Archive for the ‘Culture Wars’ Category

Grayson Perry: Populism, Brexit and the UK’s culture wars – CNN.com – CNN

It may have taken him 20 years to break into the public consciousness (his household name status confirmed by attending his 2003 Turner Prize win in a crinoline party frock), but ever since he's been the closest thing Britain has to a truly public artist in the mold of Dali or Warhol.

"Oh god yeah, I'm definitely a populist artist", he proudly declared. "I make art for as wide an audience as possible. I'm interested in increasing the amount of people that come through the doors here."

"The title of the show came about because it made me laugh really," he says. "The art world struggles with popularity and populism, which has been brewing over the last few years as a current political force."

What do these terms mean to him? Surely he -- a fine artist in a dress -- has little in common with the likes of Farage and Trump?

"Populism is the version of popular that other people don't like," he says. "It's used as an insult. It's like, 'When loads of people like me, it's popular. But when loads of people like you, it's populism.'"

Time will tell how just how popular the show turns out to be, but it's already generating considerable interest. Sitting next to Serpentine director and cultural sultan Hans Ulrich Obrist in front of a throng of press, Perry seems very much the celebrity.

Yet his work itself is deeply rooted in the everyday, depicting themes and subjects that wouldn't usually make it into a major art show in a big city, such as the Brexit voters whose photos form the basis of the show's centerpiece: two ceramic vases named "Matching Pair."

"I call this part of the exhibition the mantelshelf of Britain," Perry says, surveying his creations. "One vase reflects the likes, the emotions, the interests of the Leave voter, and the other the Remain voters. I asked them over social media to send me their photographs of things they liked about Britain and portraits, their favorite brands, figures from history and our popular imagination who stand for what they believe in."

However for Perry, it's the connections between the two vases, rather than the differences, that ring true.

"Interestingly, they've come out quite similar because they both chose blue as the dominant color, as well as many similar images as well ... I haven't labeled them, but you can work out which one's which on closer examination. I think that reflects the layered identity we have as British people," he says. "Brexit isn't necessarily in the foreground. We've got many more identity issues when it comes to Brexit."

When it comes to the bitter rifts of generation, location, race and gender that Brexit did it's best to deepen, Perry is optimistic that they can be patched up -- in the long-term at least.

"I think in the heat around the referendum we saw this sort of new version of culture wars that happened in Britain. But I think it is not necessarily the headline of our identity -- and it will subside. It is just around the Brexit debate and the fallout from that and then into the election," he says.

"Brexit is still a hugely important issue, but I think as long as we address the underlying ... grievances that motivated people around the debate, then hopefully the poison will be lanced."

The show opens on the eve of the general election, a schedule clash that seems to suit his mirror-holding sense of chaos. How does he feel, hosting a major exhibition about British culture, on the eve of the most polarized election since the '80s?

"I love opening my show on the eve of a general election. It's perfect timing," he cackles, before getting serious again. "Some of the issues involved in the election are in my show, and it creates a febrile atmosphere where people are interested in the state of the nation, and that's something I've been interested in for a very long time."

"Also there is that difficult lull between going to vote and the results coming in, a perfect time to come to the opening," he adds, surely only half-joking.

Read this article:
Grayson Perry: Populism, Brexit and the UK's culture wars - CNN.com - CNN

Harvey Rifkin: Irrational culture wars – Vallejo Times Herald

President Trumps pullout from the Paris Climate Agreement is really an irrational middle finger to the progressive movement. The elites of the conservative PR movement have master fully equated masculinity with intolerance, abusive use of fossil fuels, military imperialism, and reduction of civil rights with masculinity. Founders of the Mens Movement would be turning in their graves observing how corruption of messages by conservatives is being used to the benefit of some immoral capitalists.

Glorifying violence, driving fuel inefficient vehicles, profit at any price, decimating the First and Fourteenth Amendments have become the cornerstone of the conservative Trumpian agenda. This draconian agenda is catapulted with arrogant hubris, insensitivity, and a total lack of regard for anything other than making money, no matter what the destructive consequences. The above negative attributes have all the characteristics of past repressive fascist regimes.

America has now become The land of the Free if you are wealthy, white, and male. These conservatives would like to set womens rights back to the early 1900s. After all, women vote for progressive candidates in far greater numbers, so why not dilute their right to vote also in addition to people of color?

These hypocritical conservatives are always touting the importance of the Constitution, but thats only when it serves their greedy white patriarchal needs. Conservatives want to destroy anything that puts women, working class people, LGBTQ, the poor, people of color, and the environment on a level opportunity and playing field with their selfish apathetic greedy friends.

Conservatives are using religion, ethnicity, so called job formation, environmental anti-truthers, homophobia, fear of the loss of white male power, and demonizing of Sissy Tree Huggers as way to coalesce the ignorant white male base of voters to their greedy anything for profit agenda.

Cutting through the folly of tribalism and unconditional conservative loyalty is no easy task. After all many human beings are reactive emotional irrational creatures. I have faith in our upcoming better educated more tolerant millennials. The good news is that each year there are fewer conservative white males.

Harvey Rifkin/Vallejo

Advertisement

Continue reading here:
Harvey Rifkin: Irrational culture wars - Vallejo Times Herald

State of the nation: Grayson Perry on Brexit, Britishness and culture wars – CNN

(CNN)There are many different types of artist, but if you were going to distill them all into just two groups you could say that there is the interior artist -- the one guided by nothing but their own dreams and visions -- and the exterior artist, who looks at the culture around them and finds inspiration within it. Television presenter, transvestite, tapestry-weaver and ceramicist Grayson Perry is very much one of the latter.

It may have taken him 20 years to break into the public consciousness (his household name status confirmed by attending his 2003 Turner Prize win in a crinoline party frock), but ever since he's been the closest thing Britain has to a truly public artist in the mold of Dali or Warhol.

"Oh god yeah, I'm definitely a populist artist", he proudly declared. "I make art for as wide an audience as possible. I'm interested in increasing the amount of people that come through the doors here."

"The title of the show came about because it made me laugh really," he says. "The art world struggles with popularity and populism, which has been brewing over the last few years as a current political force."

Photos: 'Grayson Perry: The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!'

"Matching Pair" (2017) by Grayson Perry

Photos: 'Grayson Perry: The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!'

"Death of a Working Hero" (2016) by Grayson Perry

Photos: 'Grayson Perry: The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!'

"Animal Spirit" (2016) by Grayson Perry

Photos: 'Grayson Perry: The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!'

"The Digmoor Tapestry" (2016) Grayson Perry

Photos: 'Grayson Perry: The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!'

"King of Nowhere" (2015) by Grayson Perry

What do these terms mean to him? Surely he -- a fine artist in a dress -- has little in common with the likes of Farage and Trump?

"Populism is the version of popular that other people don't like," he says. "It's used as an insult. It's like, 'When loads of people like me, it's popular. But when loads of people like you, it's populism.'"

Time will tell how just how popular the show turns out to be, but it's already generating considerable interest. Sitting next to Serpentine director and cultural sultan Hans Ulrich Obrist in front of a throng of press, Perry seems very much the celebrity.

Yet his work itself is deeply rooted in the everyday, depicting themes and subjects that wouldn't usually make it into a major art show in a big city, such as the Brexit voters whose photos form the basis of the show's centerpiece: two ceramic vases named "Matching Pair."

"I call this part of the exhibition the mantelshelf of Britain," Perry says, surveying his creations. "One vase reflects the likes, the emotions, the interests of the Leave voter, and the other the Remain voters. I asked them over social media to send me their photographs of things they liked about Britain and portraits, their favorite brands, figures from history and our popular imagination who stand for what they believe in."

However for Perry, it's the connections between the two vases, rather than the differences, that ring true.

"Interestingly, they've come out quite similar because they both chose blue as the dominant color, as well as many similar images as well ... I haven't labeled them, but you can work out which one's which on closer examination. I think that reflects the layered identity we have as British people," he says. "Brexit isn't necessarily in the foreground. We've got many more identity issues when it comes to Brexit."

When it comes to the bitter rifts of generation, location, race and gender that Brexit did it's best to deepen, Perry is optimistic that they can be patched up -- in the long-term at least.

Grayson Perry at the press preview of "The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!" at the Serpentine Gallery

"I think in the heat around the referendum we saw this sort of new version of culture wars that happened in Britain. But I think it is not necessarily the headline of our identity -- and it will subside. It is just around the Brexit debate and the fallout from that and then into the election," he says.

"Brexit is still a hugely important issue, but I think as long as we address the underlying ... grievances that motivated people around the debate, then hopefully the poison will be lanced."

The show opens on the eve of the general election, a schedule clash that seems to suit his mirror-holding sense of chaos. How does he feel, hosting a major exhibition about British culture, on the eve of the most polarized election since the '80s?

"I love opening my show on the eve of a general election. It's perfect timing," he cackles, before getting serious again. "Some of the issues involved in the election are in my show, and it creates a febrile atmosphere where people are interested in the state of the nation, and that's something I've been interested in for a very long time."

"Also there is that difficult lull between going to vote and the results coming in, a perfect time to come to the opening," he adds, surely only half-joking.

Continued here:
State of the nation: Grayson Perry on Brexit, Britishness and culture wars - CNN

Bared Breast Enthralls a Future Czar, and Stokes a Russian Culture War – New York Times


New York Times
Bared Breast Enthralls a Future Czar, and Stokes a Russian Culture War
New York Times
Aleksei Y. Uchitel is the director of Matilda, a movie that has ignited a firestorm in Russia's culture wars. Credit Max Avdeev for The New York Times. MOSCOW It is an eye-catching wardrobe malfunction that beguiles a future czar. A young, nubile ...

Read the original:
Bared Breast Enthralls a Future Czar, and Stokes a Russian Culture War - New York Times

A Brooklyn Woman at the Center of the Nation’s Culture Wars – WNYC

Once a neighborhood activist in Brooklyn, Linda Sarsour has become an internationally-recognized progressive. (Arun Venugopal )

The nation's culture warriors are battling in the streets of New York this graduation season.

Muslimactivist Linda Sarsour delivered the commencement address at CUNY Thursday. In the speech, she urged Americans to fight against hate.

"What does it mean when we say were social justice activists and organizers committed to justice and equality for all people? It means we made a decision that we would never be bystanders," she said.

The speech triggered protests from the same conservatives who have faced calls to cancel their own speeches.

Anti-Islam provocateur MiloYiannopoulos, who was been banned from Twitter and hada planned speech at the University of California at Berkeley descend into violence, spoke at an anti-Sarsour protest last week. In his remarks, he said she, in fact, should be allowed to speak at CUNY.

"Dont ban her, but hold her to account," Yiannopoulos said after making a bigoted joke about paying Sarsour in goats. "Make her debate. Make her defend her hateful and odious positions."

WNYC's Arun Venugopal and Matt Katz examine the robust debate over free speech on college campuses.

More:
A Brooklyn Woman at the Center of the Nation's Culture Wars - WNYC