Said no? Don't know

Looking at The Guardian feels like watching Wheel of Fortune!

Viewing art through a broken window

One of the Riverina's most notorious artists has been served a court attendance notice more than three months after his shop displayed images of politicians and a billionaire in German World War Two uniforms

It's the latest in a string of controversies for Michael Agzarian, who has previously claimed the artwork was based on the sitcom, Hogan’s Heroes.

Local member Michael McCormack has described Agzarian's art as “beyond disgraceful” and reported it to the police.

At that time the authorities decided it had not broken any laws.

An interesting comparison that the same TV show was used by newspaper The Daily Telegraph in 2013, although the politicians represented were from the alternate side of Australia's two-party system.  

It's possible the court notice will draw on the Crimes Amendment (Prohibition on Display of Nazi Symbols) Bill, although the artwork carefully avoids representing a swastika but does include SS insignia.

An important distinction is that the poster isn't glorifying Nazis, in fact it's ridiculing them.

While McCormack has refused to comment on the current case prior to Agzarian's day in court, his name is attached to the Region Riverina's news story as supplying the image of the artwork.

The NSW Crimes legislation does recognise "a reasonable excuse" for "for an academic, artistic or educational purpose," so it might be that someone unhappy with the police's initial assessment may have exerted additional pressure to have the man charged.

It is worth noting the Agzarian had a long career in academia, before the controversies that followed his "treasonous" contributions to an exhibition in Wagga during 2005.

His artist statement from that time gives context based on personal experience.

My own view is that the hounding of Agzarian reflects a kind of "broken windows" policy by conservative politicians, despite further alienating themselves from the arts community and progressive constituents.

In criminology the broken windows theory proposes that visible signs of crime and disorder, if left unaddressed, can create an environment that encourages further crime and disorder, potentially leading to more serious offenses.

While many of McCormack's colleagues have argued for free speech, they fall silent when it comes to supporting their critics. 

I would suggest they should read Voltaire, but I've just learned that he didn't explicitly say or write the often-quoted phrase "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

However, politicians have made so much money through defamation law cases that I doubt they care at all about giving Australians a right to express themselves. 

Meanwhile those hypocrits yell from "coward's castle" as words spoken in parliamentary chambers are reported under a different set of laws.

Muybridge by Guy Delisle

This graphic novel covers a lot of Eadweard Muybridge's life, innovations and influence

Guy Delisle's art and storytelling are so engaging that I had read through this book within less than 24 hours. 

Muybridge is a name that was only a little bit familiar to me at first and his photograph showing a horse has all four hooves off the ground while galloping is a technical feat, although it's hard to appreciate from over one hundred years later. 

I had not known about his role in demonstrating the use of photography for public relations outcomes by the US Government, after the beauty of Yosemite was captured within a decade of it becoming the first national park.

These old cameras were heavy and involved to use, which reflects a commitment to camping and working in a remote location. 

Looking up Muybridge just now, I'm pondering the photographers influence on Ansell Adams -- who would become synonymous with that landscape. 

The innovations developed by Muybridge really are remarkable and Delisle links the invention of synchronised photography with the famous "bullet time" technique.

It was also interesting to learn his presentations used a moving picture technology that pre-dated cinema. 

This influence is relevant a quarter of a century later, as the recent film 28 Years Later used a portable rig of iPhones to great effect.

Create NSW needs a kick in the arts

Recently I learned that a number of regional galleries and three of NSW's regional art boards were unsuccessful in securing four-year funding from the state government through Create NSW

While Minister for the Arts John Graham has asked we wait for the two-year funding decisions to be finalised,  many of the organisations needing financial support will have already had their planning for the future disrupted.

This morning there's an interview being broadcast that I recorded with ABC Riverina yesterday, where I outlined some of the benefits of funding creativity.

There's data that shows Australians engage with the arts more than sport, although I think it's a bit of a false equivalence since both activities reflect our national culture. 

Many don't recognise culture, as it's like the joke about fish not knowing about water since we're surrounded by it every day.

One of my themes is that spending money on cultural practices is an investment in the future.

When you look at art you are able to get a perspective through the senses and thoughts of another person, so art builds empathy -- which is sorely needed in contemporary times.

It is at best ironic and at worst a sad indictment on NSW's arts ecosystem that one fifth of the regional arts boards were denied funding in this round, as they are the organisations placed to assist non-metropolitan communities to access grants.

Orana Arts is one board that was denied funding and I've been part of their innovative Studio Collab project for a few years, gaining opportunities to learn and collaborate and network with other regional artists.

I'm grateful for their residencies and other opportunities to promote creative practices, such as my talk on the cut-up technique.

Brian Eno has argued in a recent book that, where children learn through play, adults learn through art.

I think it's an important idea, since we gain perspectives and learn new capacities through experiencing culture.

It's as simple as feeling emotions when watching TV, those aren't considered art often enough to recognise the skills developed by a team of people to present interdisciplinary media.

In my ramble with journalist Sally Bryant I mentioned how 40 years ago the band Mental As Anything had a hit song called 'Live It Up'.

That band was a group of art school students and their exhibitions were opened by prime ministers, but their music was an unexpected outcome from their creativity (and possibly a desire for free drinks).

The song 'Live It Up' went on to appear on pop music charts around the world for two years, even returning to the Scottish charts as recently as five years ago.

It is one of our enduring cultural exports and an example of how something like free art education can lead to surprising outcomes.

As the world becomes increasingly fueled by (so-called) artificial intelligence, there's a need to invest in art to develop human creativity.

There is also a need to promote art-making for the benefits in developing empathy and, as careers are lost to AI, it will offer a balm in the well-being that arises from engaging in activities within our communities and sharing in the joy of creating. 

NSW teachers were recently told the creative domain was a focus in the High potential and gifted education policy and that's exciting as it's an area that I believe can be taught. 

However, every teacher knows the role of modelling to demonstrate their lessons and it's vital for students to see the arts are valued.

So, c'mon NSW State Government, Create NSW needs funding to give the arts a boost and regional communities deserve better.

Classless

All history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles 

Young perspectives

A student asked if I had a girlfriend and I replied, "yeah for about 23 years now."

"What?" She exclaimed, "Why haven't you proposed?"

"I've tried a few times," I explained.

"23 years," the student pondered. "I thought you were about 19."