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[- Quoting the Critical Art Ensemble.
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By saul, Section editors' corner
Posted on Mon Jun 14th, 2004 at 06:02:07 PM EURODISCORDIA TIME
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[editor's note, by Aileen]
While the investigation of Steve Kurtz and the Critical Art Ensemble is being discussed across all the relevant mailing lists, it occurred to me that Discordia might be useful for other thoughts about the work of the Critical Art Ensemble not directly related to the current situation. For that reason I decided to move this post from last year to a more prominent position again.
For news, background information and calls for solidarity, see http://www.caedefensefund.org
While reviewing the larger bits of writing I have done over the last few years, I realised, slightly worriedly, that all the major arguments are illustrated with quotes from the Critical Art Ensemble.
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I mostly write in an academic-flavoured context, and then try to remix texts down for on-line fora, but I was alarmed to see such a consistant, almost religious adherance to one source in (what I vainly consider to be) my eclecticly derivative writing. I use the word religious because the quotations are always used in pithy, reflective moments in the writing, where the appeal of logical analysis of quantative or primary research is exhausted and a leap of reasoning is required.
They rarely quote in their own writing, few footnotes, few references outside their own text, which then becomes a sealed and robust system. The lack of formalised external reference somehow allows them to make bold statements and continue on their own terms, building great big theory sandcastles without recourse to academic models of truth finding, that might get washed away or trampled any minute. It's a very refreshing and useful style, maybe more inspiring of action than (as is so often the case) of more and more layers of blah. I'm interested to find out if any discordians could place this style in a tradition, or suggest other writers / groups that adopt a similar strategy. |
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