"We may see the overall meaning of art change profoundly- from being an end to being a means, from holding out a promise of perfection in some other realm to demonstrating a way of living meaningfully in this one"
The Real Experiment (1983)
Allan Kaprow
John Jordan is a performance artist, known for his work with "reclaim the streets" and the "we are everywhere" book. Jordan learnt from theatre, he did drama and noticed the gap between the audience and the performance. They were always separated by the stage; the audience stayed in their seats- no matter what. After this observation he became interested in the type of art that lives in culture. The audience is on the streets and not separated from the performance anymore. Art shown in the public sphere has the opportunity to become more radical and not just be seen as art. It measures an effect on society and comments upon it.
1. Invisibility trick
To avoid what Jordan calls the "prisons of the art world", he creates art work that no one thinks of as art. For example he created a fake company called "Effra Redevelopment Agency" and set them up in a shop with the false promises of corporate videos that claimed to be focused on river redevelopment. None of the public realised that it was an art installation.
Another example was a protest Jordan was involved in; he threw himself onto a bulldozer to stop it. This created an interest in the media and Jordan also appreciated the theatricality of the moment. It was beautiful and real; direct action.
2. Give up representation
Artists use desire to change the mind of the viewer or to instill a feeling with them. Facts and figures don't change the world; desire does.
3. Reclaim the streets of possibility
'Reclaim the streets"
This project was about urban common versus privatization within cities, and the idea that means and ends are the same thing. Within the guise of street parties, the art piece became a comment on city scapes and how the public can change the world with one idea. Yet the art work was also fun and involved the viewer completely. The parties became raves, anarchism was the sole politics and artists were able to make radical work.
4. Make the material the movement
5. Craft frames that enable creative chaos
Artists want to control aesthetics, yet in the public sector you can't control that. One example Jordan discussed was a choreographed crowd in 1999. Using coloured masks and shouted instructions the crowd were coerced into becoming an art piece.
6. Liberate the disobedient body
"Clown Army"
The "Clown Army" is one of the most successful art pieces that Jordan has been involved with, in terms of humour, participation, reaction from media and viewer and also aesthetics. By creating an army of clowns, Jordan mocks authority as well as the idea of obedience and hierarchy. One group of recruits tried to join the army still dressed as the clowns, but the office they approached ended up closing early because of them, which is also a success. The clowns also kissed the policemen's riot shields in protest rallies; the shields were covered in lipstick kisses making the police look harmless, even laughable. As Jordan becomes the "trickster", he changes the idea of confrontation in protests to confusion from the point of view of authority.
7. Don't pretend to do politics
"Disobedience makes history" - Tate Modern
Jordan was asked to set up workshops by Tate Modern about radical art and protests. He decided to take them at their word and set up projects about the BP oil spill that was currently in the news. Unfortunately he received an email from Tate saying he was "not allowed to protest against Tate and it's sponsors", including BP. However Jordan felt this was a type of censorship, and despite Tate's attempts at sabotage, created work where volunteers spilt oil all over the paving outside the gallery and over their clothes.
8. Create edges and doorways
Look at eco systems, "Perma-culture"
9. Perform post-capitalism
"Climate Camp"
10. Make passionate adventures
Think of treasure maps, adventures, boats and rum.
11. Cultivate the unexpected
"Down with Gargamel!"
Artists and sub-cultures work together to create radical work. In Poland, Jordan began a project involving graffiti and garden gnomes to create a gnome revolution.
12.(?) Occasionally take holidays in representation
"Les Sentiers de L'Utopie"
(book and film)
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