Sunday 6 June 2010

Duty

A year or so back, Bangkok artist Jim Brewer explained to me a video installation concept he had and that I liked the idea of immediately. I'd touched on the subject myself back here though I had no idea when I wrote it how thematically integral it would be to maintaining the facade of cognitive integrity that is possibly holding together as well as holding back the entire Kingdom. (Sorry about that mouthful I'm spoon-feeding you but anything less elliptical is asking for trouble under censorship rules in Thailand). 

I saw Jim's piece in the WTF gallery a week or so ago and was absolutely super fucking jubilant when I learned that the some of the Thai visitors found the work so provocative and distressing they asked, nay 'demanded' to know more about the farang who made the piece. Artistically, the timing couldn't have been better with the recent color-coded massacres in the Kingdom, including the repugnant use of state-sanctioned snipers against Thai citizens (and foreign reporters) seeking refuge and safety in the temple Wat Pathum Wanaram  วัดปทุมวนาราม closest to the Red protest site.

Yellow shirts are hardly worn on Mondays as they used to be. 

I believe it was  Ian Curtis of Joy Division who wrote the song "Love will tear us apart".