The cultural establishment is dialogue between Cornelia Parker and Noam move issues away from narrow political
experiencing a unique paradox. Chomsky, provides a beacon of clarity. dialogue and into mainstream
Fashionable consumerism was a concept Chomsky defines consumption as a conversations. This includes designers and
created in the 1920s as a way to distract the consciously-manufactured goal stemming architects, as well as cultural institutions
masses from becoming politically informed. from 1920s business literature that such as the Tate and the National Gallery
But now fashion has the power to change encouraged industry to make people focus which can lead by example.’
people’s behaviour. If art is fashionable and on the superficial things of life. In the freest Parker’s work bears witness to these
can turn political issues into mainstream countries, such as Britain and America, it possibilities. She says: ‘Artists are free
concerns that alter people’s behaviour, do was becoming impossible for the state to radicals in a way that scientists can never
artists have a duty to get involved in the control the people by force. They would not be. They can’t express their fear or emotions
political debate about climate change? Or, if tolerate the vulgar masses becoming without losing their credibility. As an artist I
artists are ostensibly anti-establishment and engaged politically and so created feel desperately inadequate, but climate
left wing, and climate change is the new uninformed consumers that made irrational change is a many headed beast which we
establishment, should they be behaving in decisions. Encouragingly though, Chomsky need to see in all its dimensions. I could no
an anti-establishment way? How do they also believes that as consumerism is an longer remain just a concerned citizen, so
reconcile this with the fact that art is sold as artificial construct, its very nature is fragile my Chomsky piece is me putting my head
a commodity, with artists leading the and so can be changed. above the parapet.’
capitalist system? Shadow Minister for the Arts, Ed Vaizey Interestingly though, she had no answer
Art and science have a long-standing MP, believes that it is the artist’s duty to to Ed’s probing question as to why she chose
connection, going back to when artists show us how: to fly to meet Chomsky, rather than conduct
helped scientists illustrate their new ‘The one thing we know about the twenty- the interview via a virtual meeting space.
discoveries in flora and fauna. The fact that first century is that if something is
artist Cornelia Parker, scientist Professor fashionable, people are far more likely to be
Stephen Hopper and politician Ed Vaizey engaged and interested in it. Look at people
*Emily Doyle is CIWEM’s Press and
shared a stage at the RSA’s recent Arts & like Leonardo Di Caprio and Al Gore who
Marketing Officer.
Ecology Exchange to examine how the have used creative mediums and forums to
cultural sector is implicated in climate take climate change out of the ghetto of
change shows that some are ready to take political discourse. The point of art is to
Note: RSA lectures and podcast
this relationship further. express a view in a way that talks to all of us.
downloads are available at
Chomskian Abstract, a strange one-sided Artists can use their creative medias to
www.rsa.org.uk/audio/index.asp.
WEM April 2008 17
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