Iain Cameron's Diary
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2005-06-15 - 12:49 p.m.

Woke up got outta bed switched on amp-simulator turned the setting to pure tube pre-amp picked up the U2 and soon those chords were strung together to resolve into Bmajor. Added Dhorn line. That�s the duo genre I do - harmony and line - sometimes the harmony is Crafter sometimes U2 sometimes drone composites. I let the lines appear. Did a little post processing and then stuck the wav into the AV software. Mostly used earlier fragments of vid. There are archive stills where I say - yes I like the look of that still - even a few vid pieces. I think I have one such about the 3 witches. Played around with the credits.

Have been rereading the book on Conceptual Art - really very good indeed - sat in the Bear Berkswell as usual. The transition between Fluxus fun and sober conceptualism - also the idea that the piece is the piece and not the piece and something else. So the Min sculptures are just the piece - not the piece and a lot of guff about the intersection of planes and the great tradition. So why not reverse that - get rid of the hardware and just have the guff? Make the guff is the guff the essence of the piece.

The piece is the piece - that piece should just strike you - even if it strikes you with �is that all?� or �how did someone get paid to do this?�. Once it has struck you - then you start on the aesthetics. This is a powerful democratisation within the KM - don�t let some other tosser do the aesthetics for you - sodding well do it yourself. Even if it the aesthetics amounts to - I like my art to have more detail or substance or old-world craft.

So if the point is to get the consumer of art out of art-consumption world where you read a review and then try to see the piece that way - can you liberate people via pieces that are aesthetic provocations ??

eg this piece is about a blue screen with writing on it written on a white screen half filled with writing.

Can that piece there that I just did make you think aesthetics? Can you avoid doing aesthetics once you have read the piece? If you think - that can�t be art etc. This form will be time limited. Probably it�s the essence of aesthetics that you don�t keep giving yourself the same reasons.

Imagine a groundhog day of aesthetics - you keep turning the corner and seeing Vermeers view of Djelft and thinking - its just like being there - I wonder if he did it with an optical device. Each day you have that thought everyday unaware that you had it the day before. Is this all there is?

The policy field is strangely silent - they must be up to something. Actually I tuned up a few bits and pieces - a plan from the centre - trying to enforce a more responsible approach on the depts - will they take it seriously?

Rang James - discussed his summer plans - 4 weeks in St Petersburg learning Russian then 4 weeks on the trans-Siberian express - also his plans to celebrate the end of the exams. Mailed him some stuff about the best general career opening I can spot.

Watching the Doors at the Hollywood Bowl - Ray M is a whiz with the two keyboards - no question they have the set - 3 musicians no less than very good indeed and the charisma on vocals. They�ve got the guns but we got the numbers etc. Great sense of space. I recognise the rig - looks like something out of 2001.

Read more of Wagner on Hesse and saw a bit more of the Hesse-ND-VFT nexus. The mastery of the craft and complete immersion in the progression of the aesthetic rationale up to the point the start to contribute. Then an overlay about contingency - which comes from the passionate but precarious engagement of the creating identity - a bit like the way FM codes info. Didn�t go to the Bear Garden but to Kenilworth Old Town.

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