[The Seven by Nine Squares home page] [YAWN 26] [Art Strike 1990-1993]

DEAR YAWN:

...Thanks for your...interesting ideas. Most of which I can follow really well. Only the way the rules are set are "not my cup of tea". And as things are really changing here who wants to be on strike? Maybe in the USA it's a different situation, but here it's definitely the thing not to do! ... Why be part of a small esoteric group, saying no where even your very "conservative neighbor" is making excursions and searching new ways?...

Kassel, Germany


YAWN agrees: It certainly is true that being part of a small esoteric group seems a rather effective way of accomplishing nothing at all. So it makes one wonder what all the shouting is about. The last thing the Art Strike wants to do is "convince" others to join the strike and then sit on their hands! Doing nothing is in fact obviated by the Art Strike, which is a really, really bad idea. But it is important that it be as bad as it is. It forces a clarification of one's personal views on culture in part by being very difficult to ignore.

DEAR YAWN:

...A "subjective" update on the Art-strike, art-strike & refusal of creativity here: For awhile the idea was batting around that since people who engaged in art-strikes etc. here were in such a minority that their engagement was highly individualistic & tended to promote the idea of individual difference & thus would do better to just do a little creativity. However, recently it has become clear that their are lots of isolated `maverick' art-strikers around, who have taken it seriously & aren't doing anything in an intentional way. The relative `invisibility' of these people is isomorphic to their whole situation. So art-striking is ok again.

Baltimore, Maryland


YAWN says: It's really curious how these things work, isn't it?

DEAR YAWN:

...Yeah I agree so many artists say I'm so open minded and there is nothing but their open minds....

Venice, Florida