Date: Sun, 04 Jun 1995 08:03:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: vance <vance-AT-CWU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Fascism




> >>Disparagement,  impatience, attack are not quite _it_: it is
> >>when they combine with the view of art as religion, the artist
> >>as priest who links "the people" to a higher order of reality 
> >>-then, it seems to me, the mix begins to resemble fascism.

It seems to me to be weak practice to hold that an experience as 
wide and inclusive as art may at some time demonstrate one or two aspects of 
something as complex as fascism, and then to extrapolate that art in this 
phase resembles fascism. That's a little like noting that pudding 
contains a high percentage of water, therefore, it must be an ocean.

>On Sat, Whit Blauvelt wrote: 
> Shamanism then must be divorced from art because it is "archaic" and because
> historical fascists made some use of its forms? This seems an argument that
> anything which has been used badly cannot then ever be used well. It also
> seems akin to imperialist rationales for destroying shamanic societies - or
> at least smashing their idols.
> 
> Of course, if one can believe that shamanic societies are the worse off
> because of the influence of their intercessors with a higher order, this is
> probably a defensible - although imperialist and fascist - position. I would
> at least note that, anthropologically speaking, the shaman was never the
> tribe's political leader - just as today artists are not except in the
> sickest (America under Reagan) societies.

Good point, Whit. I'm not arguing, just asking: what artists were 
politically influential under Reagan? I think I'm reading you right here?

> Art, anthropologically speaking, largely derives from shamanic practice.
> Perhaps the weakness of art in the last decade or so comes from a pomo
> renunciation of this link.

I really like this point. Can't imagine why I've never thought of it 
before. On first glance the point appears to be easily defensible. Most 
of the societies I can think of, even in Europe, seem to fit this model.

Have to think about that.

vance


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