pride is to have that relationship with property unchanged, property following plan that is given for it because there is no other way to live. To dishonor is to break something that should not be broken all happening in life must happen within rules that are deemed codes for living unchangeable, solid and holy. When there is an institution which has all power to give life and take it, it has taken place of god, doing work that has been taken from god, thinking this position is given by god for a reason and this power cannot be questioned, taken away or rebelled against because it is good and righteousness. When children rebel against their parents it is mostly seen as dishonoring and bad behavior, bad judgement and wrong against an institution. Our relationship to our parents is juggling between whether to do what they want or what we want, when we become aware of power we have over our own lives and bodies and often parents see those bodies they have given life to as their possessions.
Family and parents are those who in many parts of the world have absolute authority over their children especially girls. Though it is common still everywhere that parents guide their children in the direction chosen by the parents themselves pressuring career choice in making money, status and name, having grandchildren, making money to buy a standard of living, doing things that parents see proper to do in life and as honorable things to do continuing ready-made paths of living and way of life in which certain objects and signs of success belong. To fail is to do the opposite. It is to disagree, disapprove and that alone can be disrespect too much to take. To honor is to be honorable in the eyes of the rest, of those who are comparing and to whom we compare, why else honor would exist as strongly as it does. We feel deeply ashamed and can be shamed in front of other people when we do what is seen shameful, disrespectful in a community braking rules and traditions, hierarchy and authority jeopardized. To disrespect is to take power and find power of oneself, to understand that there is no honor in doing only what is expected of you. Of course there is disrespect which has no honor and that is disrespecting human rights, disrespecting dignity, disrespecting authority to self and anyone’s autonomy to know what one can do in life. How to find dignity when it is almost undignified and a burden to be born a girl? When dignity is to do what you are told to do and nothing else.

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2016/02/29/3754753/pakistan-honor/ ”Rafia Asim of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan told ThinkProgress last year that her organization receives information about an average of 30 “honor killings” a month across just over one third of the country’s districts.”

To measure something we do not know with something we know.

| Henna Timanttimetsä

To be exact is difficult. It demands effort and knowing of facts, knowledge over the world, how it is. Such knowledge which is not measured with eyesight and thinking you know takes time to find out and look for. To know how the world and nature work is a very basic method of learning to see connections, links between happenings, reactions and outcomes, comparisons and dimensions. Why something happens as it does and how patterns evolve and appear in front of us, in us and without us. We often like to know how big something is and are astounded by vastness and miraculous infinite nature of what is, for instance heart of a blue whale, temperature of volcanic lava, suddenness and randomness of nature yet the very accuracy and beauty of it: distance to Mars and could it be inhabitable. We would like to know and do because we can. We are curious to the limits and beyond. Whether something could be done just because we can test it and try, experiment with any cost entails also the question of what should be left undone. Imagining diving inside a blue whale in its veins, imagining being eaten by a whale and ending up in its stomach and staying alive, getting out when it washes to the shore. What is unimaginable becomes reality, an adventure, survival. To think how many cars should be put in line to measure the Earth to know its circumference. To measure something which size we cannot comprehend unless we measure it with something we can see and comprehend in everyday life, size of ours.

Fantasy of perfection

| Henna Timanttimetsä

To think something is mediocre is to think that it is not the extraordinary giving an experience we are after or wonderfully surprised by. Mediocre is something most people like to avoid belonging to, being called and having it. Why is mediocre the dull and average way of life, choosing a life and a mode on to which mainstream is build and is still so much loathed as something unwanted and boring but still liked and wanted? Those boring characteristics usually are repetitious and given from above to avoid thinking for yourself, to avoid conflict and find alternatives that might be somewhat different and contradicting to power relations, taste, traditions and common ways of thinking which feel safe, good and acceptable.

Mediocre is the acceptable something we fall for because it is something we all should be having, enjoying and doing and we like this bond. For instance owning certain electronic devices is seen normal and they belong to modern home which we all share. The fact that electronic tools making our lives easier are at reach for all is making the mediocre mode we now know as normal accessible in a way that we do not have to question these choices which we make to fit in to be connected. We want to be part of the world that lives via electricity and labor forces of far away lands. Cheapness is mediocre but it can be expensive. We do not question because we do not have to, our comfort is a state of peace of mind but also state of selfish demand to fulfill all needs which mediocre people want because they reach out for the perfect comfort and ease, but also perfect level of luxury with which to compete and compare. Mediocre is one kind of battle and competition between those who like material good and appreciate status this visible wealth bring.

My view on mediocre is also a view on the middle class. Middle class is finding its superiority in mediocre and through mediocre which contradictory thought and happening is to try and find the ultimate top on this made up mediocre level without acknowledging that there are other dimensions with capacity to outnumber and be dashingly better. Those other dimensions demand hard work to get to, so it is very mediocre not to try anything on a whim, anything that jeopardizes the balance for which mediocre people work for to maintain. Jealousy is a mediocre characteristic as is greed. To deny talent, quality of some other point of view, silence those who see and do differently, deny being wrong and doing wrong is very mediocre. It is inability to face and understand or even find one’s limits and limits of one’s way of life, it is inability to absorb change, be change and learn from mistakes. Mediocre is to bully and show contempt for those who manage to see outside the given model of what life should be. To seek perfection and originality is strangely the ideal for middle class and mediocre, how this search succeeds is subjective matter of opinion. Perfection can be wearing a perfect evening gown but where does it take us? Wearing perfection and making it? Measuring originality which there is much in the world seems to be hard enough task and somehow the easiest of choices are being made over and over again thinking they are the best there is. How originality is found, how we pay attention to it? Is it ugly, repulsive,unkind, disturbing, offensive, vulgar, cruel and demanding of something else than what we want to see? Usually yes. Mediocre is to think we can buy originality and perfection.

I am thrilled what a force hypocrisy is.

| Henna Timanttimetsä

I am thrilled what a force hate is.

Provocateur lives!!! When the whole system turns up against me I feel I have made a point that has touched truly painful issues. It makes me thrilled.

| Henna Timanttimetsä

Let’s talk about harassment in art. Yes let’s there are an awful lot of shades to harassment, has been since art school. It is a whisper and common knowledge it is there. Not the easiest of topics to bring up anywhere but definitely not easy there where it is seen almost an organic part of doing and part of interaction somehow. I have felt it is like working in a bar, all is possible and will happen without consequences for men and it is reality that has to be seen as a fact and always be prepared for it. It is not much talked about, done much about and anyone who brings the topic on the table is a whining weakling who cannot handle the toughness of the business. The amount of pure harassment and ill can be so devastating it is time someone brought it up since art is good, right, it is doing good in the world, right? How nice should one be then?

Sexual tension is seen a part of making art. We draw and paint nudes from the beginning. Being an artist as such and as an idea is expected to have an open relationship to sexuality, inhibitions, taboos, act of sex, shame and artists are thought to live more sexually liberated lives than most. It goes with the territory to learn to handle and laugh about it. This somehow makes it right to harass female artists and students, especially those who tackle the touchy topic bringing it up and do not tolerate treatment given. It is expected to face harassment at some point, sex and art go hand in hand self-evidently. It is expected the kind of openness to sex, understanding and tolerance to all kinds of forms of sex (this is an illusion). A historical narrative of artists is they have got a deep contact to sexuality especially men and they are allowed to behave accordingly. When woman does the same she is punished as she is not in the game when game is conducted by men. How deep does this perspective and look into human sexuality and hierarchy actually go is a good question as art institutions do have strict views on showing sexually explicit material, or is toying with sex and consent just a shallow fun for boys in the game which game is more a rule as it is for them and goes with the territory that women are used, a game only for men who play it hard. One can ask as art is male dominated where rumors move fast and the famous narrative of heroic artist is kept alive since it brings in customers does this relic ever make progress and grow up? What this in deep view reveals other than sexism, ignorance, abuse, hedonism, repetitious behavioral codes, conventions and practices which can be given harsh critique, sweeping under carpet unable to face reality is not changing anything. Sex is and has been topic to be horrified over in art, although sexual harassment and moving on up via sexual relationship is nothing new, wide and well existent. Loose morals and misconduct belong to rebellious, dim, fun-loving, careless and hazy portrait of an artist which image has been admired as this artist is free and creative force of nature, a true man who makes and conquers.

When woman does the same story is different as is normal. Misbehaving woman is a scandal in a place where to look good is all for businesses sake and the children. In business where ill happens behind curtains something out of control that is made visible is shocking. Still woman is there to offer sexual favors as she wants to succeed, she poses, is looked at and touched, poked, made fun of and minimized. What a fool. She has to work hard to get anywhere on her own, so suggestions on how about it may sound tempting. It is also women’s benefit as industry’s benefit to call and decline such terms of making, make harassment visible, to make an end to such culture of abuse is necessary. It is no surprise sexism is rampant in art. Those who desperately wish to make it use sex as a way. Issue cannot be dealt with because those who use power are not dealing with sexism or think it as a problem. There are no laws by which to live in art, breaking rules is part of making art. There are other problems like finance and how to be heard and seen. As long as sexists and chauvinists are protected and admired as great artists who cannot be accused of any ill nothing changes. When there is no accountability, transparency or professional ways to deal with difficult clearly criminal issues nothing changes. When morals is lacking how can there be any trustworthy voice within art and of art which talks about those important social issues for the rest of us?

If art is rebellion why the scandal? Why sensitive skin and offence? Why sex makes the same horror and appall as ever?

The part art plays in creating screens in front of ideological constructs, politics, conflicting interests and problems so that issues won’t be dealt with but swept under the carpet, forgotten and washed since the cause is obviously good as art is in the picture. That truth is not visible but toyed with, manipulated in the name of good for all. PR and visualization at the expense of quality and equality. True interests of big players stay hidden and artist is merely a button.

| Henna Timanttimetsä

It is not news many people with conservative leanings have a tight relationship with art. To hang out and know artists is somewhat of a cliché in which posing and supporting is a merit to have. I have wondered why such culture holds on so persistently and why there are artists who allow art to be used for politics and a means for hype of public relations. Some artists are in desperate need for recognition and funds. It is almost a default and expectation for an artist to think and be in need, assumption of what artist wants, is for and must do is to lure money. What is the advantage there to be had for one with means and a cause to promote? Power of art is quite mighty because of many illusion made by Art History and how art is still portrayed as a saving force, struggle and possible win, a trophy. Social status, intellectual smoke screen, intellectual dishonesty, advertising and pretending go hand in hand, grandiose can appear pretty hollow. It may be an easy-looking path to be an art lover but what does it mean to really love art? Lovers of art are uplifted by art, moved but are the changed by it? Meaning of art is and can therefore be huge.

Turn your world into a canvas, turn it into marble and you are the one with chicle, imagine yourself as a maker. It is such chocolate box romanticized image as is the grande artist who creates extraordinary visions to marvel and admire. To glue this vision on which is the dusty load from Art History used over and over again as it does not grow worn out: Divinity at play. Cult of genius lives on since it is appealing to many. To be an important visual artist is still a pedestal many wish to be on and many institutions like to abuse. Isn’t that the most important job for art especially for people who have power to use art to boost themselves, power positions and causes for which art is used as an extension to mark character and public image as art friendly and cities as cultural capitals and centers. Art signifies intellect for some, civilized and uplifting ground which supposedly lifts up, makes something new constantly and is looking forward, is looking into the future with new eyes, ideas and supposedly new kind of cash flow. Money stays in the hands of the few no doubt. Money and art go together in some cases like the crook and possibility for a blow up, too much talk, promise and a grin, yes we are so happy up here. It is often made to look like that art is for all people when it is to create power position and strengthen it. There are many reasons to love art and all kinds of love. Sounds cynical doesn’t it, and it is. Or what do you think when Guggenheim report to investigate is museum profitable in Helsinki is only in English and translated only when protested, that the museum is told to be experimental and focus on development of something, I’m not quite sure of what, Helsinki art scene? Well it sure does need development, more on the attitude and idea level which do not show to be as experimental and new in real life especially when bureaucrats do the shady-looking business behind citizens’ backs and wish to make it look like something new and dazzling. Yes it is a grande WTF.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guggenheim_Helsinki_Plan#Conflicts_of_interest

The rich patron the arts when public funding is not sufficient or otherwise lacking or for many reasons. It is almost duty of those with means, a good deed, a shield with which to fight against all evil, against banality to show extraordinary, against bad taste. Critics who may and will give unpleasant and so unearned criticism may point out what art is for. Substantial wealth created with suspicious ways and those ways hidden with help of playing a patron of arts seemingly a good thing is the normal that belongs to culture of charity done by the super-rich, ideology of trickle down is a good thing there like ever. Therefore I am as all should be very suspicious when the art and business world play the part of being on the side of good as a whole. Guggenheim is a good example of rhetoric in which imported culture is worth more than local G having an uplifting effect on a small operator, an international influence and contacts which supposedly are always a good thing.

Error establishing a database connection: Question since I am puzzled: Why did Nazis steal all the art treasures during WW2? Was art like money in bank or did they love art?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/business/economy/for-the-wealthiest-private-tax-system-saves-them-billions.html?_r=0

The peril of hipster economics

When urban decay becomes a set piece to be remodelled or romanticised.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/05/peril-hipster-economics-2014527105521158885.html

 

Art in Diplomacy and Conflict | Episode 34

http://covertcontact.com/2015/12/26/art-in-diplomacy-and-conflict-episode-34/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

to listen is worth your while.

Let’s get back to Flashdance: There is more to the movie than the plot. It is more clever than you give it credit for.

| Henna Timanttimetsä

It is a fairytale kind of spectacle or anti-spectacle in a spectacle, if that is a thing. Anti-spectacle in the sense of changing of the perspective towards gender, class, work and art, romantic is the spectacle, a pattern we expect. The spectacle we are used to seeing and thinking in terms of movies and in general how class, work, gender and art function and are, are thought to represent and be like. The American dream in this case where a beautiful young woman reaches out for her dream, a place in the sun and ends up getting more or ‘all’, a romantic relationship with a Man with a Porsche, who is also the owner of the factory where Alexandra, the woman in question, works at as a welder. One big plus of the movie is it does not highlight the work Alexandra does, welding is just work with men as co-workers, it makes the movie hugely more interesting though, and her the one who lives outside the box and is allowed to do so. She is not harassed by her co-workers, her abilities are not questioned. It is truly a beautiful setting, which her choice of work, most definitely would be seen weird still today.

To explore deeper into what the movie is all about is worth our while as it has been deeply overlooked as many romantic movies that are meant for women usually are. To pay attention to details, characters, camera shots, what is being looked at and told via tensions between women and men and why those tensions exist. What happens between the sexes, between women especially, what are sexes both expected to do, look and be like. Movie is a language as is dance as is sex, sexuality, clothing and gender. You have to focus on to read it all and actually think what are we looking at, what happens there and why all the time. It is not just an entertaining show where you can relax and forget what is going on, this is told via contrasts between sleazy bars, working men and art, how women are treated in different settings and how these settings differ, how women want to be treated and what do they desire of their lives to be. Movie is never just a movie that is meant to entertain, not even those that are made for that purpose, nor is music or the dance acts that seem to be out of place. Point is easily missed when the romantic is what stays interesting and in the focus.

In a bar where ambitious fit and talented dancers show their art, act for paying customers who are watching and are a bit amazed by the unexpected shows. Contrast is also to the other bar where dancing is not the primary interest of anyone, only nude female bodies, that move in a certain way. Women are dancing for money but in a show-your-ass-kind of way, but they still want to be discovered and dream of making it. What are people watching and why, who gets attention? Watching happens for instant gratification, simplicity of getting pleasure cheap and for fun. A bar is a world of something else than the workplace and not a place of thought, burdening oneself. Customers of the bar are not the assumed ordinary art lovers, but that is the point. Why should people be provoked to think more than is necessary, why not give them what they want? To whom is art for and why is it a class issue? What is art and where is art, who is capable of art and why it is a special occasion in a special place? High and low seem to be repulsed by each other, classes stay separated  like oil and water. The dance acts, art and artists, are really in the right place. Intention of the movie is not to depict a straightforward story in a manner of this is what happens: this is what we dream of happening to us. It is not a children’s story and it is not pink. It seems light, but is heavier when one starts exploring. That are the expectations and frame women are supposed to fit in, want, act upon and are shown in the movie, that those who dare, can change the game. There is social critique hidden there to be found.

To say Flashdance is a feminist movie is not quite what a true movie lover might expect. What do you think about the turn, that a seemingly light Hollywood movie is feminist in a very kick-ass way and about the structural difficult issue of choosing how to get ahead in life, on one’s own terms and talent, and not sleeping with the boss or buddy who has connections. What do you think about when after having seen and evaluated for example the scene where Alexandra goes and finds her friend who has gone to work as a stripper, moving herself in conventional stripper manner, she is grabbed off the stage by Alexandra and escorted out. In the scene Alexandra’s clothing and standing position compared to her friend tell a lot when friend the stripper ends up in a puddle on street wearing only panties and high heels and is cold. Money, she earned gets wet in the rain on the pavement. Alexandra’s loose pants and sneakers when she stands firmly behind the naked woman who has fallen down and sold her body for money to please men may seem easy and naive, but it is something very basic, a woman on the ground beaten down feeling there is no other opportunity for her.

After having read couple of critiques about the movie and clearly many have missed the point: When one is an art critic it is essential to see behind the expected, the image and be free of bias. What is the seen image telling us, what happens without words, what is the setting and who are the characters, what do they do. Do you need more clues, because explaining has to be done also in a very basic manner, obviously also for critics. When you are an art critic, don’t fall for the simple clichés. Such poor analysis destroys a lot, as does arrogance, assumptions and cynicism. Minimizing culture that is aimed at and is about women and girls is a normal practice. It is a learned reaction which comes without thinking. A black woman eating a banana in a scene where women talk about relationships, well sounds as cliché as anything, but it happens in couple of seconds, and is easily missed, but telling. To make it as you with your raw capabilities, without handouts and favours..

Flashdance, is a feminist movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashdance in which woman does work as a welder and pursues her dream to become a professional dancer, also in which women help each other, face sexual harassment and deal with it by acting out, consequences lurking there and threat of violence is almost a certainty. To oppose men means you have to be one and be prepared. Movie portrays different kinds of female roles, a gallery of different kinds of women. The expectations of what women should be like, playing with stereotypes with which women struggle and hold on to as coping mechanisms. They may be afraid to go against the machine or don’t know how to or should they, and those who do not fit in the accepted roles especially, seem to be out of sync or do what they need to do despite whatever. Interesting are the different kinds of female characters there, how there are systematic learned rules of behaviour that stick, codes for genders and how these codes are taken for granted. How women portrayed are in their places and obviously struggle and lack power. They try to move on up as do men, they have dreams. Men try to move inside women’s panties and sex is clearly a very basic tool of control and making it. It is the first thought, easy way out, a getaway car and motive. World of art is a dusty stagnant relic too, which needs heavy dusting. Alex, the leading women, is afraid to enter this monument of perfected trained fragile-looking fairy-like ballerinas and primadonnas. She want’s to make it on her own with her own credentials with her talent and does not need a man to do that for her.

Real life is stranger than fiction says this welder.

 

”I have a friend who has a simple test for a movie: Is this movie as interesting as the same things would be, happening in real life? A lot of movies aren’t, and ”Flashdance” sure isn’t. If this movie had spent just a little more effort getting to know the heroine of its story, and a little less time trying to rip off ”Saturday Night Fever,” it might have been a much better film.”

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/flashdance-1983

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085549/reviews

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/09/entertainment/la-et-cm-flashdance-musical-review-segerstrom-20130509

Reviews and critiques strongly reflect the persona of the critic who is writing. For some reason in this case feminist perspective does not shine through. Wonder why.

University is a place where you find out the truth no matter what the truth is, that is where you must head, evidence is what you believe.

| Henna Timanttimetsä
No matter what the truth is, the sentence means it is not our duty to make up truth but be open to it. We do not define truth, we examine it. We can even change our opinion and be pleased someone opened our eyes. It would not be the truth if we would manipulate the information we have. Whatever it is we scientifically find out is the most relevant truth at the moment which can be argued as it should. Absolute truth is hard to come by the further we proceed on any field, somethings are absolutely true. It is unbelievable in the age of science we having proof over how we have become to be what we are now there are people who want to believe ancient texts as absolutes, rule people by centuries old knowledge and laws. Worries over religious feelings being hurt at university is ludicrous. Those with faith getting offended in a place where faith and religion do not have a say over is as an idea outrageously stupid. Such people do not deserve to be in university. Why are people afraid of offense is a case of fear over losing funds and friends, fear of violence. Universities that are afraid of losing funds and friends have lost touch in making science. The more commercial universities get the more they care for emotions and sentiments of those who are the paying customers, also those who fund research. People who have money to pay high tuition fees are middle class people who are scared of conflict, afraid of conflicting ideas, debate and arguing which is something that normally happens between thinking people who make serious conversation to understand each other and the world. People who attend universities obviously do it in hopes for large salary jobs. It is clear corporal policy has attended university in a big way, avoiding offence and critical points of views are punished, banned and outlawed. That is corporations dictating what is useful and what is not, what is allowed to say, how we know and what we know, how we can think.
It has been sad to witness that university is not a place where truth is appreciated and looked for but overlooked and despised.

 

Obsession over appearance and need to tell all about a person via looks. When appearance is trusted more than the actual body of work.

| Henna Timanttimetsä
For me it has been a weird notion to realize that I cannot be ugly or beautiful. I actually should not exist, my qualities are too much to take, to believe me is impossible and me impossible to accept. Too much is the difference and not knowing where to place someone who has many skills is a strange dilemma. Expectation for both qualifications beautiful and ugliness is that the person is mentally retarded when too beautiful or too ugly, not to mention what one does for living. You should have made it bigger since you are so beautiful or no wonder you didn’t make it since you are so ugly. Or beautiful people don’t have to worry because they will manage. There will always be need and opportunities for those looking good. Temptation to put down is too easy to go for but is exactly why chance is taken, easy ways are for the lazy. In any case need to push that person who cannot be tolerated beneath is immediate, it is a test in continuum without other results than maybe an understanding for those who do sadists acts because they can. Bullying is an act of low where civil people should not go but do over and over again.
Vanity is the worst obstacle for progress and unity. What a tragedy for that person who is judged by appearance so shortsighted. It is a tragedy also for those who do the judging especially when there is no way for apology and admitting wrong doing since damage is severe and dignity is lost. Appearance does not correlate with what brain is capable of doing nor does gender, clothing, place of origin, how much money the person has etc. Smart phones do not make us smart, NY does not glorify us as people nor give more professional excellence to your persona or your work as such, it is what you have to contribute, what you stand for, why you do your work. When you stand for vanity and see it as good thing, as does most of the world, then value is build via things and scenes that stand for looking good, having a good life, defining good life via things, prosperity, possibilities, cool and new vibes, greed follows.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/opinion/being-dishonest-about-ugliness.html?WT.mc_id=D-NYT-MKTG-MOD-56642-1114-HD&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_c=”So how is a child to grapple with the savage social hierarchy of “lookism” that usually begins in the playground, if adults are so clumsy about it? The advantage of beauty has been long-established in social science; we know now that it’s not just employers, teachers, lovers and voters who favor the aesthetically gifted, but parents, too.”

https://kenanmalik.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/why-both-sides-are-wrong-in-the-race-debate/