Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 12:53:21 -0800 From: Eric <ehill-AT-best.com> Subject: fwd: The end of the K foundation >Date: Tue, 14 Nov 95 17:03:04 GMT >X-Sender: t.gunnin-AT-bss10a >To: ambient-digest-AT-hyperreal.com >From: Tim Gunning <t.gunnin-AT-bss10a.staffs.ac.uk> >Subject: The end of the K foundation >Sender: owner-ambient-AT-hyperreal.com > >Hi folks, >On Saturday went to see the film "Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million >Quid" at the film festival in Aberystwyth (UK). The billing said that the K >foundation would be there and that they would be a discussion with them >after the presentation of the film. >Only Bill Drummond and Gimpo (he shoot the film and now owns it) turned up. >Before the film started Bill read a contract that he and Jimmy had both >signed. Part of it was as follows :- > >" Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty agree to never speak, write or >use any other form of media to mention the burning of one million >pounds of their own money which occurred on the island of Jura on >23rd August 1994, for a period of 23 years after the date of signature..." > >Gimpo explained (with prompting from bill) that after showing the film in >Scotland last week Bill and Jimmy had decided they would not talk about the >burning any more and some bloke called Mark had written up this contract and >they had both signed it. The contract also mentioned waiting for the world >to decide what the burning of a million quid meant. > >The film was then shown. 63 minutes of silent footage (the sound hadn't >worked explained Gimpo) of Bill and Jimmy throwing 50 pound notes onto a >fire in an out-house somewhere on Jura. >The money was apparently the total assets of the K foundation, which no >longer exists. > >After the film there was a reception with free drinks and a chance to talk >with Bill (what can you say to a man who burnt a million quid but wont talk >about it?) and Gimpo. > > >For me the watching of the film gave me plenty of time to think about money >and its worth etc.. One thing I would like to say is that I can not think of >a better way of attacking the Capitalist system than destroying the symbol >of Capitalism i.e. Money. > >A friend of mine wrote this for the KLF mailing list. What do you think ? > > >Return-Path: <engineer-AT-mail.soc.staffs.ac.uk> >Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 11:27:08 GMT >X-Sender: engineer-AT-mail.soc.staffs.ac.uk >To: t.gunnin-AT-bss10a.staffs.ac.uk >From: Ian Silvester <engineer-AT-mail.soc.staffs.ac.uk> >Subject: The last British showing of 'Watch the K Foundation Burn a > Million Quid'? > >>Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 18:25:30 >>To: klf-AT-xmission.com >>From: Ian Silvester <engineer-AT-mail.soc.staffs.ac.uk> >>Subject: The last British showing of 'Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million >Quid'? >> >>It is 63 minutes of film, made by (until now) a self-confessed non movie >maker, using a typical point-and-shoot home video camera. >>The content is silent, and depicts Bill and Jim burning one million pounds >in a rough hearth in an outhouse, somewhere on Jura, watched/witnessed by a >tabloid photographer (name escapes me temporarily) and Gimpo, a friend. >>The film starts with a few wads of fiftys aflame, and concludes when the >million is glowing embers. >>The fact that the film is silent is key. Those who saw the Omnibus will >have heard snatches of the soundtrack, but on balance I think its removal is >an improvement, since it allowed us to discuss the implications of the act >whilst watching the film, not in retrospect. >> >> >>The second point is more difficult. It requires the reader to make the >assumption that Messrs Drummond and Cauty are serious about the things they >do (as I have, based on them deleting the KLF back-catalogue and therefore >throwing away millions of pounds of potential sales). Moody Boy's account, >in my view, focusses on the minutiae of what transpired on Saturday, not the >wider picture. >>The reason that the K Foundation have given for closing discussion of the >burning, is that the discussions weren't getting them any closer to >answering the questions posed in the Guardian advertisement, i.e. nobody was >taking them seriously, and those that were, were angry at the act and of the >'why not donate to charity/give it to me' type. >>In the Omnibus programme, Bill appeared genuinely concerned that, although >he KNEW it was the right thing to do, he personally regretted the loss of >the money. There is a conflict here between individual needs and global >needs, and a backing up of the theory that they are serious. >> >>The solution to the quandary as I see it is as follows : >> >>On a personal level, it is obviously a great loss to burn a million pounds, >and this will be regretted no matter what one does. >>On the sociological level, it is a subject that previously will only have >been discussed theoretically. It has now been done. For real. If there is no >other reason for the burning, it is that now the world at large has the >subject to discuss. It is not for the K Foundation to say why they did it, >it is for the world at large to discuss the subject and for every individual >to finalise their own response to it. >> >>As an addenda, this fits rather neatly with a coverall definition of 'art'. >That art is simply the execution of an idea, so that others may be allowed >to react to it. >> >>Phew! >> >>N.B. These ideas are not mine - the concepts are adapted from the writings >of Hakim Bey, a contemporary philosopher. For further info, start using your >Internet search tools (I can't abide this "information for free" illusion >that the 'net creates - I only gave Mr. Drummond a useful address because it >might actually benefit him directly). >> >>On a more trivial level, the contract that the K Foundation has taken out >with the rest of the world, signed on the weekend of 4/5 November, only >prevents Bill and Jimmy doing anything K Foundation-related. They are >totally free to do anything under a new name... >> >> >yan. >-------------------------------------------------------- >Ian Silvester, "He dreams.. while he's not sleeping" >Research Associate. - The Chameleons >-------------------------------------------------------- > > >Sorry for the use of bandwidth but I think this is important. > >Love and peace, >Tim > > p.s. 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