Another work of political satire breifly flashed across or collective consiousness this election season. A statue called 'the emperor has no balls', that bore a striking if utterly unflattering and perhaps viciously cruel to a subject so known for (among many choices) a fragile vanity about anatomy and appearance. All while more than willing to point out the unattractiveness of interlocutors, opponents, and entire human racial and religious catagories. Being the subject of a cartoon, a lampoon, an unflattering portrait has ever been the bane of leaders, elected and born to the manor. Shakespeare famously did a number on Richard III. Image making and breaking has become a respected career since Machiavelli and Plato wrote lesson plans for princes. But in our time the proliferation of images, and personal branding has created a moment when we have come to confuse the chosen, crafted or lampooned image with the person. A photograh, a cartoon, a campaign photo op are moments of theatre. Reality is quite other. Melania Trumps poses, clothed and not, are not her. Donald and Hillary's cartoonish avatars, appealing or appalling are a visual language for very selective revealing and concealing of characteristics we loath or admire. Its is, all of it, Art with a capital A. So watch and listen, not for the person, but for the messages. Get out your best decoder rings and watch and listen for any tiny glimpse of the hidden behaviors, and search for a reality that speaks as true to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment